Shed Seven performing at Rock City on Thursday 18th December 2015


 

Review by Kevin Cooper

Probably the greatest export ever to leave the city of York, Brit pop sensations Shed Seven entertained a packed Rock City crowd last night with their magnificent hits and forgotten album tracks.

From the moment support band Inspiral Carpets came on, the crowd were certainly up for it. With Stephen Holt’s distinctive vocals over the familiar and brilliant Inspiral’s tunes, it was a joy to behold.

Warmed up nicely, the stage was handed over to Shed Seven. Unlike the rest of us 50 year olds in the audience, energetic frontman, Rick Witter, appears to have been cryogenically preserved because he is still stick thin, snake hipped, full of attitude and still has a great voice.

Opening with the riotous She Left Me On Friday, the band were in top form and had plenty of great songs in their locker, including Casino Girl, Long Time Dead, and Disco Down. Who would have thought that their 1994 hit, Speakeasy, unceremoniously used as a mobile phone advert would still sound as fresh as we approach 2016, but it did.

With literally everyone in the room belting the words of their songs right back at them, they treated us to the glorious Ocean Pie, whilst Going For Gold was a majestic chest beating anthem.

The whole evening had just been one mass sing a long, with Witter’s banter with the crowd being indicative of just how much Shed Seven are enjoying themselves right now. Finishing the main set with Parallel Lines, the crowd demanded more. They returned to deliver a rousing encore of Missing Out and Getting Better. With Chasing Rainbows suitably ending the gig, the whole evening had been one of those that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up with glee.

Witter has said that he is always surprised that they are still managing to sell out venues around the UK. But on this showing it was not hard to see why.