White Lies Friends U.K. Tour 2016 London/Manchester/Liverpool/Glasgow

White Lies

Friends U.K. Tour 2016

London/Manchester/Liverpool/Glasgow

 

It's that time again time to trek along with my #Friends 'White Lies' for their U.K. Tour.

 

So I arrive for opening night in a taxi beaten back by hailstones, shortly after rush hour to meet my good friend and close confidente the night before the show,to discuss our plans for tomorrows show.

 

Day of the show arrives and to pass time & keep warm we go to cafes and mooch around 'Shepherds Bush Market' we start queuing later than normal as we monitor the venue each hour by 5pm more fans arrive many of whom I know and some I've known a few years.

 

Doors open at 7pm for this show in London,so we think it'll be be special its totally 'Sold Out' it was the first date on the tour to completely Sell Out followed by Manchester.               Support is from 'Ramona Flowers' a band I'd heard of and wanted to see live they are from 'Brisbane' in 'Australia' they are supporting the band on the whole of the UK Tour, so I guess I'll catch up with them sooner or later.

 

As 'Ramona Flowers' take to the stage they play songs from new album 'Spies' and one hit single from 'Dismantle & Rebuild' called 'Tokyo' they are known for their unsual videos,I really wanted to hear 'Vultures' but sadly not to be.

 

 9pm the stage has been stripped back of the 'Ramonas' gear, as the lights go down the band appear onstage with 'Jack' on his drums to the far right of the stage, Charles on bass in front of the drumkit (Bad idea cant see 'Jack' at all I don't think anyone from middle to the left can either), Tommy stands ready by the keyboards over to the left ,'Harry' appears walks on looking confident and proud it's his hometown so hes made a big effort in stagewear tonight, he stands wearing a Deep Blue Shirt and some casual but trendy black trousers turned up on the ankle with adidas sneakers, he is clean shaven for this tour.

 

The opening Track is 'Take It Out on Me' and followed by 'There Goes Our Love Again' from the previous album 'Big Tv' the crowd then gets excited as 'To Lose My Life' begins ,its a buoyant yet polite crowd tonight.

 

 

The lights On this Tour are slightly less active, in that I mean no grand Flashing Gold spotlights, just colourful pastel Blue and Pink, Orange coloured lights tamer than the usual 'White Lies' set up but effective .

 

There are no screens grand Backdrops, my fav song from 'Friends' is on 'Hold Back Your Love' and then another fav from the previous 'Getting Even' then 'Harry' says "Were going to play a fan favourite from the first album, its about and kidknapper and her lover, the chords of 'Price Of Love' begin and the crowd go crazy.

 

 

 

The second single from 'Friends' ,'Morning In LA' is played and another catchy fav 'Is My Love Enough' followed by 'EST' and 'Ritual' track 'Streetlights' more classic tracks from the debut album  'Place To Hide' and 'Death' down to the encore of 'Big Tv', 'Come On' and ending again for the 3rd tour in a row with 'Bigger Than Us'.

 

 

 

 Back up North for Show 2 'Manchester' after 1 day off back at the 'Albert Hall' of which I attended last back in October, after having a conversation with 'Jack' the previous night about the positioning of his drum kit he agreed he wasn't keen either ,I told him the problem is I cant see through where 'Charles' stands and its at an angle, it seems to of been moved a bit more forward but The stage at this venue is high, when close up to the front barrier its like the band are playing over our heads.

 

The crowd here were quite a boisterous, due to latecomers being drunk, and some pushing to the front or trying to, the crowd were alive tonight chanting "Manchester La La La Manchester La La la" during the encore you could see the band were loving it  and laughing at the shenanegans of the crowd #Success.

 

 

Show 3 'Liverpool' its early afternoon its -2c and there is thick white fog greeting me as I arrive this is the coldest day of the year, I have to abandon queueing until later as standing outside is not an option .

 

So alternative option is to leave a sign on a big piece of cardboard lying over the pavement so I write  #2 White Lies fans queueing gone for something to eat and a warm and some #Peace&Quiet before we catch our #Death lol, I meet up with my mate again from London and we go off to a pub nearby its the warmest place on earth to us .

 

 

 It's 6 years since 'White Lies' Played a headline tour in Liverpool so they want to impress, they arrive on stage and are in a cheerful mood, speaking to the crowd and acknowledging the long absence with a setlist change with 'From The Stars' added on and 'Streetlights' removed,its my fav track off the album not heard played live since 2009.

 

I love the guitar solo,its a sweaty venue with low ceilings originally the band were scheduled to play 'Arts Club' but got upgraded to 'Liverpool 02 Academy' due to demand another great gig played.

 

 

 Off Further North now to go to 'Glasgow' where I'm finishing the tour on this round (Normally I'd travel to Birmingham but I have another gig scheduled non WL related), so after not much rest and 3 gigs in a row I arrive in 'Glasgow' and its sunny, ready for #Show 4 'Glasgow ABC Academy' the band are already in as I potter round the shops.

 

 

 At 7pm the doors open, I'm one of the first in the priority queue and I'm directed a different way in ,for some bizarre reason I panic midway thinking I'm heading the wrong way as I look at the stage which appears to be set up differently.. that I'm concerned I'm in the wrong gig.

 

 

 (Once in 2009 I went to a after show party for a DJ set... but it wasn't it was a Student Party in the Club Academy I was in the wrong building and missed 'Jack '& 'Charles' DJ Set and only realised after getting smashed at 2am), the problem was 'Ramonas' kit was'nt on show and another support band came on from 'Glasgow' that we didn't know about they were quite an aggressive choice of indie band a bit like 'The Gallows 'Meets 'The View'.

 

  'Ramona Flowers' commenced afterwards still 'Vultures' not on the setlist  despite me asking directly after the London show ,I think more people would remember that track off 'Mtv Rocks' as they are an acquired taste on this tour.

 

 

'Harry' is in Shirt mode again White Shirt tonight and the crowd gradually won over mid-set were chanting "Play It Play It Play That Rock N Roll !!" in an appreciative,so as not to disappoint the band came on  for the 3 song encore, it was good to see see the fans were also into the new songs.

 

The Show Sold Out Again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally after the show I catch up with 'Harry' and 'Charles' and later 'Jack' where I explain I will not be going to 'Birmingham' this is my last show on this tour.

 

 'Jack' is shocked 'The Last One,Oh no why?' I explained I was going to see 'The Cure' in 'Manchester' whom I'd never seen and really wanted to as they hadn't toured 'Manchester' for years and rarely go on tour here,  He lights up "Oh Wow The Cure they will be awesome we toured with them years ago in Brixton Academy, he said Cure fans dress similar" I laughed and said "I'll have to backcomb my hair and wear my smudged lipstick then ".

 

 He asked me which Show's I was coming to next year and was  I doing the 'Troxy' Show? I said yes I'll be doing quite a few of them and the 'Troxy', then he got back on the bus.  It was certainly good to catch up with my #Friends 'White Lies' its a tour I wont Forget,Til the next blog ... 

 

 

You Know The Next Blog ..Now.. Then.

LMi xo