THE CHARLATANS: Live @ The Empire, Middlesbrough 17/12/09. On a freezing cold, snow covered night the boys from the North Country came to warm the cockles of our hearts. The night before we break up for Christmas, in a crowd that didn’t make me feel quite as old as normal the only down side being the price of the merchandise!! (Yes, Mr Andrew Stebulitus that 7 inch single autographed by the Charlatans was really £15. Yes, you didn’t have to buy it but what a rip off. Are they really that poor that they need to fleece genuine fans who have already paid £20 to see them???)  Apart from that it was a great night. The Charlatans are surely one of the best bands ever. The Empire is as close as you can get to the perfect venue, what with Mr Daniel (not Jack) Stanwick on the door it’s almost as good as the Westgarth AND it’s nearly time for Santa. The first time I saw the Charlatans was at the Riverside (remember that???) in Newcastle on the Indian Rope tour (1990??) I thought they were a bit of a gimmick. All baggy tops, bowl cuts and giving Northside a run for their money. Well, Tim Burgess still has a bowl cut but after 20 years and god knows how many superb albums they are certainly no gimmick. Is there another band that has lasted as long but is still making such great music? I doubt it. I must have seen them well over 10 times in the years following that initial doubt. The last time being just this summer at the Stockton Festival where they re-enthused me as to how good they really are. It had probably been 5 years since and I had begun to forgotten what I was missing. Tonight they reeled off hit after hit as well as a few numbers off their last LP ; You cross my Path. I won’t call it a return to form as they’ve never really failed to deliver. (I have to admit I don’t really like Up at the Lake but thats just my personal opinion). One to another, Can’t get out of bed, and The only one I know are just a selection of the many top tunes that were on display. After an encore they finished with the inevitable Sproston Green. My favourite ever Charlatans song and surely one of the best tunes ever. Looking forward to the next album and the next time they grace us with their presence. What did ever happen to Northside????

By peter on December 21, 2009