Now the ostensible justification for my visit to this family in Bury St Edmunds was to see the Bluetones do an acoustic set at the John Peel Centre in nearby Stowmarket. I am never one to turn down the opportunity of a gig!
John Peel seems to loom large in Stowmarket. Well it isn't a very big town. There seem to be two parts to the John Peel Centre for Creative Arts, both in historic but redundant buildings. One is this
But this is the music venue, in a converted 19th century corn exchange.
Opening act was a lovely young lady called Chloe Wilson. I am afraid to say I liked her personally far more than her music. Just not my thing, however sweet she seemed.
The Bluetones were in fact just half the Bluetones, Mark and Adam, playing an acoustic set of Bluetones songs from the nineties to date (they have just put out a new album.) There felt something slightly sad about this gig. The audience was pretty much entirely made up of people who would have liked them in the nineties (plus the odd youngster clearly dragged in by their parents). Their success was limited even in their heyday. They have since broken up and then got back together again. They are clearly not making a mint. But the two of them seemed to enjoy the evening. Lots (and lots!) of friendly banter mostly between the two of them.
They seemed really nice guys. And the middle aged (to be charitable) fan base may not be large but evidently it is very loyal. It all just felt a little too close to Creme Brulee from the League of Gentlemen. (If you know that comedy show you will know what I mean. If not, well...)
They announced that they would be doing two sets of about 45 minutes with an interval and finish about 10:30. They were still going 11:10. The banter got longer and longer, and while enjoyable in the first half just went on too long in the second half. Although the die hard fans singing along seemed perfectly delighted by the whole thing. As a full band I think it would have sounded more interesting. I just don't really like acoustic.
