Happy Mondays Newcastle Academy May 3rd 2012
Happy Mondays started their reunion tour last night with a great gig at Newcastle Academy. I was at a meeting in London yesterday, so David and Laura met me off the train at 8.30 and we walked up to the Academy. This meant that we missed support act Inspiral Carpets. The venue was absolutely packed and everyone was looking forward to seeing the first performance of the original Happy Mondays line up for 19 years. And we weren’t disappointed. Shortly after 9pm Bez walked onto the stage and introduced the band. Next up were Rowetta and the rest of the band, followed by front man Shaun Ryder. We were in the balcony, looking down on the stage, and the crowd downstairs were just going mental. 
The set was a mix of classics, with Step On You as the last song. Amazing gig, although the sound mix was a little murky from where we were. The band were very much up for it, and made lots of references to this being the first night back; they seemed pleased with themselves and the crowd reaction. Lots of swearing from Shaun, who had a cheeky go at Bez for being 50 and a grandfather. Star of the show for me was Rowetta, who looked and sounded stunning and had a smile right across her face.
4 May
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