Being one of lucky few to have been able to attend, just thought I’d share my thoughts on the BBC Radio Merseyside session, which I attended last week following the competition they ran.
Above all it was just great to be seeing Clinic in an intimate setting again, having been at the RFH and MEN dates last year. Because it was a radio broadcast, it was slightly weird one: 8pm start, no bar, staged in what was effectively the foyer of the radio station. The best thing about it was that there were only perhaps 50–odd people there – the usual diverse mix - so we were all very close, could see really clearly what everyone was playing.
It was with a lot of surprise and some laughter (I certainly was, I’m not sure what some people thought they were meant to do) that the band came on in dark green army uniforms all wearing Beatles wigs! I do have a couple of low res photos on my phone I'll post when I can.
The set started with Memories, which sounded like everything we would expect from a Clinic album opener, although the song was slightly marred by the fact the BBC sound guy was clearly struggling to get the levels on Ade’s vocals right. Whatever the problem, I didn’t notice it after that track.
There were four other new songs through the rest of the set, all of which sounded very strong. The live version of Free Not Free is even more dynamic and fragile and tactile than it is on record, just absolutely spot on. A couple of songs later they did Corpus Christi which is already safely installed as one of my favourite Clinic, it is exactly what . The other two were songs they played a few times last year Fortune Teller (now called High Coin) and what will be the first single ‘proper’ The Witch. Until the radio session and this show, I had a clear preference for Fortune Teller, and yet, I can’t tell exactly what has happened by it just seems like something has clicked how they play The Witch and/or how I perceive it, it has completely reversed. From early listens, TW might sound like a ‘standard’ pumping Clinic tune, just as FNF might first sound like a ‘standard’ mellow Clinic song – but then you get past the initial superficial similarities and realise how original and inventive and singular they are (and in that sense, yes, they are ‘standard’ Clinic).
There has been no dip in quality at all, if anything I think they’re getting better. In my mind, it a tribute to both the old and new material that all the songs sat very well together and demonstrated the range of songs the band have. Still plenty of Visitations in there (Animal/Human, Kellogg, Tusk, Family, The New Seeker); the ever-present Second Line and Walking with Thee are always worth playing; and Pet Eunuch’and Cement Mixer made welcome returns to the set.
Here is the set list in full:
Memories
Tusk
Free Not Free
The New Seeker
Corpus Christi
Animal/Human
High Coin (aka Fortune Teller)
The Second Line
Children of Kellogg
Walking With Thee
The Witch
Family
Pet Eunuch
Cement Mixer
They played for 45 minutes, and it was patently clear to me that whatever the set list is rehearsed for the forthcoming tours (good shout btw to ask us), the guys need to be planning to extend the well past the 55 minutes max. With 5 albums and over a dozen singles worth of quality material to choose from - including a brand new record that sounds like it is going to be even better than what has gone before – it is going to be difficult for long-term fans not to come away disappointed. They could easily have played a completely different 45 minute set and quality wouldn’t have suffered; Porno, IPC, Monkey, Welcome, Country Mile, Anne…need I go on.
Thank you to everyone I met for a quality evening. It was an honour.
