Mac and String quartet at Gloucester Guildhall April 15

[Dave Smith]

Kook-dont be.Only average show for me of his solo stuff was Liverpool St Georges Hall.The cathedral gig was mega.

[kook]

Ok, will try to report back next week ...

[suave harv]

Right. Just got back.

The gig started 8.30. No support as advertised, and no string quartet with Mac, just keyboard and ’lead’ acoustic guitar. The venue was ace, staff friendly, nice crowd, only 250 seats but mostly full. The sound was terrific, I was very impressed with the sound (I was on the second row). His voiced sounded very good to me, and his guitar playing was quite impressive on Bedbugs, but on others the tempo wandered quite a bit mid-song.
They started with Playgrounds And City Parks, then Arthur ("I don't know why I called it that"), it was going lovely. In fact, most of the first part of the set worked fine. It got ropey towards the second part though, quite a few songs were left unfinished, (Whatever You Want off the Fountain - "I Can't Get Into It!"). To be honest, it got as slack as a welly top as the show went on.
Lips Like Sugar, Bedbugs and Ballyhoo, Killing Moon, a failed attempt at Villiers Terrace, Rescue . . Candleland, Nothing Lasts Forever got two false starts before a full(ish) version was nailed. Sorry, can't do a full on set list.



Now it really didn’t matter that Mac was obviously under-rehearsed. At these intimate shows it often works plucking songs out the air, taking requests, singing snatches. I think the evening would have been okay.
The banter was at times very funny in an obtuse way, and it made a nice change to be able to hear what he was saying (this was my first Mac solo gig). There were lots of snatches of songs, (Get In The Car got about two lines), and he even did some impressions of people I’d never heard of. Got a few laughs. He did Waiting For The Man, that was cool, he tried Bowie's Changes with the keyboard player doing the piano bit but he shit-canned it before the chorus.
Now, as I say, the music was good when it was good, and the scrappiness of the performance needn’t have been the problem but I think quite a big problem was the lack of atmosphere, and I think the blame for that must lie with Mac.
Attitude makes for great Rock & Roll, I’ve seen ’em all over the years - Mark E Smith, Lydon, Liam, I understand the edge that comes with snootiness and ‘fuck you‘. But in an intimate environment like tonight, being a curmudgeon only alienates the audience.

He moaned at people walking to the toilet mid show (“for fuck’s sake”!), he ridiculed their clothes, he complained people mumbled when they shouted out requests. . And then went on to moan about the student demonstrations, teachers . . And said that if people didn’t believe in the death sentence (for paedophiles) there was something wrong with them. Hmmm. .
Looking round the audience I thought 'I doubt he scored many political points with this lot!'.
Jesus, he even got impatient with a guy offering to buy him a drink. When the poor bloke asked him what he wanted Mac huffed “Just get what you think”. Of course, the drink,on arrival, was untouched and the buyer un-thanked.
One guy came back from the toilet and was asked “did you have a good slash?”
After an hour and a half, he said “we’ve got lots more we want to do, so you clap and we come back, that’s how it works. And can the people that go for a slash walk round the back of the hall, walking past the stage is just rude”.
And he was off, and the audience attempted a laughable trickle of ‘come back on’ applause which petered out into silence. I wonder if they thought, like me, that this guy moaning about teachers was acting just like a headmaster. Rock & Roll eh?
"Walk round the back, not in the front boy! and don't mumble when you talk . . !"
Soooo. . that was the end of gig, no encore, no rapturous applause. . just lots of people sitting round as the house lights came on going “was that it?”.
Which was a shame because the music, when it hit the groove, was very good. And I thoroughly enjoyed the solo vibe, I’d happily go again, and yes I was entertained for an hour and a half by a guy who’s talent I admire. For a VERY decent price, let’s not forget that. So I’m kind of making more observations on the gig than complaining. I’m trying to give you an impression of how I thought the audience felt.
At one point, as the roadie was tuning his guitar at the side of the stage, Mac said “what are you doing? You look like you’re shagging the table!” - and that kind of summed up the problem with the gig for me. It’s all too ‘laddish’ for this type of laid back evening. After about the fifth or sixth time of “turn the lights down, for fuck’s sake” you start thinking it’s a bit of a bum deal when the ‘star’, who is getting all the adulation and moolah, doesn’t seem to be having as good an evening as the ticket girl, the bar staff or the doorman.
I'm not a massive Bunnymen fan, I've been to three or four gigs, got into them in the nineties, so I don't know if this was a good solo show or not, as these things go, but despite all I wrote I hope it's obvious I enjoyed myself though, because of that there is no doubt!

