When Inspiral Carpets announced they were opening the year with some big gigs in Greece - with bass supremo Martyn Walsh returning to the fold - there was immediate excitement at Even The Stars. We couldn’t make it out to Greece unfortunately but there was no way Stuart Ralston was missing the first show back on British soil.
Billed by the HMV Empire as a “greatest hits show” - it was anything but - as a buoyant Inspiral Carpets delivered one of their best ever sets in front of a packed Coventry crowd. Having toured regularly and consistently for the past two years, Inspiral Carpets are warming up for their big Shiine On Festival headline slot 24 hours later in Skegness, treating fans old and new to an exhilarating ninety minute set of classics, hidden gems and even a stunning new tune too.
Opening with an extended Commercial Rain, it’s an honour and a privilege to see Martyn Walsh back, commanding centre stage as his baselines reverberate around this stunning old cinema, like he has never been away. We loved seeing Oscar Boon deputising for Martyn, as he brought out a freshness to the sound and contributed some super backing vocals but if you cut Martyn Walsh open, he has Inspiral Carpets running right through him. His energy and drive is there from the moment he walks on stage and picks up his bass. He commands that stage like no other and the band seem to feed off his energy.
Commercial Rain - a b-side - sets the tone for the night ahead. The quiet and unassuming Graham Lambert conjures a tune from his trusty vintage Les Paul. Commercial Rain is part dance, part garage and a tune that only the Inspirals are capable of producing. An uplifting start, setting the tone for the evening.
Generations and She Comes In The Fall keep up the energy and the pace. Kev Clark’s drumming on She Comes In The Fall reaches new heights and his drum solo at the end is better than ever. We then are pleasantly surprised by Spitfire - one of the bands classic later singles. It’s not been played for the best part of a decade but is as fresh and uplifting as ever. Driven along by Clint Boon’s Farfisa, the Spitfire-taking-me-higher chorus is a celebration.
The big hitters keep coming with Clint teasing the crowd with a “new one,” but he launches into This Is How It Feels. It might be 35 years old give or take a day or two but it resonates with the crowd and is an early set highlight. It is topped however by the rarely played Beast Inside - the title track from the groundbreaking second LP from 1991. Beast Inside is magnificent. It’s much slower than the average Inspirals-garage-pop-classics the audience are used to and demonstrates their versatility and skill as musicians. Brooding and building, Beast Inside deserves its place in the set. For us, the other big highlights are the Martyn-penned You’re So Good For Me and Let You Down - two of the stand out moments from the self titled fifth album (and Stephen’s first).
Having read reports of their triumphant Greece shows, we were keeping our fingers crossed that we might hear something new from the band and we did! Wolf At The Door starts with a Graham Lambert jam before developing into a full band piece. We are excited to hear more new material from the band this year. With a big tour lined up for November and December, we expect more new material to drop.
Inspiral Carpets are not going through the motions, nor are they a “heritage band” - a phrase commonly banded about these days to describe a band of a certain age who keep knocking out the same sets of hits time after time. They are driven and focused. Sure, they celebrate their glorious past but they continue to challenge both themselves and their audience.
Skidoo, which opens the encore, demonstrates their commitment to challenge. A rarely played b-side from 1991, it is treated almost as a jam and clocks in around an impressive seven minute mark. It sees the band have an extended workout and is easily one of the highlights of the set. With Farfisa flourishes from Clint and bass runs from Martyn, it’s a classic, signature Inspirals moment.
Northern Soul standard Tainted Love follows , which the band make their own before the biggest anthem of the night sends the crowd home happy. Saturn 5, the classic 1994 single has grown in stature since its release. It’s a euphoric power pop moment that unites the all-ages crowd and sees Ste come down into the audience. It’s a joyous celebration and perhaps the only way to end an Inspirals performance.
This is a big year for the band with lots of festivals and one-off specials this summer before a big winter tour. Tonight was the start of it and we look forward to an exciting year ahead.
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