My second post of today is dedicated to the headline act at the Bristol Beacon on Wednesday evening. Have you guessed who it is yet?
No? Well, here's another clue...
Yes, the stars of the show were Saint Etienne, on their (sniff) final UK tour. Yet, as Sarah Cracknell replied to the collective sigh of sadness to this announcement, "this is a celebration!"
And boy, wasn't it just.
Coming on to their epic 1991 single Filthy, Saint Etienne launched into Tonight, from 2012's Words And Music. Earlier, Jane Weaver (what a support act!) had promised we were in for a treat, "a night of bangers" no less, and she was not mistaken.
Tonight had barely finished before Like A Motorway came pulsing in. One of my all-time favourite Saint Etienne songs, in a blistering hot live version.
The eagle-eyed amongst you will have spotted that Sarah, Bob and Pete were joined not only by long-term honorary member Debsey Wykes but also Loz Colbert from Ride on drums.
Having seen Loz guest with The Charlatans in December 2025 and perform with his own band in September 2024, he's higher up my list of most watched artists that many of my other favourite artists!
I didn't catch the band introductions over the applause , but I think it was Augustin Bousfield to the left of Debsey and in front of me, on violin and a variety of guitars.
Sarah was in good form, both on and in between the songs. "I'm looking at my setlist and it says 'Chat'", she informs us before apologising for talking rubbish. Did we mind? Of course we didn't!
The BPMs were high as so was the mood, as the set continued through deep cuts like Spring from Foxbase Alpha (1991) and Shower Scene from Finisterre (2002) to recent singles Glad and Brand New Me from last year's final album, International.
The crowd went absolutely bonkers when the latter was followed by sampled voice saying, "cigarette", heralding Mario's Café from 1993's So Tough, the first Saint Etienne album that I bought. Earlier, Sarah dedicated the album's UK #12 hit single You're In A Bad Way "to Ed Sheeran".
After a third song from International, the Paul Hartnoll co-write, Take Me To The Pilot, familiar beats kicked in and Debsey whipped out a melodica to play those oh-so-recognisable chords.
Yes, the inevitable and much-anticipated performance of their breakthrough hit, Only Love Can Break Your Heart, but wonderfully based on Andrew Weatherall's remix, which took the Neil Young original even further, weaving in samples of Jean Binta Breeze and the Augustus Pablo-inspired melodica. Saint Etienne may have been playing this version for the first time, on every tour since 1990 for all I know. All that matters is that they played it tonight and honoured The Guv'nor by doing so.
Whilst there were no appearances from Q-Tee, Confidence Man or Étienne Daho, Debsey and Loz were more than enough. But there was more.
Catching up with social media the following day, I spotted a FB post from Keeley Morris, whose music I like very much, with photos of the gig, including this one, introducing "a sweet cat named Mike" on the left.
Look familiar? No? Here's one of my photos from the Jane Weaver post when I arrived for the gig. And look who's standing in the foreground.
So, it turns out that I was dancing behind Keeley and Mike for the whole night. I wish I'd realised and said hello! What I will say is that Keeley was wearing a spectacular glittery jacket (not pictured) when Saint Etienne came out and she stopped dancing only for the occasional photo or a cup of water handed out by security staff. Legend!
Even Jane Weaver got in on the act, with this rather beautiful shot of the concert in full swing, from the rear of the stalls. I really love the Beacon Hall space and Saint Etienne were raising the temperature with each song.
After an unexpected outing for Stormtrooper In Drag, which I first heard on a Gary Numan tribute album in 1997, the set came to a close with He's On The Phone. As mentioned sadly no Étienne Daho, but they did mash the song up wth 7 Ways To Love, a hit for Cola Boy which Bob and Pete co-wrote. The night started in 1991 and ended in 1991, time-hopping all over the place in between, a joyful ride.
There was a very brief stage exit, Saint Etienne returned for a two-song encore, both all the more poignant, given the occasion. Sarah sported her beloved feather boa (dedicated to Marc Bolan) and the backdrop screen began showing photos and stills from Saint Etienne's rich history, as they played The Last Time for, well, the last time in Bristol.
