After a travel day – 330 miles or so on the road up from Southampton – the band is checked into the Forte Posthouse in Newcastle where it will remain for a few days. The first order of business is a homecoming gig at the City Hall, greeted by an enthusiastic crowd.
A nice recording, a little drum heavy – caused by the acoustics of the venue – and with “Looking for Atlantis” slightly truncated.
But you can begin to understand why Paddy later explained he was starting to feel a little out of place on stage: with no variation in the song list and a very lengthy set, the moments of spontaneity are few and far between and limited to audience interactions. Must have been difficult to be close to home yet separated from his beloved songwriting environment, running through the same 30 songs again and again.
However we’ve come this far, so let’s keep going. In particular, the gig in Leeds tomorrow is a corker.
And don’t miss your chance to win a brand new copy of Steve McQueen on 180g vinyl..
Thanks so much for sharing this recording! The only Sprouts gig I attended and wonderful to be able to relive it, 23 years later! Hats off to you for keeping this site going too – I’ve followed it for many years. I saw Martin McAloon at Cluny 2 in Newcastle last Friday and I’ve been revisiting the back catalogue since.