Concert Review - Twelfth Night, The Albany
It’s been a long time. The last time I saw Twelfth Night was the 1983 Reading Festival, when they were the opening act on the Sunday, and the late Geoff Mann was the singer.
I wrote a potted history of the band a few years back on this site. At the time, it looked as though the story was over. Since then, continued interest in their music has seen their entire back catalogue reissued and remastered on CD. And finally the band themselves have come out of retirement and taken the stage once more.
The Albany Theatre is not your typical rock venue; the circular venue looked like a cross between the Globe Theatre and a miniature version of The Roundhouse, and is more used to theatrical productions than rock shows. There was an air of anticipation as we waited for the band to hit the stage; what would they be like after all those years?
The opener “The Ceiling Speaks” dispelled any doubts over whether or not they could cut it live. This was actually the first time I’d ever seen Andy Sears fronting the band, and he cut a compelling figure, both a charismatic frontman and a strong voice. I was impressed with the way he interpreted Geoff Mann’s material; he made the songs his own while keeping to the spirit of the originals; not an easy thing to pull off.
The setlist had everything you could want. The first half ranged through the highlights of their career, from the instrumental “Afghan Red” to their last ever recorded song “Blondon Fair”. For the second half, they played the whole of the “Fact and Fiction” album.
High spots were many; a spine-tingling “First New Day” played solo by Andy Sears on piano, really powerful versions of “Sequences” and “Creepshow”, and an emotional final encore of “Love Song”.
It was also one of the most enthusiastic audiences I’ve seen all year (Who says London audiences are jaded and cynical?). Who would have thought complex prog epics such as “We Are Sane” would turn into singalongs? This made for an incredible atmosphere, and made it one of those gigs that will be remembered for a long time.
