Salad, Repetitive John – Arts Club, West Hampstead, London

I’m resigned to getting e-tickets all the time, but they could at least make them landscape

I always say to myself that you’ve got to see reformed 90s acts that you loved back in the day, because you never know when they’re going to stop playing again.

I really didn’t expect this to be Salad’s final gig – the last few years they’ve been writing, recording and gigging, and telling people at gigs that they’ll go on forever. I spoke to Marijne after the show and her parting shot was “see you at Loud Women (London all dayer) in September”.

However this does look like it WAS Salad’s last gig, as Marijne very quietly announced her leaving Salad for family reasons in August, three months after this show. Very sad – but I’m so grateful that it happened at all.

Tonight was my 17th Salad gig – 15 of which came in their comeback years from 2016 to 2023.

So onto the gig itself. I’m having a proper “gig weekend” with one gig today, one tomorrow. (And WHAT A GIG tomorrow too).

This was a new venue for me too, a very intimate Arts Club in north London which didn’t take me as long to get to as I expected. Love the old school cinema-style signage outside too.

Salad, of course, were at or above my very high expectations, as usual. I might have taken more video if I knew it was their last show. (Why do I always film Namedrops?)

I’ve got a train to catch to Newcastle now …