Don't Tell Me I've Gone Too Far

Blancmange played at the Trinity in Bristol on Friday (31st). Mrs. K and I were planning to be there but sadly we couldn't make it on the night. Fortunately, my friend Mike did and so today it's my privilege to publish a guest post from someone who was right there in the thick of things.

 

Over to you, Mike....

 

This was my 3rd gig with Blancmange Mk II (for the purposes of this review Blancmange Mk I is 1978-1986 and Mk II is 2011 onwards.) First gig was in 2018 at the Fleece and second gig with Khayem in Stroud in 2022.

You do know what you are getting – a mixed up diet of 80’s bangers with the newer songs that Neil Arthur is obviously very proud of.

 

First up the support is The Remainder – Neil himself accompanied by Finlay Shakespeare on synthesiser and vocals and Liam Hutton on drums.  

 

I very much like their only album Evensong and was looking forward to hearing it in a live setting. They kick off at 8pm with ‘Broken Manhole Cover’ which is my favourite track that Neil Arthur has been involved with in the 21st Century so glad we got there on time! He tells us how nervous he is singing these songs even though it is night 8 of the tour and toys with various sheets before launching into each song.

 

 

The audience are respectful as they play 30 mins of the album including a cracking version of ‘Evensong’ and they finish with ‘Dead Farmer’s Field’ which has similarly ludicrous lyrics as ‘Broken Manhole Cover’. I’ve worked out the reason why I really like these tracks is that they remind me of Fujiya and Miyagi (who should be huge but I think people don’t give them the time of day to their name…)

 

 

 

 

Blancmange come on at 9pm comprising exactly the same band as The Remainder and start with ‘Again, I Wait For The World’ which we are told later has its origins in 1978/79 but they have only just finished it with Benge. Only the 45 years to finish the track… it’s a good song so I’m glad they bothered.

 

  

Next up ‘Reduced Voltage’ from 2022 – just over half the set consists of Blancmange Mk II tracks and for the most part the audience are fully into it. I did keep on glimpsing 4 males to my left who had various reactions to the songs on offer. 

 

The furthest away from me resembled Philip Serrell (apologies to those who don’t watch antiques shows designed for the over 80’s) but he was dancing like a mad thing…. maybe he’d discovered a rare ming vase earlier in the day? 

 

However, to my immediate right was a very enthusiastic young man (eg under 50) with two very miserable mates. The only comment miserable man no 1 made throughout the whole gig was ‘well that wasn’t very good was it’ referring to ‘Distant Storm’ two thirds through the set list. I did wonder whether miserables x 2 had come on the pretence that they were getting jelly, ice cream and blancmange and their enthusiastic mate hadn’t told them what they were really seeing – who knows??

 

  

Anyway aside#1 – are there any bands you see when they could play one track and you would go home happy? For me there are 3 bands from the early 80’s where this applies.

 

1) Lloyd Cole and the Commotions – Rattlesnakes

If Lloyd just came on, sang that song and walked off again I would be a happy camper.

 

2) Altered Images – Don’t Talk To Me About Love

Again if Clare came on and sang this and went off again I’d be more than happy.

 

3) Feel Me – Blancmange

I will ruffle a lot of feathers here as many people would believe that ‘Living On The Ceiling’ is more of a banger than ‘Feel Me’. Well each to their own and all that but I would argue that the 3 songs mentioned here represent why I was glad to be a teenager in the mid 80’s and not today..

 

So tracks 3 and 4 are ‘I've Seen The Word’ and ‘Feel Me’ and I could go home but we then have 2 songs from Blancmange Mk II including 'Mindset' from 2020. The rest of the evening goes by in a flash with highlights being ‘Last Night (I Dreamt I Had A Job)' and ‘We Are The Chemicals’. 

  

 

  

Last two songs of the main set are inevitably ‘Living On The Ceiling’ and ‘Blind Vision’. The former with the ‘la, la, la’s’ to the fore from the audience and the latter being more danceable than you remember.

 

 

  

The encore has ‘God’s Kitchen’ played for the first time this tour and the final track is ‘Don’t Tell Me’ (which was a bit mad as whilst I was stood there a mate who didn’t know I was at the concert said he was watching TOTP 1984 and the only good song on the show was ‘Don’t Tell Me’ and I could message him back saying ‘I’m watching it now!’.)

  

My mate Paul and I walked away having really enjoyed Blancmange yet again. Neil’s voice is still really strong and for a guy who is 66 this month looks remarkably fit. 

 

I’m off to see The Pet Shop Boys next week and will I enjoy it as much as this gig..? It’s hard to say but we need to keep on supporting the 80’s troubadours who made our tricky teenage years most bearable whilst they are still around.

 

Mike

 

...Wow, thanks so much Mike! I'll echo Neil's post-show sentiments on social media and say that this review was wonderful.

 

I'd also like to give credit and thanks to a few other audience members who I've borrowed from for this post:

PeterD1969 for posting the rather spectacular setlist here

mr and mrs thomas for photos #2 & 3

Suze for photo #4

Bradders for photo #5

...and Mike (again!) for the headline photo.