Wedding Present - Fibbers, York, 9/7/2006

  by Dixie Ernill

published: 22 / 7 / 2006

intro

On the first of their last batch of gigs for the foreseeable future, Dixie Ernill watches David Gedge's reformed Wedding Present play a manic and powerful set to an ecsatstic audience at Fibbers in York

Arriving in York to be greeted by a random girl exposing her breasts in a bizarre and un-provoked manner was not how I envisaged this account to start. Despite the obvious quality of her pair, they would prove to be only a minor footnote on an evening littered with highlights. Just like a delightful homemade onion chutney and sun-blushed tomatoes had added to a fine pre-gig meal, the modest and intimate surroundings of Fibbers certainly created the ideal forum for the Wedding Present to ply their well-honed trade on this, the first of their last batch of gigs for the foreseeable future. A typically confident David Gedge strode on stage and, with a pumped up band around him, tore into an opening triplet of great singles (‘Sticky’, ‘Ringway to Seatac’ and ‘Corduroy’) that would set the standard for the rest of a truly excellent gig. Even weaker track, ‘Mars Sparkles Down’, from the band’s last LP, 2005’s 'Take Fountain', took on a charming Magic Numbers feel against the abrasive guitar duelling of older tracks such as ‘You Should Always Keep In Touch With Your Friends’. A nod to Gedge’s previous band, Cinerama, was included with the excellent ‘Wow’ belted out mid-set, before an already jubilant audience went delirious as the classic ‘Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft’ is followed by the riotous guitar assault of ‘Kennedy’. The heat is temporarily cooled by a stunning ‘Mercury’, but mayhem is restored as ‘Brassneck’ eases seamlessly into ‘Take Me!’ and old chart hit, ‘Why Are You Being So Reasonable Now’ (sung half in French) is given a rare airing. The set ends with brooding masterpiece, ‘Interstate 5’ and as is tradition the band depart without encore. Outside, the warmth of the day still lingers on as a delightful girl’s hand slips into mine. The Wedding Present may have been around for an eternity, mining the rich seam of relationships, but tonight proves there’s life in us old dogs yet. The photographs that accompany this article orinally appeared on www.efestivals.co.uk

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