Altered Images / Vanity Fairy @ Exeter Phoenix – Friday October 25th 2024

 

After waiting roughly 40 years to see Altered Images this was the third time we’d seen them since 2022. At this rate they’ll be taking out a restraining order against us.

First up though, Vanity Fairy, a one woman disco extravaganza (check out her outifits) with an equally delicious sideline in witty between song banter. Hot on the high heels of supporting Last Dinner Party she dazzled the early birds with an album's worth of instant classics. 

If Kate Bush had grown up in Studio 54...

Playing the whole of fourth album, Bite, Altered Images (although only Clare Grogan remains from the original band) kicked off with a particularly groovy Bring Me Closer which was only narrowly beaten by a sublime purr through classic Don’t Talk To Me About Love for first set highlight. Grogan’s in fine voice and form and it’s clear that she’s loving this phase of a career that started waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 1979. Yes, really. 

After a quick break they returned for bangers old...I Could Be Happy and Dead Pop Stars...and new, courtesy of 2022's top notch comeback single Mascara Streakz. GWR cancelling the last train home stopped us from staying right to the end...oh the joys of relying on public transport...but too much pop perfection may well have proved fatal at our age. 

Mum Does The Washing - Joshua Idehen

 Just heard this on 6 Music for the first time. Clever stuff. 

In The Modern World - Fontaines D.C.

This track's been growing on me recently and the vid adds a little extra shaboom to it. The media covered a story yesterday about there being no nightclubs by 2030. Presumably pubs and small to medium sized gig venues face an equally uncertain future as prices rise, incomes fall and the threat of getting shanked up by a 12 year old off its bonce on cherry flavoured vapes makes people retreat to the safety of their own homes, keeping the real world at bay through video games, celebrity brain surgery shows and box set binges. Interesting times eh?  

Speed Reading - Maceo Parker

Here's a cut from the pick of this weekend's 10p CDs, Maceo Parker's 2005 album School's In. Yep...10p! What a time to be alive eh?  

Yo Yo - Rose Royce

Picked up a cheapo Rose Royce compilation from a charity shop over the weekend and came across this funktastic cut from the iconic Car Wash movie and soundtrack. Hot on its heels came this one...

With another 13 tracks it's not too bad for 50p eh? 

PS: Having hoovered up thousands of CDs over the past few years I've noticed that the volume and quality available in charity shops has dwindled pretty dramatically recently. It's not surprising, most people who had 'em in a box under the bed have got rid of 'em now....just as they did when vinyl fell out of favour. The majority of my fellow CD buyers still tend to be middle aged men (bless 'em) but over the weekend I was rifling through the racks next to a couple of trendy students who seemed besotted with the format. And who can blame them? You Tube seems to be fighting off the ad blocking software that's worked so well over the years and I daresay that you get ads every 30 seconds on Spotify too unless you spunk up a monthly subscription fee. Why subscribe when you can buy, own and play (in much better sound quality) CDs though? If you buy from charity shops, you're supporting good causes too. And, as I've probably banged on about before, CDs seem to be both retro and futuristic making it the ideal format for hipsters and hip replacement-ers. It's probably too late to accumulate a big collection for little money now but if you're passing a charity shop or car boot sale it's well worth a look. Happy hunting! 

Good Tradition - Tanita Tikaram

Following on from the last post here's another Helen O'Hara related track, this time from Tanita Tikaram who's first album, Ancient Heart, sold a piggy bank busting 4 million copies back in 1988/89. Helen played on the album and toured with Tanita back then and it seems as though she's still playing with her a mere 35 years later. 

If you're new to TT give this one a spin too...worthy of Leonard Cohen at his best. 

This Is What She's Like - Dexys Midnight Runners

Greatly enjoying Helen O'Hara's memoir, What's She Like, at the moment and if you have even a passing interest in Dexys it's an essential read. It's reminded me of just what a classic album Don't Stand Me Down is and its lack of success or critical appreciation on its original release (barring a few wise souls) remains one of the great musical mysteries of the 80s. 

Didn't Do That - John Martyn

Super cool, jazzy cut from John Martyn's 1981 album Glorious Fool, produced and drummed on by none other than Phil Collins. Another recent addition to the old CD mountain...