China Crisis

Oh, this is so my kind of gig these days, a gig with no support and a main band showtime that promptly starts at a quarter to eight! It’s simply a perfect evening as for the next two hours they take us through a guided tour of some of their finest material spread over two sets, with the second half mainly dedicated to the hit singles.
They, the original members Eddie Lundon and Gary Daly have surrounded themselves with some exceptionally fine musicians, all of whom get a very well-deserved shout out during the evening, as does original bassist Gary ‘Gazza’ Johnson, who was of course instrumental in playing that driving bass guitar sound that runs through the veins of their early work.
With some ten top fifty singles and three top twenty albums under their belt and stuck firmly in the back catalogue alongside eight albums to boot in total, there is plenty of great material to go at and tonight just reminds you of their not to be doubted overriding quality.
Five tracks from Flaunt the Imperfection get an airing (Wall of God, Gift of Freedom, Strength of Character, Black Man Ray, and King in a Catholic Style) and why not? Daly reminds us that it was produced by the legendary Waler Becker of Steely Dan.
The evening is not only filled with some fabulous music but also some wonderful stories, as Daly reminisces of how the band started out and became lifelong friends with the likes of Pete Wylie and John Campbell (It’s Immaterial). He doesn’t get too political but is clearly proud of his lifelong labour voting self if deeply embarrassed by the current leader in number ten.
The lyrics to both Christian and African and White still resonate some forty plus years, after they were released!
It’s a joy from start to finish, the camaraderie between the band and audience is second to none, with great banter between both filling the evening air.