[Cookie]

I was there last night too, also in the 2nd row like suave harv, not much point in me typing much more as I felt pretty much the same as him. A good review suave you got it about spot on.
We picked our tickets up early just after 5pm and was told by the girl at the box office the support was on at 8:30 then Mac at 9:30. Lucky we didn't decide to turn up late and miss the support as, like suave harv said there wasn't any and Mac started at 8:30.
So dont be late tonight if your going.

[bunnygod1]

sounds like a typical mac gig which is what the cathedral wasn't! hopefully the chapel gig tonight will ok,but whatever, its always entertaining

[Dave Smith]

Fully covered above but I enjoyed it.Have to say I was in the seats on the floor and I got pissed off with people going to the bar and toilet all the while and the lights from the door keep opening.But his voice sounded great,he was in good form and a tiny great venue so Ive got no complaints.Security man said he threw a wobbly coming off stage and said he coudnt get 'up' to come back on for an encore.

He opened up quite a bit about his MOm and Dad and that Candleland was about him "realising hed lost his innocence,and that he was a liar".Rust was sensitive and superb.Bring on tonight with the string quartet.He needs some structure behind him to keep focused at thses shows.

MInd you have to admit I did cringe a bitwhen he was on about Bowie shagging Jagger !But thats what you get from him.I thought the show had a lot of charm though.

[suave harv]

MInd you have to admit I did cringe a bitwhen he was on about Bowie shagging Jagger !But thats what you get from him.I thought the show had a lot of charm though.

I laughed at that bit to be honest, ("They say Bowie used to shag Jagger, well if that's glam rock you can keep it!". Not very PC l know).

There were some quite poignant moments, as you say. I should have mentioned those bits.

[Dave Smith]

Dont get me wrong-I laughed too!I just thought if any 'glam-rock' fans were in the audience..lol

[xzy]

spot on review by suave!
it was my first Mac solo gig, flashes of brilliance redeemed a sometimes shambolic performance. no explanation for the missing string quartet or support. perhaps he had second thoughts about the warm up?
did he say something about nobody listening to/wanting to hear songs from the Fountain ?
i might have been thinking aloud

it was a good night but it could have been so much more. his voice sounded wonderful when he decided to sing.
will probably stick to EATB gigs
hope you all have a great gig tonight

[Dave Smith]

No he said something like "this is off the Fountain,which none of you will know"!lol.

[Wabbit]

Yes, great reviews..... I felt the same..... enjoyed it but it is soooooooo frustrating when he doesn't do a song all the way through....!!!! Because we know he is brilliant when he does!! I thought the audience getting up and down for drinks/toilet all the time was shocking.....no respect.....it's ok at a loud Bunnymen gig but at an intimate gig like that it is just rude (and no I don't think they did it because Mac was stopping and starting songs because they did it from the beginning - very annoying!) If you want to drink more than you want to listen just go to a pub and leave the gigs for
people that like music!! )..... He was funny and sad too..... Here's hoping Union Chapel will be like the Cathedral gig which was the best gig ever.

Shaz

[suave harv]

If you want to drink more than you want to listen just go to a pub and leave the gigs for
people that like music!! )..... Shaz

At Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in Birmingham, before the main act used to come on, a beefy bouncer used to announce to the crowd "Ronnie Scott's is a club, and we like you to feel relaxed, but when the main act is on, this is a theatre, and we would like you to act appropriately". This ensured all talking and pissing about wa kept to a minimum. Also, if you were doing anything to hamper anyone's view or enjoyment, the guy would come round and have a polite word.
The amazing thing was, he was also a great jazz pianist. He'd do a spot between the star acts.

I bllody miss that club. It's a lap-dancing club now. Go figure!

[suave harv]

One other thought. I sat far left, as you can see by the picture, so no-one walked in front of me, so I didn't notice the walk-outs much.
At the Symphony Hall in Birmingham by the way, they don't let you in from the toilet mid-song. You have to wait. . (not in the bog, obviously, you have to wait in the corridor till the song's finished). I went to see Cristy Moore, heard he was doing my favourite song whilst I was at the urinal, ran back and the doorman wouldn't let me in. I'm there going "but this is my favourite!". It was comical really.

[In The Margins]

Jesus, he even got impatient with a guy offering to buy him a drink. When the poor bloke asked him what he wanted Mac huffed “Just get what you think”. Of course, the drink,on arrival, was untouched and the buyer un-thanked.

Most performers do not drink anything bought for them if it's in an open container. Good policy, in my opinion. So, don't waste your money.

As for the rest of the performance, he bills these shows as "an evening with." So you get the starts and stops and petulance and hissy fits.

Back in the day, his shows in the states barely sold out while a Bunnymen show would be standing room only. I always found that interesting.

[withahip]

Yes, great reviews..... I felt the same..... enjoyed it but it is soooooooo frustrating when he doesn't do a song all the way through...!! I thought the audience getting up and down for drinks/toilet all the time was shocking.....no respect....

Shaz

Ok, now who isn't respecting whom at the show?