With a little charm and a lot of style, Mark Morriss and co were back playing the greatest hits set and Camden’s Roundhouse.
A lot is made of bands who tour without new material these days and, it's usually negative. In the case of The Bluetones though, they made new music until 2010 so this isn’t a massive trip down nostalgia lane. Even if it was, there is clearly a demand from their fans to watch their concise alternative pop songs still.
Nothing can be written about the anthems ‘Bluetonic’ or ‘Cut Some Rug’ that hasn’t been written before. They were, are, and always will be classics. What probably wasn’t written enough about the band, was their 2003 album ‘Luxembourg’.
It should have been another hit album for the Hounslow band and adoring indie fans. However, a new decade was well underway and the Britpop tag was impossible to shake, especially when the lacklustre Nu-metal scene was dominating the share of alternative airplay.
The performances of ‘Fast Boy’ and ‘Never Going Nowhere’ highlight just how overlooked they were in this period. ‘Fast Boy’, the tale of their weed dealer, demonstrates a shift towards more riff-heavy guitar tracks. Meanwhile, ‘Never Going Nowhere’ took all their classic pop sensibilities and romantically tumultuous lyrics with a slightly more glam-rock-tinged guitar and a bass breakdown so good, it is acceptable to dribble over.
Morriss’ between-song banter is a stern reminder of just how much new bands could learn from the Bluetones. The dry wit, anecdotes, and jokes are continuous throughout, and crucially, it endears the crowd to the band even more. After their cover of Prince's 'I Could Never Take Your Place of Your Man', Morriss asks that the audience show their love for The Bluetones before its too late by buying something from the merch stall.
There are sure to be many more nights like this for Bluetones fans to enjoy, it’s a good money-spinner for the band and clearly fun for them. However, to those who booed when Morriss said no more new music was coming, TT begs you, support Morriss' fine solo efforts. Last year' The Taste Of Mark Morriss' is a cracking little indie-pop album that should be in every Bluetones fans' collection.