Teenage Fanclub

It isn’t billed as a greatest hits tour, but the world and its wife knows that it is. 4,766 Seconds – A Short Cut To Teenage Fanclub is arguably the best title in the history of recording music to circumvent the ‘best of’ tag. Despite getting a little longer in the tooth and possessing the most ironic name in contemporary alternative music (second only to Sonic Youth), the Fannies still radiate youthful good cheer and optimism by the jangly, six-string bucketloads.
That said, this gig was a shambles. A show boasting a set list as dizzyingly brilliant as ‘What You Do To Me’, ‘Mellowed Doubt’ and ‘The Concept’ should be nothing short of sublime. But as tonight’s performance grates on, it’s apparent that the entire rhythm section is buried underneath a treble heavy din. Norman Blake’s guitar solos are beautiful, but in no way as crisp and clear as they should be.

I don’t think the Ambassador PA is as bad as it’s made out to be, Super Furry Animals, Morrissey, Queens Of The Stone Age, The Charlatans, Stereolab and Supergrass were all memorable nights, complete with a memorable sound. On the contrary, tonight was disgraceful. Did the band not do a soundcheck? Who was behind the mixing desk?

Whatever the problem, they owe their fans better than this.