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Rating: His concerts from years ago were memorable. No one ever knew if he would show up and especially in what mental state: they say that at Glastonbury he "by mistake" started playing in the jazz tent.
In 2000, he got married, is clean and probably settled down. We imagine.
We only catch the last song of the support band. A gin and tonic later, Chris Brokaw comes onto the stage (who for us will always be just the one who left Codeine for Come). He plays an acoustic by himself, sitting on the floor; apart from the first row, no one can see him. The third song is "All My Life"??? Has Dando sent him out to do the concert? The fourth is an instrumental on acoustic guitar (!!!). Then there's a fifth and a sixth. The whistles begin, which he, being a good American, can't interpret correctly. He continues. Has Dando done one of his tricks again? Brokaw plays another instrumental. It really seems like he doesn't know how to pass the time. Then he stops at the ninth, thankfully, because it was pretty heavy. They turn on the lights, and the roadies reconfigure the stage. Brokaw was just an unexpected support.
They signal the mixer technician with a flashlight to start the concert.
Dando enters for the first acoustic part. He begins with "Outdoor Type," in which he refuses a "rock climbing weekend" for fear of missing something important on TV: what if they never show it again?
The third is "My Drug Buddy": "we have to laugh to look at each other, we have to laugh ‘cos we are not alone". He's doing a Lemonheads unplugged. He plays "The Turnpike Down": "mark my path down"; only tonight do I understand he wasn't saying "past." He's focused, talks little, does his job, the sunnyboy from 1992 has disappeared. I move closer. He has a marked, rigid face, looks 45 years old (the face: the body is top fit - skinny), he's 36. Then all those bad stories were true. The others join for the electric part of the concert. "It's a Shame About Ray," plus many from the new.
But the songs all go by the same, precise, didactic. Played by someone doing his job but not enjoying himself. At one point, he says they need money and that they'll be collecting at the exit. He also says they have two days of bus travel behind them. For a moment, he's the old self. For a moment, he laughs. He closes with "In the Grass all Wine Coloured."
Honestly, there's nothing to say against him, he played everything but somehow it feels like he's left his future behind a long time ago.
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