THE DIVINE COMEDY // THE OLD FRUITMARKET, GLASGOW
I’m in to the Old Fruitmarket nice and early for tonight’s gig, an unusual choice for me, The Divine Comedy. I remember liking a couple of track way bad and I’m intrigued to hear they have a new album of new material out and this is the tour.
THE DIVINE COMEDY PERFORMING AT GLASGOW’S OLD FRUITMARKET - 10.10.2019
PICTURE BY: | STUART WESTWOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
★★★★☆ (3.5/5)
Once in the hall the crowd is decidedly older and very much couples. I love the Old Fruitmarket as a venue, it a great performance space.
The opening act are a quirky quartet called Man & The Echo. I like their look and energy from the off, there are definite similarities in the songwriting to the main act. They are well drilled and punchy, quickly pop with unusual lyrics...good opener.
By the time The Divine Comedy take the stage the venue is full. The band make an appearance first via one of the doors on stage and they strike up into a groove before the main man, Neil Hannon takes the stage in pink suit, black shirt and pink tie. It’s evident from the off that the crowd are ardent fans of Neils work as they cheer his every move.
For me there is a somewhat tragic ‘dad at a wedding’ persona to the whole performance. The band themselves look to be going through the motions and not fully engaged, although the performance is immaculate save a couple of errors.
With the tour for a new album there are around 10 tracks included from it which is half the set...usually band off thus vintage are trading on the past hits exclusively but it’s great to see the new material being tried out.
The crowd were adoring throughout and there was a lot of dancing and partying. I didn’t feel the tracks had a dancing energy but I stand to be proved wrong by the crowd reaction. There were moments of theatre where Neil got a couple of balloons in the audience and some party hats on the band.
Overall, it wasn’t really my thing musically but the band were polished if a bit uninterested. Neil did his thing and for all that I wasn’t that into it, the Glasgow punters were lapping it up.
The high point for me was the encore where the band all gathered around a mic front and centre stage and belted our in a very intimate way acoustic versions of the hits Songs Of Love, National Express and Tonight We Fly. The reimagining of these for the gig was refreshing and added a real special quality to the gig.
SETLIST: | THE DIVINE COMEDY : OLD FRUITMARKET, GLASGOW - 10.10.2019
Europop
Queuejumper
Generation Sex
Commuter Love
Office Politics
Norman and Norma
Come Home Billy Bird
I’m a Stranger Here
To the Rescue
Infernal Machines
You’ll Never Work in This Town Again
At the Indie Disco
Something for the Weekend
I Like
The Life and Soul of the Party
A Feather in Your Cap
The Synthesiser Service Centre Super Summer Sale
A Lady of a Certain Age
Opportunity’ Knox
When the Working Day Is Done
ENCORE:
Songs of Love
National Express
Tonight We Fly