“I have heard the big music and I’ll never be the same,” sang Mike Scott in the mid 80s on the Waterboys’ second album.  Well, with his best band line-up for years if not ever, he performed it emphatically tonight at Shepherd’s Bush.

This is the same Waterboys line-up that I saw a couple of years ago at an equally excellent gig at Cambridge Corn Exchange except that the muscular rhythm section of Steve Walters (bass) and Carlos Hercules (drums) are now fully integrated in the band rather than playing only the second half of the Cambridge gig.  Whereas previous Waterboys rhythm sections were folk-influenced, Walters and Hercules bring a hard funkiness to their sound supporting madcap keyboardist Richard Naiff, supreme violinist Steve Wickham and the visionary Scott himself.

After starting with a song I didn’t recognise then a new song, we were treated to a faultless run of four classics which perfectly illustrate the scope of the Waterboys.  An inspiring Glastonbury Song was followed by the folky When Will We Be Married, rural spirituality of Peace Of Iona and celebratory Whole Of The Moon, the band’s biggest hit.  "I’ve just found God" indeed…

Other highlights include a rocking Medicine Bow featuring an electrifying violin solo by Wickham, a rousing, closing Fisherman’s Blues and a rare rendition of a song which Mike swore in the 80s he would never play live again.  Time is the healer as we were treated to an incredible version of the long-lost cult classic Red Army Blues.

Part of the package with the Mike Scott live experience is the tendencies towards self-indulgence.  This was less in evidence tonight that on most of my previous viewings though still revealed itself with the poetic Stolen Child, lengthy Pan Within and odd cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Independence Day.  Mike and Bruce are completely contrasting singers and lyricists though such forays of fancy are welcome as without them Scott wouldn’t be half the intense, compulsive performer that he is.  Looking thinner than previously but with the same straggly long hair, he still models himself to some extent on Patti Smith circa Horses and is much more convincing in this than the likes of K T Tunstall…

Putting my rather unnecessary and bitchy comments about modern stars aside (!), the support tonight was provided by another highly-rated young singer-songwriter Thea Gilmore who got a good response for refreshingly engaging with the audience and having greater lyrical variety then the endless self-pitying love songs pedalled around by many young, earnest types today.

Though Thea was pretty good we had all come to see Mike Scott and the Waterboys who gave us a brilliant uplifting set which got a deserved standing ovation at the end of the evening.  Gig of the year so far – it will take some beating…

Greg Rose
On the train home…3.2.06

Set list (courtesy of James and someone's message on the official Waterboys site - thank you)

Everybody Takes A Tumble (unreleased)
Crash Of Angel Wings (unreleased)
Glastonbury Song
Peace Of Iona
When Will We Be Married
The Whole Of The Moon
Killing My Heart (alternative version of "When Ye Go Away")
Long Way To The Light
Song For The Life
The Stolen Child
Red Army Blues
Medicine Bow
The Pan Within

Encores
Let It Happen
Independence Day (Springsteen-cover)
Fisherman's Blues