MANCHESTER indie rockers Courteeners headlined another big autumn weekend gig in Southampton.
The band started with songs from their latest album, Concrete Love, but there was nothing set in stone about this show.
Charismatic lead singer Liam James Fray stood centre stage in front of a huge art deco styled electric sign of the band’s name.
He has terrific affinity with the group’s fans. In breaks between songs they spontaneously chanted his name over and over again.
The stage was also floodlit by some incredible Guildhall lighting and, as usual, the sound was top draw as well.
Favourite songs from the group’s breakthrough album, St. Jude, thrilled the close to capacity crowd.
Hands, beer and even whole fans were sometimes in the air as tunes like Cavorting and Bide Your Time rung out. They were even dancing in the balcony seats.
Heightened security meant long queues for some fans to get into the venue, but nothing could dampen their enthusiasm for one of the most enduring guitar bands of recent times.
Melodic highlights were Are You in Love with a Notion? and The Opener, both from the group’s middle albums.
Liam played an inspired solo acoustic set midway through before the band launched into an almost overwhelming encore which included Not Nineteen For Ever and What Took You so Long?
This latest nationwide tour marks a welcome resurgence for Courteeners. Their devoted fans will have first-rate memories of this performance. In the words of one of the band’s own songs few will forget how good it was.
Richard Derbyshire
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