Elevate!
Explain!
Exterminate!
"It was supposed to be so easy." From the opening words of the 2004 album about the life of a geezer, Mike Skinner turned this 50-minute classic into as much of a theatrical event as any gig. Here in the sun, with the castle providing a perfect backdrop, he invited us on a well-polished journey of everyday folks—like the Waltons of the drug-fuelled generation.
Before he took the stage, Cardiff’s own Local And Lucas (8) opened the day. It was a little early for the masses of the sold-out crowd to be in the venue just yet, but it was a lively set for the faithful nonetheless, with them singing back Of Course We’ll Have A Look in all its glory. It was a great opener for this day at what must now be Alexandra's second home.
Jimothy Lacoste (7) then brought his unique look and sound to the stage. It was a set that he grew into, but he seemed to fail slightly to engage with the audience, despite saying all the right things.
CASISDEAD (8), in stark contrast, prowled the stage, spitting dark lyrical content over synth-laden beats. He seems to be growing into this new persona, becoming slightly less elusive and embracing his infamy. The crowd definitely filled out for this set, and it was great to see so many people singing along and recognising a genuine legend of the UK scene.
And so, as the bus stop from the album cover was revealed and Mike Skinner sat beer in hand, the live musicians broke into It Was Supposed To Be So Easy. Could Well Be In and Not Addicted quickly followed, as Mike scrawled a Doctor Who tribute on the plexiglass as an ode to Cardiff’s links to the TV series. As the syncopated beat of Blinded By The Lights kicked in, Cardiff was in full voice.
Inevitably, Fit But You Know It took things to even higher levels, as the crowd bounced through what is perhaps the most crowd-pleasing song from A Grand Don’t Come For Free. However, the unexpected highlight for me was an intense rendition of What Is He Thinking?, as Mike and Kevin Mark Trail debated exactly what was going on.
This was followed a few songs later by the epic Dry Your Eyes. The crowd sang every word. So many people had their arms around each other—lovers, mates, and even the stags from Swindon standing behind me. It is a truly great breakup song that everyone understands and has lived through at some point, and it was delivered with huge success this evening.
The last track on the album, Empty Cans, is a typically clever The Streets (9) anthem. It shifts from a dark, brooding first verse about a man who has given up, to a positive second spin on the exact same verse, with major keys coming into play to paint a much brighter ending to a great first hour. Taking a bow, the whole ensemble of cast members played their part in an epic retelling of a classic album.
What happened next was fast and furious: Turn The Page, Who's Got The Bag?, Let's Push Things Forward, and Don't Mug Yourself. It was banger after banger, and the crowd loved it. Never Went To Church laid things back down before Mike got somewhat distracted. Eventually getting what he wanted, he ended up crowd-surfing from the back of the venue right to the front as he sang Take Me As I Am, pink fan in hand.
All in all, it was a great day out, complete with a fantastic vista of the castle lit beautifully by the setting sun.
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