It's a wonderful closer to a wonderful album, International being a highlight of a career of countless highlights.
Before we got maudlin though - this is a celebration, remember? - the familiar rhythm of Nothing Can Stop Us kicked in, taking us back, one last time, to 1991.
Then it was over, the house lights came on, and we all shuffled out, knowing that we had all shared in something truly remarkable. Sarah, Bob, Pete, Debsey, Agustin and Loz sent us into the stratosphere, caught us when we fell back to earth, and lowered us gently to ground, never to forget.
What I'll also never forget is that I spent the entire night dancing like it was 1991 again and I was a twenty year old.
What I'll also also never forget is that, when I arrived home and Mrs. K was confronted by a sweat-drenched, frizzy-haired grinning loon, my brain chose that moment to cut the supply of adrenalin and remind me that I am not a twenty year old raver, but a fifty-five year old whose body is no longer fit for this sustained abuse.
My hips, my knees and my neck still ache, as I finish writing this, four days later. I don't regret a thing.
....
In recreating the setlist for this Dubhed selection, I decided to open with Filthy, even though they didn't perform it live, because it's just too good to leave off. I also swapped the original 1991 album version of Spring for the 2009 remix by Air France; likewise, a David Penn remix on last year's Brand New Me EP meant that I could shoehorn in 7 Ways To Love at the end.
Only Love Can Break Your Heart could only be the Andrew Weatherall remix, given the version played on the night, and I've opted for Weatherall and Keith Tenniswood's Two Lone Swordmen remix of Heart Failed (In The Back Of A Taxi) which for me is the definitive take of the song.
All together, the selection more or less matches the 90 minute running time of the Saint Etienne show. I can't recreate the euphoria of the packed house, but the music speaks for itself.
What a way to bow out.
1) Filthy (Single Version ft. Q-Tee) (1991)
2) Tonight (Album Version) (2012)
3) Like A Motorway (Rick Smith Mix) (1994)
4) Spring (Air France Remix) (2009)
5) Glad (Album Version) (2025)
6) You're In A Bad Way (Single Version) (1993)
7) Shower Scene (Album Version) (2002)
8) Who Do You Think You Are (Single Version ft. Debsey Wykes) (Cover of Cover of Candlewick Green) (1993)
9) Heart Failed (In The Back Of A Taxi) (Two Lone Swordsmen Mix) (2000)
10) Pale Movie (Album Version) (1994)
11) Brand New Me (Album Version) (Saint Etienne x Confidence Man) (2025)
12) Mario's Cafe (Album Version) (1993)
13) Take Me To The Pilot (Album Version) (2025)
14) Only Love Can Break Your Heart (A Mix Of Two Halves By Andrew Weatherall ft. Moira Lambert) (Cover of Neil Young) (1990)
15) DJ (Album Version) (2012)
16) Stormtrooper In Drag ('Continental' Edit) (Cover of Paul Gardiner ft. Gary Numan) (1997)
17) He's On The Phone (Radio Edit By Motiv 8 ft. Etienne Daho) (1995)
18) 7 Ways To Love (David Penn Remix) (Cover of Cola Boy) (2025)
19) The Last Time (Album Version) (2025)
20) Nothing Can Stop Us (Album Version) (1991)
I was too busy dancing and cheering to attempt any photos, so I am hugely appreciative for the excellent pics taken by:
Michael Walker: 1, 5
Chris Hunt: 3, 9
Loz Harris: 4
Keeley Moss: 6
Jane Weaver: 8
Oh Khayem, I saw your post title and I've had to resist reading this post much as I'm chomping at the bit to do so - but I'm off to see them in Brighton on Friday and I want to keep the whole sweet element of surprise! So I look forward to reading this at the weekend, or whenever I come down sufficiently from the high :-)
ReplyDeleteSorry, C, I’m painfully aware of spoilers when Bristol lands early or midway through a tour schedule. I’m relieved that the post title was enough of a giveaway…!
DeleteI’d love to hear what you think after you’ve come down from the Brighton experience.
In the meantime, you can enjoy the separate Jane Weaver review in the knowledge that she’s not supporting Saint Etienne in Brighton! (the line up looks amazing)