Review 1
Audience tape which suffers from the band feeling a little distant and the crowd surrounding the taper being a little too close. However some of it is very clear when you can work out what is going on behind the chattering yahoos that pervade. Particularly annoying is the young lady who does not seem able to keep her trap shut. A Hanley/Dynamik presentation which is not quite up to their usual excellent standards.
By all accounts this was a classic gig. Pity that from the start the recording is so "live". Mark is very clear but bathed in large hall reverb fog, the drums are soggy and hissy at the same time, the basses are mostly inaudible, and the guitar appears distant, the only thing that gets a half decent sound is the keyboard.
What can I say? It is difficult to review this with the distraction of the recording. Suffice to say the band appears to be in good form and are very tight. By the time the band get to "Fall Sound" there is a small improvement in the sound although Orpheo's cymbal play oddly dominates.
There is a serious glitch at the start of "Wright Stuff" and then the sound tends to improve and I have to say the version of "Blindness" is memorable, and "Reformation" is simply exceptional, with some exquisite peroration from the meister and with some mention of "Basingtoke" which appears to be developing a conceptual continuity all of its own on this tour. The audience gets the microphone towards the end and behaves in an entirely peculiar fashion.
Hopefully someone has an alternative recording less beset by the chattering classes of Hove.
Vaguely disappointing given this was held up as a classic gig by attendees. Worth it for the closing two tracks alone which are the band at the zenith of its powers.
Review 2
My prayers are answered by Andrew H and Michael J with an improved recording with band albeit still a little distant but a lot clearer and a lot less mosh pit noise. The vocals are extremely clear and the balance of the instruments is better.
The sense of the vitality of the gig is far better captured on this version however I have one concern and thats the continuous white noise of McCord's cymbals/hi-hats which tend to dominate in places.
There is some exceptional bass playing on Sparta/My Door which bears a close listen.
Generally this is a very good gig and worth tracking down.