Teenage Fanclub, Electric Ballroom, 08/12/10

I was at the Electric Ballroom last night to see Teenage Fanclub. I think it was the 14^th time I was seeing them play live. The show had originally been scheduled for the Kentish Town Forum but was moved to the Electric Ballroom at a later stage. Support was from Yuck and I thought they were very good in a kind of early 90s, noisy guitar, Sonic Youth way…

It was another excellent show by Teenage Fanclub. They played a fairly ‘solid’ set containing all of the live favourites and some of the best moments from their latest album ‘Shadows’. It was good to see ‘Mellow Doubt’ restored to the set after recent omissions and ‘What You Do To Me’ also got a rare outing. I wrote in more detail earlier in the year when I saw them play at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire.

Here are a few random thoughts that came to me on the way home:

• ‘Sweet Days Waiting’ by Gerard Love from latest album ‘Shadows’ is a very pretty and tender song indeed.
• ‘Sometimes I Don’t Need To Believe In Anything’ and ‘Ain’t That Enough’ are two of Gerard’s best songs and almost seem to be musical siblings (if that is possible with songs). Lyrically they are quite similar, both finding solace and comfort in the natural world, looking beyond human relationships, beliefs etc. Heart-warming stuff.
• ‘About You’ is by far Raymond’s best song.
• The regular omitting of ‘Neil Jung’ from their live set is slightly puzzling. The opening 5 songs from ‘Grand Prix’ get played at almost every show. You would think that every now and again ‘Neil Jung’ may feature, especially as it was a single and is such a brilliant track…(I’m biased as it is one of my favourites).
• I love the audience reaction to Norman’s whistling on ‘Mellow Doubt’ and glockenspiel solo on ‘Your Love Is The Place Where I Come From’.
• I wonder when we will next hear a track from ‘Thirteen’ played live? I would love to hear ‘Radio’ or ‘The Cabbage’ again…
• Restoring ‘The Concept’ to the end of the set was a very good move and seems a lot more natural than when it has been previously played mid-set.

Here is tonight’s set list in full:

Start Again

Sometimes I Don’t Need To Believe In Anything

The Past

It’s All In My Mind

Don’t Look Back

Baby Lee

Verisimilitude

Star Sign

I Don’t Want Control Of You

About You

Mellow Doubt

Ain’t That Enough

When I Still Have Thee

I Need Direction

What You Do To Me

Your Love Is The Place Where I Come From

Sparky’s Dream

The Concept

Sweet Days Waiting

Can’t Feel My Soul

Everything Flows