2017 was a year full of comebacks and anniversary re-releases. Although I feel that rock music continues to be as necessary and important today as it’s ever been, at least for me, there is no denying the fact that exciting new rock bands are thin on the ground these days, while so many bands from the past are returning for concerts and release new records which are easily among the best of the year, even if they don’t usually surpass their past glories.
In this climate, it isn’t surprising that some of the best gigs we’ve been to this year were from bands with quite a bit of history (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Dream Syndicate, Swans, Thurston Moore, Einstürzende Neubauten, The Jesus And Mary Chain, Slowdive) and now to this list we can add The Wedding Present, who this year celebrated the 30th anniversary of their debut album "George Best", one of the indiepop classics of the C86 generation.
Although "George Best" is certainly one of the albums that I would like to see performed from start to finish, David Gedge preferred to keep in the set list about a half of it and present instead a “best of” of the first period of the band, a choice that certainly pleased the fans as along with early favorites like "My Favourite Dress", "Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft" "Anyone Can Make a Mistake" or the pre-"George Best" single "Once More", we also got to hear the likes of "Kennedy", "Corduroy" or "Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah".
Some of their newer material was also present in the hour and a half set, with "Two Bridges" and "Rachel" representing their latest release, 2016’s "Going, Going...", and "The Girl from the DDR" off "Valentina" being also among the standouts with bassist Danielle Wadey contributing the German vocal part.
A great gig that showcased some of David Gedge’s finest songs, from the mid-80s to the present day, that certainly deserved a larger audience than the relatively few who managed to come to the Temple club on Thursday night despite the strike in public transport.
A great gig that showcased some of David Gedge’s finest songs, from the mid-80s to the present day, that certainly deserved a larger audience than the relatively few who managed to come to the Temple club on Thursday night despite the strike in public transport.
Here's the handwritten set list of the gig and our video of the band performing "Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft":
The Wedding Present - Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft (live @ Temple, Athens)
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