Gig review: Nottingham Rock City Okay... The last date in the UK leg of the tour, the Rock City gig promised to be worth the effort of driving 120 miles for. And didn't disappoint.
DJ Matteo was doing in stuff tonight
(no Super Bad Brad this time)... it was probably the first FLC gig I've been to where I've actually been able to pay attention to his set. And he really is an excellent DJ. Cool tracks and some
superb scratching going down. I'm starting to get a really good vibe from this gig. 9:15 and FLC come on opening with The Fun Lovin Criminal, followed by Dickholder and Bombin
the L with much appreciation from the audience. We're then treated to all the usual stuff plus alot of the tracks from the new album (including Loco, Swashbucklin in Brooklyn, Up on the
Hill, Korean Bodega, king of New York, a slamming Coney Island Girl). A new joke from Huey this time, but can't remember what it was now... it was down to his usual standard so he faked
being hurt at the audiences response. Back to the rockin though with 10th Steet, Southside, Scooby Snacks and Where the Bums Go. The acting school was even more abridged then usual
this time round, with Huey explaining that Darth Vadar, in Star Wars, would've had more character if played by De Niro and in which case the role of Obe should be played by Pacino
(enter stage Matteo). Huey then quickly explained that they'd fight a bit with their light sabars (complete with example fight). But Darth wouldn't kill Obe - not in front of so many people,
"what with already having an assault and a possession charge on record in New York". Enter Mackie complete with guns and Matteo drops to the floor with a round of applause for Mateo.
"Hey, blur don't do this kinda stuff for you" Huey says and dedicates the next song, The Biz, to those bands that take themselves too seriously. Sticking with the new material, this is
followed by Bump, Love Unlimited, and Huey's solo of She's My Friend. Followed by Run Daddy Run and My Sin (introduced by explaining that he often goes out, gets wrecked and
wakes up the following day with all these scuffs and no idea how he got them and this song comes from that - he also mentions he has a cold and can't smoke or drink at the moment so his
straight and to please excuse him). Big Night Out closes the set. For the encore we get Half a block (apparently to do with a bit of a split personality thing of
Hueys), Mini Bar Blues, Smoke Em (and we did), Little Song (with Huey playing up to his superb effort on the steel guitar) and, of course, ending with We Have All The Time In The World.
Excellent gig. Met Mackie afterwards as well and his a really nice guy. Thanks to Fez :-) And thanks to FLC for yet another top gig |
Rock City isn't the easiest of places to
find if you don't know Nottingham but somehow we lucked it out, thinking we were lost and finding out we were in fact a couple of side streets to the rear of the place. Plenty of parking too. So
with perfect timing, we arrived at the gig 7:30 and pretty much walked straight in. The venue, if your not familiar is a rock night club that also has some bands play, so plenty of bars
and just about the right size for a good gig (but definately in need of a face lift - looked like part of the ceiling was about to fall in!).