Snow Patrol at the O2

This was a very long awaited gig for me. Not just that we had tickets well in advance, nor that it was the first tour by Snow Patrol in years after a hiatus for drink and depression issues (which seem almost de rigueur ) but because it was an excuse for a visit from my old and much-missed friend James. Last visit was for a Coldplay gig at Wembley about 18 months previous. He only lives in Suffolk (compare Alan in my last entry, living in Vancouver) but it is far enough, especially when he has both work and a family to maintain.So suffice to say, this was eagerly anticipated on my part for a number of reasons.

After dinner at Pizza Express in Canary Wharf (the nearer one to the O2 having been fully booked, although booking at this branch seemed to be of no consequence - we had to queue like everyone else, despite many evidently empty tables) we got to our seats in time for the first support, indeed even in time for James to buy a tour t-shirt. And yes seats. My first ever time sitting at the O2, at least at a gig where standing was allowed. James had booked the tickets. So I could only wistfully point to where we would have been standing if I had got tickets!

But this was perhaps practice for what my older self may need to do in future. And it was a perfectly good, and  very comfortable, vantage point.

Opening act was Roe, a much touted Derry singer. First photo gives you an idea of distance from the stage. Second one of what this girl looks like. Not bad singer, but James seemed more impressed than me.

Second support is the much better known Kodaline, who I have seen before.

But what we had all come to see was Snow Patrol. I could reminisce when James and I first saw them, not as a headline act but merely supporting Athlete, the band we were actually trying to see. But we both thought Snow Patrol were superb that night and bought their first album (The Final Straw) the following week. The rest, as they say, is history. Run, Chasing Cars and Chocolate have become endlessly played standards.

And after a long lay off they had returned with a new and very decent album, Wildness. I would happily have signed up to see the band on the strength of this record alone. I thought they might not be able to fill such a big venue after all this time out, but seemingly it did sell out in the end.

In any event, they were excellent. Truly memorable gig mixing tracks from their new album with old favourites. They went down a storm. Gary Lightbody has a terrific voice allied to a genial manner. A winning combination for a frontman.

As you can see, a big crowd