Darling Buds, EN – Borderline, Charing Cross
This wasn’t actually a one off. I couldn’t make the next two gigs and was hoping it wasn’t going to be my last Darling Buds gig. It wasn’t!
My second time seeing the Darling Buds and a full 21 and a half years since the last time – these are the kind of stats that make you feel old!
Last time, of course, they were supporting another band (Kitchens of Distinction) and it’s probably true to say they were on the wane, but it still seems unfair. They’d just released their third and final album – Erotica, the week before Madonna released an album with the same name and similar cover – and I hadn’t really enjoyed this or their second album as much as the fantastic twee pop of Pop Said, which came out in 1988 and spent pretty much the whole year on my turntable.
My memories of the gig weren’t helped by my driving over to the Grand in Clapham, getting a really bad view at the back and feeling so ill that I ended up leaving half way through the gig. My hopes weren’t heightened by a visit to the Borderline tonight for the first time in over 8 years – although I’ve seen some good shows there, it’s probably my least favourite venue in central London, as it’s almost impossible to get a good view anywhere. One of the best places to do this is on the staircase leading down from the street, which is a pain if you’re trying to get up or down the stairs, or standing on there trying to watch the show!
However, it was a revelation. The Pop Said stuff was great but I had no recollection of how good their other two albums, Crawdaddy and Erotica, were. And they were a lot baggier than I’d remembered – and nothing with that wah-wah guitar in it sounds bad to my ears now. I’ve been playing Tiny Machine and Fall non-stop since I got home. Definitely looking forward to more Darling Buds activity – even though this gig was billed as a “one off”, there will be more to come.
Support was from the statuesque Erica Nockalls and her band EN, who were good in a folky, punky (but much much cleaner than the Levellers) kind of way.
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Setlist:
- If I Said
- It’s All Up To You
- Big Head
- It Makes No Difference
- Crystal Clear
- Please Yourself
- Tiny Machine
- Fall
- Turn You On
- Long Day In The Universe
- Sure Thing
- Shame On You
- Valentine
- Hit The Ground
Encore:
- Let’s Go Round There
- Honeysuckle
- Burst

Saturday 19 April 2014, 664 views
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Gigs
- Gigantic Indie All Dayer – Marble Factory, Bristol
- HMS Morris, Pictish Trail – Tŷ Pawb, Wrexham
- The Others – The 100 Club, Soho
- Stray Tracks: White Gates Band, Mystery Team, Basharan, SNM, Monumental – Pink Toothbrush, Rayleigh
- Franz Ferdinand, Master Peace, Great Leslie – Empire, Shepherd’s Bush
- Melys, Yr Anghysur – Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda
- Ynys, Sybs, Lafant – Y Cwps, Aberystwyth
- Sultans of Ping FC – Saint Luke’s & The Winged Ox, Glasgow
- Franz Ferdinand, Permanent (Joy) – Grand Central Hall, Liverpool
- Half Happy, em koko – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
- My Life Story – The Quarry, Liverpool
- Melys, Osgled – Y Cwps, Aberystwyth
- They Might Be Giants – The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm
- Darling Buds, Simon Love and the Loves – 229, Great Portland Street, London
- Fightmilk, Tugboat Captain – Paper Dress Vintage, Hackney
- Bugeye, Lucky Number You – The Victoria, Birmingham
- Art Brut – The Castle & Falcon, Birmingham
- Sultans of Ping FC, Meryl Streek – The Ritz, Manchester
- Chroma, Baby Brave, Lila Zing – Tŷ Pawb, Wrexham
- Melin Melyn, Ynys, Pys Melyn – Town Hall, Llangollen
- Antarctic Monkeys – The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury
- Bloc Party – The Institute, Digbeth, Birmingham
- Urdd Gobaith Cymru: Achlysurol, HMS Morris, Llareggub Brass Band – Mathrafal Field, Meifod
- Echobelly, Camens – Live 45, Kidderminster
- Futureheads, Adult Play – Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury
- Adwaith – Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
- Melys, Pys Melyn, Sophie Kilburn – Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda
- Sea Power, Callum Easter – Town Hall, Birmingham
- Dydd Miwsig Cymru: Morgan Elwy, Tew Tew Tennau, Mynadd – Y Institwt, Llanfair Caereinion
- Bikini Beach Band – The White Hart, Stoke Newington
- Pacifica, House of Women – Academy 2, Islington
- Fonda 500, Bugeye, Hurtling, Colossus – Amersham Arms, New Cross
- Snow Coats, Toodles and the Hectic Pity – Signature Brew, Haggerston
- Snow Coats – Tunbridge Wells Forum
- Darling Buds, Keeley – The Thunderbolt, Bristol
- Fightmilk, Feeble Strength – Signature Brew, Haggerston
- Thousand Yard Stare – The Lexington, Islington
- Thousand Yard Stare – Prince Albert, Brighton
- Be Your Own Pet – Rough Trade East, Whitechapel
- Brian Butterfield – Bush Hall, Shepherd’s Bush
- Pulp – Apollo, Hammersmith
- Blur, Self Esteem – Wembley Stadium, Wembley
- Blur, Wu Lu – City Hall, Newcastle
- Salad, Repetitive John – Arts Club, West Hampstead, London
- Salad – The Hope and Ruin, Brighton
- The Others – The Garage, Highbury
- Fightmilk – Signature Brew, Haggerston
- Ynys, Gillie – The Victoria, Dalston
- Republica, Freya Beer – Powerhaus, Camden
- Pop Will Eat Itself, Sigue Sigue Sputnik – 229, Great Portland Street, London
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