Manifesting that titular alliteration into two unique sets, The The prescribed us with their post-punk prowess in the form of spoken word and melodic reverbs. Welcome them to the stage again…and again…
THE THE
The word ‘soul’ has been a recurring one in the story of The The. From Matt Johnson’s neo-psychedelic debut album Burning Blue Soul through to the shapeshifting musicality of its 1983 successor Soul Mining, that motif has been reminiscently repurposed with the name of his band’s 2024 Ensouled World Tour.
After nearly two decades in relative obscurity, nostalgia was on the backburner for their first set of the night. We are instead treated to an array of live debuts free of the more self-loathing elements of Johnson’s earlier work. Cognitive Dissident opens the show, inducing us into that apocalyptic feeling that has become the band’s signature; harmonising topics of corporate-government censorship with the gently swinging rendition of online dating in Zen & the Art of Dating. The audience are ensnared by the illusioned proximity of Johnson’s closely-mic’d, half-whispered-half-croaked sing-speak, which crucially heightens the bright chorus of Linoleum Smooth to the Stockinged Foot.
Most of the album follows this trademarked pattern of switching between intense political diatribes and more personal reflections. Performed live they stand out more than ever upon hearing the years in that voice. Down by the Frozen River particularly scrutinises the passing of time with the spoken word, rose-tinted revisionism of that ‘what if’ dilemma – the audience is visibly choked up by this one, and the ambience of the room reflects Johnson’s own mindset.
“It’s that time where me and the boys are going to have a nap and you’re probably going to the bar – as you should!”
With no shortage of material to choose from, we’re then flying through a whistle-stop tour of greatest hits! With no shortage of loyal, long-term fans (as the packed venue attests), we’re then careening through singalong after singalong! A rousing rendition of Heartland prompts the first of many; the jazz-inflected, swaggering delivery of Armageddeon Days Are Here (Again) has a sea of people with raised fists chanting “This! Is! War!”
From the beginnings of The The, Matt Johnson has always been a diviner of truth. Whether it be of a personal or political nature, he has earned an enduring reputation. Over four-and-a-half decades, his repertoire of uncompromising, dark matters of the heart and delivering prescient socio-political commentary.
THE THE PERFORMED FRIDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER
WORDS: TALIA ROBINSON
ROCK CITY NOTTINGHAM
We’re not only Nottingham’s favourite venue and nightclub – we’re the UK’s best live venue with a rich history of performers that have played here. It was a pleasure to have The The grace out stage and speakers!
Also while you’re at it, why not check out our gig guide and see if any other of your favourite artists like The The are playing soon! We also have our club nights on a Thursday (Tuned), Friday (Get Lucky) and Saturday (Rebel Rebel) so check those out too!
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