Hard to say Hoosiers without smiling :)

Pain that has become so much a part of my life it is too monotonous to talk about - but it is still there and impacting upon my enjoyment of the gigs that I can get to.  However the trend is my friend and I will attempt to record without becoming bitter and twisted about feeling 100 years old.

So, Thursday 29th May saw the hobble happy - oops sorry DANCE happy girls (Janie is not hobbling in the slightest I might add - although her shoulder….) head North to Angel - the Islington O2 to be the oldest swingers in town at a Hoosiers gig.  We kid you not, these tickets bore a reminder that children under the age of 8 would not be permitted!!!

Doors opened at 7.30 - we arrived by 8 to find the support well underway.  A sweet but distinctly underwhelming man in an alice band, who invited us to buy or steal his CD.  Neither option appealed although a sneaky peak at the flier declared him to be Mike Dignam.

He has a tour coming up - tickets are £9 (pocket money prices) and are already sold out in Norwich!  Catch him quickly - his Mum said that he has to be home before August.





There was a great deal of waiting around after young Mike before the second support of the evening - Ariana and the Rose.  Forget small boys with floppy hair, this was girl crush territory as a diminutive and utterly gorgeous Ariana sang her heart out with a series of melodic and spunky songs she had penned herself.  There was a bad moment for Janie when they performed a cover of The Eurythmics 'Sweet dreams' but the girl did good.  She's no Annie Lennox but had the benefit of performing to an audience too young to know who Annie Lennox was!


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'In your Bed' loved it!

After Ariana there were endless sound checks, many many guitars to be strummed by gawky roadies prompting a  "They're not the f***ing Rolling Stones' from a slightly disgruntled Janie.  I was in full agreement - didn't they realise that it was after 9.30!  Luckily it wasn't a school night - most of this audience were up past their bedtime ;)

However, from the moment a grinning Alan Sharland clasping a pint of something that wasn't evian took to the drum kit the audience were willing to forgive them anything.  Monochrome Set take note - these guys are BORN to perform and they took us with them through a jolly wheeze of a set which had even doubters like me bopping and singing and grinning from ear to ear.

The Hoosiers - set list

• 1. Somewhere In The Distance 
  2. Unlikely Hero 
  3. Make or Break 
  4. Fidget Brain 
  5. Worried About Ray 
  6. My Last Fight 
  7. Rocket Star 
  8. Cops And Robbers 
  9. Weirdo 
  10. To The Lions 
  11. Made To Measure 
  12. Encore:
  12. Choices 
  13. Handsome Girls and Pretty Boys 
  14. Goodbye Mr A 
      
      
      
      
      
      

Irwin Sparkes gives good frontman.  He fully engages with the audience - leaving the stage on occasion to wander amongst us.  But this is no one man band, the uninitiated such as myself were surprised to discover how often other members of the band took lead vocals.

I loved Fidget Brain from the New LP, a perfect anthem for the girl who never sleeps and of course you cannot hear 'Worried about Ray' without joining in.  This was a class act from a band who take themselves seriously without taking themselves too seriously.  I defy you to say 'The Hoosiers' without smiling.