I last saw them almost ten years ago when they supported Patti Smith in Manchester. Two of the greatest acts to emerge from the mid 70's New York scene and all for the princely sum of £17. It remains one of the best gigs I have ever attended.
When I heard they were coming to The Sage in Gateshead, I wasted no time booking my ticket, so that was my destination on Friday evening. I am a fan of The Sage as a venue as the acoustics are wonderful and there is hardly a bad seat in the house. However, a general feeling appears to be that the all seated Hall One seems to be lacking in atmosphere. To counteract this, the management have recently begun removing the first few rows of seating and introduced a mosh pit which with a slightly sunken floor, does not restrict the view of those seated behind. Friday was my first experience of a gig with this system in place and I would say that it works.
The four piece band now consists of original members Tom Verlaine on vocals and guitar, Fred Smith on bass and Billy Ficca on drums. Replacing the departed Richard Lloyd on guitar is another superb player, Jimmy Rip.
For a little over an hour and a half, we were treated to some fine music. Obviously most of 'Marquee Moon' was played but there was also a smattering of new songs (well they were new to me so I am unable to provide the titles). As expected, the playing was exemplary with Verlaine and Rip trading places on lead and rhythm with Smith and Ficca providing a solid foundation. There were no frills. The lighting was fairly basic, chatter was kept to a minimum and there was no constant swapping of guitars between numbers. All very professional and most enjoyable.
I hope it won't be ten years until I see them again but I will not be holding my breath.
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