THE BLUETONES // O2 RITZ, MANCHESTER
O2 RITZ WELCOMES THE BLUETONE’S RETURN TO MANCHESTER CITY CENTRE
THE BLUETONES PERFORMING AT MANCHESTER’S O2 RITZ - 29.11.2019
PICTURE BY: | IAN FOX PHOTOGRAPHY
★★★★☆ (4/5)
Many UK bands emerged during the mid to late 90s era of ‘Cool Britannia’ only to very quickly disappear again into obscurity. Hounslow’s The Bluetones were different, demonstrating a degree of longevity to match their youthful spirit. Their third record Science and Nature released in 2000 possessed enough innovation and maturation to suggest that they could keep up with shifting cultural trends in the new millennium and, well, nineteen years on from this release and here we are; the Science and Nature tour sees the band perform the record in full, along with a selection of key moments from their back catalogue at The Ritz in Manchester.
The band emerge as mad scientists and professors in white lab coats and multi-coloured sun visors to the jaunty ‘Zorrro’ and the more ambitious ‘The Last of the Great Navigators’ demonstrating lead singer Mark Morriss’ clean, youthful vocals. The boyish charm of the previous century may be camouflaged by an impressive salt and pepper beard, but these songs still feel incredibly fresh in Morriss' hands and ‘Mudslide’ reinforces this with its slick groove and glide which impressively veils this inevitable march of time.
One of the most satisfying aspects of the album, which allowed the band to remain relevant in a quickly changing musical landscape, was their lack of fear to attempt something different. Their country and western inspired number ‘One Speed Gearbox’ is a case in point. Here was a band not vainly attempting to cling on to former glories and the shift in tone is warmly appreciated in Manchester tonight. The fact that this is followed by the crunching instrumental ‘Blood Bubble’ emphasises their fortitude.
Mark Morriss is on top form throughout, providing an amusing commentary in-between each song. “Are there any side-effects to smoking too much weed?” he asks after introducing the theme to ‘The Basement Song’ and when the band return after a short interlude, sans their scientist outfits for the remainder of the gig, he assures us that we’re going to get our money’s worth, only to find out how much the tickets for the evening cost – “we’ll be playing our singles now, both of them, so in that case you’re probably not going to get your money’s worth,” he sardonically remarks and ‘After Hours’ is followed by the vitality of ‘Bluetonic’. The crowd have been thoroughly respectful up to this point but all of sudden they become an animated mass and the track’s chorus is bellowed back to Morriss with gusto. The song may be twenty-four years old but is still sounds as fresh as a spring breeze. ‘Cut Some Rug’ maintains the focus on debut record Expecting to Fly before ‘Freeze Dried Pop (Dumb it Up)’ reintroduces the jaunty spirit that brings to mind contemporaries of the era such as Sweden’s The Wannadies. It’s all wonderfully nostalgic and the age of the crowd confirms this distinct pleasure of the evening, perhaps being a tad too old to be whipping off tops, and Morriss amusingly pretends to hide his bashfulness.
This warm fuzzy feeling is complete when the opening strains of ‘Slight Return’ chime through the Manchester venue. 1996 was a memorable year and it was this song and the infectious spirit of bands like The Bluetones that made it so.
SETLIST: | THE BLUETONES : O2 RITZ, MANCHESTER - 29.11.2019
PART 1 - SCIENCE & NATURE
Zorrro
The Last of the Great Navigators
Tiger Lily
Mudslide
One Speed Gearbox
Blood Bubble
Autophilia or ‘How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Car’
Keep the Home Fires Burning
The Basement Song
Slack Jaw
Emily’s Pine
PART II - THE HITS
After Hours
Bluetonic
Cut Some Rug
Freeze Dried Pop (Dumb It Up)
Marblehead Johnson
Solomon Bites the Worm
Fast Boy
Never Going Nowhere
Slight Return
If…