Review by Claire Kane
Dublin is indeed steeped in Manchester fever this year with Stone Roses reuniting and performing in Phoenix Park in two month’s time and of course the buzz of Manchester City winning the Premier League took over the city too, for better or for worse depending on which side you were rooting for. One reunion was not as widely celebrated as these examples; was that of the original line-up of Happy Mondays.
The atmosphere before the band arrived on stage was less than striking. There was no genuine sense of anticipation and questions about Bez’s inclusion in the performance were bouncing around the theatre. It was reported only two months ago that the “Happy Dancer” said that his “performing days are over”. The general mood was: “I think they’re past it, but I had to see for myself.” Much to the delight of crowd, Bez and his Maracas descended on the stage for a surprisingly energetic performance. The intro phased into Loose Fit and the crowd immediately perked up; Bez’s duty as the band’s mascot had already been fulfilled. Again it was a surprise to see that Happy Mondays were not in any way shaky, it may have been the first time they performed together for years, but their musical bond was clear. Shaun Ryder mumbled somewhat through the first few songs; but that was more than expected and it has become perhaps his only charm.
One of Happy Mondays’ best known songs, Kinky Afro, received a raucous response from the audience; Rowetta’s presence as the sultry back-up singer became very clear here and her subtle interaction to the crowd no doubt added to the performance. The band performed the song exceptionally and Ryder’s loutish demeanour seemed to slot in perfectly; it is true that you must see him perform live to appreciate him. The audience was getting excited by this stage, and despite the fact that many of the younger audience were probably there because they saw Rowetta on X Factor and Bez on Big Brother, they were singing along as best they could to the ’80s Manchester anthem. Admittedly the performance was not perfect, Ryder’s interaction with the crowd was off-putting leading to the feeling that he should use the microphone for songs only. However, his brutishness did not take away from the overall performance as they zealously moved from song to song, each one being met with a somewhat sombre cheer until they launched into 24 Hour Party People. The song is iconic among music and movie fans, as it was the title of a movie loosely based on the band, which highlights their cult status. It was no doubt the peak of their performance on the night as they seamless carried out every note, and seemed to be enjoying themselves while doing so.
From there on out their performance was as impeccable as possible for the Manchester band; the rest of the set was full of energy and it was clearly that they were happy to be performing together again in the band’s original format. The main set was completed with what is undoubtedly the song for which they are best known; Step On- a favourite among music fans. The set was completed with a two-song encore and the crowd reacted in an enraptured fashion, still on a high from the last song of the core set. Finishing on the 1988 single Wrote For Luck as a treat to the true fans of the band. The Fan-favourite was performed with gusto as, disappointingly, some members of the audience began to leave.
It was alarming to see how truly exceptional the original line-up is when performing live; particularly as the members, except Rowetta, had become somewhat of a laughing-stock within in the music industry. They proved the doubters (of which this reviewer was one) wrong by putting on show perhaps to the standards of which they would have in the ’80s and early ’90s. They will forever be in the shadow of Stone Roses, be it in recollecting the music of the ’80s or talk about music reunions, but unjustly so. They may not have the charisma nor the charm of their counterparts, but they are a symbol of the genre known as “Madchester”, and they were a credit to that genre in Olympia this week.