Shed Seven performing their Instant Pleasure Tour at Rock City Nottingham on Friday 8th December 2017.
Review by Kevin Cooper
Touring to promote Instant Pleasure, their first album in sixteen years, Shed Seven cannot believe that they are still as popular today as they were when they started out in the early 90s. But if they needed any reassurances, it was a packed Rock City crowd who turned out on a freezing cold Friday night to do just that.
Opening the proceedings were Cast, fronted by John Power who packed in all of their hits including Walk Away and Guiding Star. They provided a full band performance with great guitar solos which complemented Power’s vocals as they warmed the crowd up nicely.
Getting the show going with a blast, Shed Seven kicked off with new album opener Room In My House which segued into 1994 single Speakeasy. From the new album there was the swinging People Will Talk, the anthemic lament to growing old that is It’s Not Easy and the bittersweet Better Days, perhaps the band’s finest single for nearly 20 years, which all fitted in seamlessly and demonstrated how Shed Seven have adapted their sound.
High points of the set list included the single that never was, High Hopes and blistering versions of Bully Boy, Going For Gold and the brilliant as ever Devil In Her Shoes which showed Witter in fine vocal form. Their version of She Left Me On A Friday saw him leave the stage to the band who launched into an intense instrumental version of Stone Roses, I Am The Resurrection, complete with flashing stage lights which threatened to turn Rock City into a full blown rave.
Finishing their set with their massive sing along, Chasing Rainbows, you always know what you are going to get with this band and that’s a rocking good night that left this crowd making their way home all warm and toasty.