The Charlatans – The Academy – Live Review – 10-12-17 by Killian Laher

It seemed strange to have perennial indie-rock contenders The Charlatans playing as small a venue as The Academy on their latest visit to Dublin. They should be commended for not trying to recapture past glories, The Charlatans are still very much a going concern with twelve albums under their belt.

Belfast band Documenta opened, and with no less than FOUR guitarists on stage their brand of moody, vaguely shoegaze came across well on tracks like Idle Hands and Selene. A female singer joined the band for more blissed-out fare such as Love As A Ghost and the jangly, almost Sundays-like Spanish Artist. The guitarists were all very disciplined keeping everything on an even keel, though it would have been nice to have seen them completely cut loose. Still, one of the better support bands.

With the drum kit pointedly moved front and left of stage, The Charlatans played a set far removed from a nostalgia-fest. Alternating between newer songs like Not Forgotten and an excellent version of Emilie, through older nineties fare such as the Stones like ‘Just When You’re Thinking Things Over’ and pumped up versions of Weirdo and One To Another. Incongruously, Tim Burgess looks far younger than you might expect, though a little too old for his blonde mop-top haircut, and a high energy performance made him the focal point. Inevitably, The Only One I Know got one of the biggest receptions of the night, while the encore was a thing of two halves: There Will Be Chances was one of the few ropey moments of the night but traditional set closer Sproston Green rocked hard, pleasing the ‘true’ fans. While the band never claimed to be innovators, they have long outgrown the ‘Madchester’ scene from which they emerged, developing into one of indie-rock’s more enduring bands.

Set List –

Not Forgotten
Just When You’re Thinking Things Over
So Oh
Over Again
Weirdo
Talking In Tones
Emilie
One To Another
Different Days
Future Tense
Plastic Machinery
Senses (Angel On My Shoulder)
Spinning Out
Hey Sunrise
North Country Boy
Tellin’ Stories
Come Home Baby
Love Is The Key
Over Rising
The Only One I Know
Let The Good Times Be Never Ending

Encore:

There Will Be Chances
Sproston Green