The Wedding Present – Seamonsters, with Toquiwa @ The Assembly, Leamington Spa – 20th November 2012

What is the secret of making a success out of touring an album that the writer and composer himself admits is not exactly an enjoyable one? Seamonsters by The Wedding Present is one such album. As intense now as they were twenty years ago the ten songs that make up Seamonsters are exacting examinations of love and lust, jealousy, trust and mistrust, loss, deception and eventually some sort of happiness.

I know what you are thinking – this sounds like a jolly night out; but there is something in human nature that attracts people to the slightly darker side of life; that area of experience that can be full of doubt, where all seems fine but there is that niggling undercurrent of discomfort and unease. Whatever it is David Gedge of The Wedding Present has always been able to tap into it directly.

He has always claimed that his songs are purely fabrications and that they have no autobiographical element but even so they range emotionally from the heart-warming to the gut-wrenching in a way that people recognise instantly. Seamonsters epitomises this more than any other album by The Wedding Present or Cinerama. When it was released it signalled a departure. George Best was the jangly poppy record, Bizarro was the well crafted favourite of many fans, but Seamonsters was difficult. For many Steve Albini’s production made it less accessible than the others and the mood and subject matter were just too out of step with early 90s Indie sensibilities for many fans. For others though, it became an instant and all-time favourite.

I’ve always thought that the songs were best heard live. Tonight shows that after twenty years nothing has changed. The emotional intensity builds throughout the Seamonsters set and the physicality of the performance is a key element. Regardless of what he might say it is as if he was living the songs, and fans identify with the wide-ranging sentiments which he always manages to put over in very few words. Everyone in the room is with him. We’ve all had to move on at one time or another, seeing an ex treading the same path and doing familiar things with someone new. We all know how that feels. In Heather when he sings “what made you want to take him there, what made you think I wouldn’t care” you can almost feel the knife blade slipping between the ribs.

It’s not all angst-ridden doom and gloom. Seamonsters is sandwiched between a selection of old and new tunes which, as usual demonstrate how good a writer Mr Gedge is and why The Wedding Present and Cinerama have remained popular all the way up to this year’s Valentina album and, in comparison with many of their peers, why they have stood the test of time.

Every so often David Gedge regenerates the band with members coming and going. The current incarnation with Charlie Layton, Pepe Le Moko, and Patrick Alexander, has brought a more vibrant, less introspective approach to familiar songs. These days the whole performance is much more physical.

Then there is Toquiwa. Whether by accident or design the decision to bring the all -girl rock phenomenon from Shibuya back after their successes at “The Edges…” Festivals and at SxSW, has turned them from a mere support act to a trail-blazing warm up act. They deserve a review all of their own. The impact that they had tonight was best judged from the number of beaming smiles and gaping mouths in the crowd at the end of their set. You could just feel the good will washing over them.

With their bursting energy and day-glo image they can polarise opinion but their antics should not detract from how good their songs are and their cover version of Kennedy is reaching legendary status. Anyone who listened to their contribution to The Wedding Present’s session for 6 Music will have heard Marc Riley struggling for words afterwards. They have that effect on everyone.

With his final “be seeing ya” David Gedge signalled that there will be a tour of some form or another for The Wedding Present in the UK next year. Dates have already been announced for the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Japan with The Hit Parade forming the core of the performances. It’ll be good but it won’t be Seamonsters.

Set List:

End Credits

Sports Car

My Favourite Dress

Back A Bit, Stop

Erinner Dich

Cat Girl tights

Deer Caught In The headlights

Dalliance

Dare

Suck

Blonde

Rotterdam

LoveNest

Corduroy

Carolyn

Heather

Octopussy

Click Click

Take me

 

Review Ian Gelling

Photography Stephanie Colledge

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