….Only found out on Tuesday that Mark would be playing in Leicester with his new band The Herberts at Firebug, a fabulous little venue in the heart of the town centre. Walking distance from where I live, this was an opportunity definitely not to be missed.
Always a fan of The Bluetones and recently of Mark’s solo work, the chance to see him perform live again (first time since 1996) filled me with complete excitement.
I can quite safely say that, I was not disappointed. Small, intimate, very trendy venue, a great crowd, the anticipation in the atmosphere was immense.
Arrived just in time for the second support band (so I was told) a band called Move, who were fab, got the crowd in the mood and reminded me in some ways of The Doors. Check them out, I think you’ll be impressed.
Mark came on stage, shortly after 10pm to a crowd clearly appreciative of his work, and deservedly too. He (and his band) thrilled the audience with mostly new songs taken from his new album A Flash Of Darkness and also from Memory Muscle. The set was amazing and inspiring, just what any old Bluetones fan would have come to expect and be delivered from Mark with his distinctive guitar and vocal sound.
We certainly got our moneys worth too…..two encores, the last one being Mark on his own, with his guitar, thrilling us with a couple of old Bluetones tracks…Keep The Home Fires Burning and Carry Me Home. Absolutely, bloody wonderful 🙂 As I say, love his solo work, well, I mean, who couldn’t love that voice…but to hear those old songs again was just magnificent.
Mark hasn’t aged one bit, he looks amazing, and sounds amazing and still thrills his fans with his cheeky banter and timeless energy. It was like being transported back in time. I was in absolute heaven.
A truly fantastic evening of great music. I cannot wait to put on A Flash of Darkness this morning…..yes! of course I bought a copy at the gig 😉 and I cannot wait to go see him again in Derby on July 19th.
I implore you, if you get the chance, go see him. It’s an absolute must for anyone, Bluetones fans of old or not…..in fact, get on the website now and book yourselves some tickets…..you can Thank me after!
Just one last thing to say…..Thank You Mark for an unforgettable night , I’m still smiling…….
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