Archive Gig – Pocket Venus @ Night & Day, Manchester
The Night & Day always seem to deal Pocket Venus a weak hand & the band always come up trumps. The opening date of the tour to promote the release of the EP that seems to have been out for ever soon has the typical PV dramas turning into another crisis.
The remainder of this review is to be read in a Big Brother Channel 4 Geordie style accent.
Day One in the Pocket Venus house, 4.23pm:
Chris & Naldo go to pick the hire van up only to find it’s not there. A frantic hour of searching has the vehicle located in the metropolis of Llansannan.
5.26pm:
Dave is transferring his equipment from his car into the van, because the band have mastered the art of loading everything so that they can travel comfortably, the equipment is loaded in a particular order. Dave’s equipment is the last of the items to go in, as a subsequence one of his keyboards is reversed over by a car.
7.40pm:
Pocket Venus arrive at the Night & Day over an hour late & learn that they are one of 4 bands on the bill tonight & the venue want them on at 9.30pm, rather than the 10pm that is advertised. The customary spat is then exchanged.
7.58pm:
The band also realise that local lads, New Order & Doves are playing less than a mile away & resign themselves to a quiet evening.
9.24pm:
Pocket Venus finally soundcheck, which more than what they got the last time they appeared at this venue
9.47pm:
Having managed to procrastinate long enough to delay their start time Dave flicks on his remaining keyboard & hits that sub-bass note that signals the intro to Sell Your Friends
9.49pm:
The bulk of people expecting a 10pm start arriving to a wall of sound that is Sell Your Friends
10.04pm:
Make it Through Your Day, tonight’s 3rd song is greeted with polite applause. The norm is for bands to receive enthusiasm for the first 2 or 3 songs, then the interest wanes when they realise that it is all the band has to offer. With Pocket Venus it has the opposite effect; although we have been living with them for the last 12 months, most people are just discovering them. So when they start a set it’s greeted with a little interest; then by the 3rd or 4th song people realise this isn’t just another wannabe band.
10.10pm:
The now very full Night & Day are almost stopped in their tracks when the band play Why
10.32pm:
I observed the crowd with a smirk as they stood open mouthed during the crescendo of How High (shame about the cheesy ending, but thankfully it’s mouldy enough to have fallen off by the next gig).
10.34pm:
Day one of the tour is over with added fans. The band pack up & await their next task; a radio session tomorrow afternoon before appearing at Hendre Hall in Talybont.
11.04pm:
Sons of Selina guitarist, Robin calls my mobile to say he’s in Piccadilly Gardens & asks what time are the band on.