ShareHappy Mondays performing their Been There Done That Tour at Rock City Nottingham on Saturday 16th March 2024.
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
On Saturday night, the original purveyors of acid indie rock, Happy Mondays led by front man Shaun Ryder promised a night of Madchester favourites and the Rock City crowd were not disappointed.
Whilst this is a band that may be more famous for their off stage antics and various stints on reality TV, it is sometimes hard to credit what an extraordinarily original band they were. But as the band appeared on stage followed by Rowetta, Ryder and Bez arrived to tumultuous applause and the Mondays launched into Kinky Afro.
Ensuring a raucous start to the night, with Bez strutting his stuff on stage, the party had well and truly begun as they followed up with God’s Cop which allowed Mark Day to showcase his guitar skills.
Delivering a ten song set, the interaction between Ryder, Bez and Rowetta was evident as other songs like Donovan, Dennis And Louis, and Loose Fit, all from their 1990 album, Pills ‘n’ Thrills And Bellyaches went down a treat, with Rowetta almost stealing the show with her incredible voice.
With Bez and Ryder’s between song banter raising the amusement stakes, the promised Hallelujah was given an airing and its iconic sounds had the crowd bouncing and swaying. With Ryder having recaptured some of the vigour and voice of the band’s halcyon days, they all stepped up with Bob’s Yer Uncle.
Finishing the set with 24 Hour Party People and the ‘twisting my melon man’ crowd pleaser, Step On, they were ably assisted by the crowd who sang their hearts out. Having been on stage for a little under an hour, an encore was demanded and that came in the form of the brilliant Wrote For Luck which like the Monday’s themselves, is still a classic.
The band, now in their fourth incarnation, delivered a thumping canvas for Bez’s dancing and Ryder’s really affectionate bickering with the phenomenal Rowetta, and it was clear that the Monday’s have lost none of their magic. They are still funky, downright vulgar but so endearing.
