Soup Dragons / BMX Bandits
Membership Academy, Manchester
Friday twenty seventh October

The unique lineup of The Soup Dragons performed their first gigs since 1988 and opened their quick UK tour in Manchester with BMX Bandits in help.

Fucking hell, it’s virtually 36 years to the day since I first noticed the band at Manchester Worldwide. I do know as a result of I’ve nonetheless obtained the ticket. Wednesday twenty eighth October 1987, that’s a lifetime in the past. ‘Again within the day’ I adopted the Indie Chart regulars from their early, punky 2-minute blasts by way of their rocking leather-based stage by to their experimental dance crossovers. It was solely final 12 months or so, as with frontman Sean Dickson himself, did I actually revisit their work. Positive, I’d nonetheless throw on their singles every so often, but it surely was solely with the announcement of the varied BBC Radio 1 Periods and RAW TV compilation did I dive again in totally. Their music had by no means gone away, however I had. Across the identical time, a Soup Dragons Fan Group appeared on Fb and folks started to affix, not simply from the UK, however followers from all around the world with recollections of the band and a real love for his or her music.

When these releases had been introduced few would have dreamt that 12 months later Sean Dickson, Jim McCulloch, Sushil Ok. Dade and Ross A. Sinclair could be again on stage collectively. This can be a large factor. Individuals right here tonight have flown in from Japan, and varied corners of Europe particularly in addition to travelled the size of the UK to be right here.

Who higher to open proceedings however the band’s lifelong pal and sparring associate Duglas T. Stewart. Anybody who has seen the Grant McPhee documentary Teenage Superstars will pay attention to the shut bond between the bands. For those who’ve not seen it, then try to test it out.

BMX Bandits, the lifelong mission of Mr Stewart take to the stage, their present incarnation being made up of the frontman accompanied by Andrew Pattie (Guitar), Amanda Nizich (Bass) and Liam Chapman (Drums). I’ll admit I’m not as ‘up’ on the band as I needs to be so needed to examine what a few the tracks had been. It’s a brief and completely fashioned set which begins with a brand new single Setting Solar. Duglas is greater than at residence on stage, exhibiting images of his newly arrived granddaughter and introducing songs. My Child Loves Lovin’ is adopted by the Critical Medication which will get a cheer. Even Nick, the supremo of Valuable Recordings Of London, makes his means from behind the merch stall to have a dance.

There’s loads of love within the room for the band who provide Californian vibes by way of Belshill. Amanda takes on vocal duties on I Wanna Fall in Love earlier than the group harmonises Your Class. It’s a blissful second. All too quickly it’s almost over, Razorblades and Honey is performed earlier than the introduction of the ultimate observe. Duglas delights in explaining that E102 was written with Sean Dickson, but in addition that Liam was solely born within the 12 months it was written, and Andrew within the 12 months it was launched. Practically 40 years on it nonetheless sounds as enjoyable and recent because it did upon launch. It’s one of many biggest tracks to function a kazoo…

The Soup Dragons stroll on stage at 9pm with their No Music On A Lifeless Planet placards and to rapturous applause. You’ll be able to really feel the anticipation within the viewers whose common age have to be 50-something. There’s a pop from a speaker because the band plug in and somebody behind me shouts ‘amateurs’; then there’s a crackle of static and the introduction from the band’s first flexi launch (If You Have been The Solely Lady In The World) is performed, “who would assume now within the leafy suburbs of Bearsden there lurks a Soup Dragon, but it surely’s true and these are The Soup Dragons…

And away we go, at breakneck velocity. Complete Large World, Pleasantly Shocked and I Know Every thing. 3 songs in 6 minutes, the debut launch from 1986. Any doubts that they’d nonetheless ‘have it’ had been shortly dispelled. It’s the primary time the unique lineup has performed collectively (in public) since 1988 however this isn’t nearly nostalgia as Sean introduces the latest single Love is Love. Tonight’s set, as Sean says, going to cowl all of their profession, properly, the primary 3 albums and singles not less than. Simply to show the purpose the subsequent 3 tracks, Studying To Fall, Softly and What You Need stem from an early John Peel Session, Lovegod and a B-side from the Hotwired period. The latter is a stripped-back, acoustic quantity which ’ought to have been a single’.

The relative peace is shattered by Hold-Ten which sees nearly all of the gang offering backing vocals. I’m 18 once more and mentally again on the Worldwide in a sweaty mosh pit. There have been many highs tonight however this was particular. The band actually are mixing issues up with a fan-pleasing setlist. From the Buzzcock rush of the early singles to the extra experimental ‘Indie Dance’ tracks from their later albums. Pleasure, Backwards Canine (loads of cowbell!) and Divine Factor make nice bedfellows and have everybody shifting. Fellow Scots Primal Scream are credited for Screamadelica (though arguably it’s Andrew Wetherall’s abilities that made it what it was). What’s neglected is what ‘the Scream’ had been doing in 1991, which The Soup Dragons had completed a 12 months earlier (I’ll get off my soapbox now).

Early fan favorite Heads Gone Astray is slower and extra subdued than the unique and leads into the grungy Crotch Deep Trash earlier than we get the night’s first look of tracks from This Is Our Artwork. On Overhead Walkways with its Sixties Burt Bacharach aesthetic, will get its dwell debut and is adopted by the Eighties Chart Present staple Mushy As Your Face. It’s one other singalong second which sees telephones held aloft recording the second.

Sean dedicates the subsequent observe to uber-fan Dave Watson who has been working the group’s socials. Too Shy To Say is one other one which comes from a 1986 John Peel Session and, till final 12 months (due to Valuable Recordings Of London), had been unreleased. Majestic Head is launched as ‘not being about intercourse’ because the ‘hits’ carry on coming and folks carry on singing. The trippy and forward of it’s time Mom Universe 1988 follows earlier than delivering the opposite ‘new’ music No Future On A Lifeless Planet with pure Stooges power.

The band go away the stage however there’s little question that they are going to return. Can’t Take No Extra will get a spoken intro earlier than they explode into top-of-the-line singles of 1987. Not one observe within the set has proven any indicators of growing older. Inevitably the band shut on I’m Free which has a scuzzier really feel, delivered like a gaggle of mates enjoying of their storage.

I had excessive hopes of what a Soup Dragons ‘reunion’ could maintain, and actually, my expectations weren’t solely simply met however had been blown out of the water. This wasn’t a band getting again collectively for a payday and rolling out a number of outdated hits. Tonight, on the primary gig for many years they picked up the baton from the place they’d left it and ran with it. Final time the band fizzled out and didn’t get an opportunity to say goodbye. Let’s hope this tour isn’t that ‘goodbye’ and is a welcome again. With solely 6 gigs in whole on this tour you do have to catch them when you can.

Fingers down my greatest gig of the 12 months.

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You’ll be able to help the marketing campaign No Future On A Lifeless Planet by way of Music Declares Emergency

Images by Phil Thorns. You’ll find him on Instagram

All phrases by Iain Key. See his writer profile right here or discover him on X (Twitter) as @iainkey Hearken to Iain’s dialog with Sean Dickson about The Soup Dragons right here.