Happy Mondays - Mountford Hall, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, 6/12/2019
by Richard Lewis
published: 10 / 4 / 2020
intro
Richard Lewis enjoys a set of classic hits and more obscure early tracks from the Happy Mondays at the Liverpool date on what might be their last full-scale tour for a while.
Now established as a cockle warming Christmas tradition, unlike the vast majority of office do’s or being sat in overcrowded pubs, the Happy Mondays biennial December tour rolls into Liverpool. Following DJ Jon Da Silva’s stage warming support set, the powerhouse soul vocals of Rowetta signals the start, as she appears on stage, leather tassels whirling. Arriving one by one, the band effortlessly build up the intro of ‘Kinky Afro’, as Shaun Ryder’s unforgettable opening lines “Son, I’m thirty/I only went with your mother cos she’s dirty” cut through the air. The band’s irresistible rhythms, best described by Mancunian music writer Mick Middles as the Mondays’ ‘sway’, the indefinable quality that makes the entire crowd at every venue dance to them, remains as evident as ever. Resembling a club doorman about to begin a long shift in particularly bad weather Ryder, decked out head to toe in black with his cap pulled down low, positions himself in front of Gaz Whelan’s drum riser, his vocals spot on amidst the band’s lopsided funk. Bez affably patrols the front of the stage, his freaky dancing boosting energy levels, while Paul Ryder in classic Bill Wyman/John Entwistle fashion simply stands there and holds the set together. With box set ‘The Early EPs’ recently on the shelves, the setlist has been overhauled to shine a light on the group’s embryonic material. ‘Performance’ named after the seminal cult film from an LP heavily inspired by the flick, 1988's indie rock/house alloy ‘Bummed’ makes a very welcome return to the set alongside an energized take of ‘Mad Cyril’. Ridiculously underrated bassist Paul Ryder, equal to fellow Mancunian Mani powers an atmospheric rendition of ‘Loose Fit’ while similarly undervalued axeman Mark Day supplies the brilliantly off-beam riffs of ‘God’s Cop’ and early days classic ‘Tart Tart’. Lesser-spotted tracks, monolithic dancefloor-filler ‘Rave On’ and ‘Clap Your Hands’ from 1989's ‘Madchester: Rave On’ EP are brilliantly essayed alongside a lascivious version of ‘Bob’s Yer Uncle’. The keyboard riff of ‘Step On’ heralds a mass outbreak of mates-on-shoulders, dancing, jumping, attempted acrobatics and general mayhem before a motoric version of ‘Wrote For Luck’ brings the curtain down. If Rowetta is always the first onstage, Mark Day is always last, wringing noise out of his Fender guitar until the lights go up and the theme tune to long defunct BBC1 sports programme ‘Grandstand’ booms from the PA. Bez commented in a recent interview that this jaunt might be the last full-scale Mondays tour for a while, a crying shame on this evidence as the Salfordians live firepower remains as potent as ever. Photos by Andrew Twambley www.twambley.com
Band Links:-
http://www.happymondaysonline.comhttps://www.facebook.com/HappyMondaysOnline
https://twitter.com/happy_mondays
Picture Gallery:-
interviews |
Interview with Shaun Ryder (2019) |
With festival dates over the Summer and a Winter Tour due in December, Richard Lewis talks to Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder about the group’s formative early years and future plans. |
Interview with Shaun Ryder (2015) |
live reviews |
Roundhouse, London, 16/11/2017 |
Lisa Torem enjoys an energetic set of greatest hits from the Happy Mondays at the Roundhouse in London. |
Olympia, Liverpool, 1/12/2017 |
O2 Academy, Liverpool, 13/11/20115 |
photography |
Photoscapes (2024) |
Andrew Twambley takes photos of Happy Mondays at a homecoming gig at the 02 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester. |
most viewed articles
current edition
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #15- On Being Dignified and Old aka Ten Tips From Jah Wobble On How To Be Happy.Dennis Tufano - Copernicus Center, Chicago, 19/7/2024
Elliott Murphy - Interview
Wreckless Eric - Interview
Adrian Gurvitz - Interview
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #16: Living in the Minds of Strangers
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #17: Tom Robinson
Norman Rodger - Interview
Chris Spedding - Interview
Penumbra - Interview
previous editions
Heavenly - P.U.N.K. Girl EPIn Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #5 - ‘We all have good intentions/ But all with strings attached’: Music and Mental Health Part 2
Trudie Myerscough-Harris - Interview
Allan Clarke - Interview
Dwina Gibb - Interview
Joy Division - The Image That Made Me Weep
Beautiful South - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Madeline Bell - Interview
Jimmy Nail - Interview
Sound - Interview with Bi Marshall Part 1
most viewed reviews
current edition
Groovy Uncle - Making ExcusesBill Wyman - Drive My Car
Hawkestrel - Chaos Rocks
Philip Parfitt - The Dark Light
Ross Couper Band - The Homeroad
Deep Purple - =1
Jules Winchester - The Journey
Popstar - Obscene
Splashgirl and Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe - More Human
John Murry and Michael Timmins - A Little Bit of Grace and Decay
related articles |
Black Grape: Live Review (2017 |
Richard Lewis watches Happy Mondays' front man Shun Ryder's other band Black Grape make an excellent return to form in a comeback gig at the O2 Academy in Liverpool |
Black Grape: Interview (2016) |
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart