The Wedding Present + Cinerama @ The Waterfront, Norwich 23rd July 2015
By the time the final strains of My Favourite Dress had faded away into the cast iron ceiling of the The Waterfront it was clear that we had seen something special tonight. Sometime musicians can display a form of dual personality. Songwriters in particular can write in different genres but when it comes to the live performance such things can prove tricky to carry off convincingly.
We have a few occasions in our Brumlive reviews where headline band members appear in support bands, maybe even swapping instruments and roles; but you could always see the join. I can’t remember that we have ever covered a gig where all the members of the headline band were members of the support act, and when that band is completely different with a separate career, style, and approach and time line.
The Wedding Present (TWP) and Cinerama are both led by David Gedge (DLG) who has been the only constant member in both bands. Cinerama represented a hiatus in the life of TWP from 1997 to 2004, and was a departure from the guitar driven, angst —ridden tales of love, hate, betrayal and reconciliation that made up the core of his material up until then. They were then resurrected for the annual At The Edge Of The Sea Festival a few years ago and have appeared with different line-ups and varying states of preparation ever since.
Cinerama morphed into TWP again through songs that despite what I said above showed a fair amount of cross-over between the two styles at that time. Some Cinerama songs, like tonight’s set closer Wow sound great played by TWP for instance. It was like Cinerama could not withstand the need to get back to an earlier style. So tonight DLG had two outfits to wear; literally as well as figuratively.
In Cinerama he is the band leader in the three-piece suit, sometimes with just the microphone for company; sometimes awkward, sometimes suave, depending on how well things are going.
In TWP he is the band member, all in black and leading belligerently from the front, the guitar an extension of the man, thrashed to death by the infamous “Gedge arm”.
You may ask: “how different can these bands be?” Well, as an example, TWP released an album entitled Valentina in 2012; an album full of great songs, true to the DLG feel. This year Cinerama released the same album, with the same songs, only totally different. Go and listen to them; the difference is remarkable. There is a rumour that DLG wanted to release both TWP and Cinerama versions in one package, and at the same time, back in 2012. That would have been an interesting move, if one that would have made it tricky to tour the album(s).
Songs from this reworked Valentina were on show tonight. For me some, like Mystery Date, are enhanced by the different approach. Others, again for me, like The Girl From The DDR just don’t really make it, but that’s the risk that DLG has taken. You won’t please all of the people…..
Earlier this year Cinerama played at the IslingtonAcademy with a full string section. They were a revelation to me and I have seen the band a lot over the years. It was the earlier songs like Kerry Kerry, Honey Rider and Quick Before It Melts that came to life. Tonight the strings were replaced by keyboards but the same songs were just as good. Having Cinerama concentrate on being just that, rather than being some kind of extension of TWP has made the difference.
As if to emphasise the distinction between the two bands TWP opened up with one of their most intense songs Take Me!. It was not the full nine-minute version but long enough to get the crowd motivated and jumping around. I’ve said this before on here but in my opinion people listen to Cinerama, but they become involved with TWP. It’s a different relationship. Some may disagree, like the few on the barrier who didn’t take kindly to the mosh that was developing behind them.
The whole span of the TWP career was on show from You Should Always Keep In Touch with Your Friends to new songs, Fortland, and Bells. Over the past decade TWP gigs have been predictable, through the many “album” tours covering the back-catalogue. I much prefer the unpredictable set lists and tonight we had Not From Where I’m Standing; possibly the first time this has been played live since the hiatus in 1997, if at all (the anorak jury is out; I may update later!). Gazebo, from Watusi, was the heavier rock version, again seeming to emphasise the difference.
The set ended with Kennedy and My Favourite Dress giving the sweaty punters what they wanted, sending everyone home, or to the merch, happy.
I have been a massive fan of The Wedding Present since the 80’s, and only a recent real convert to Cinerama. To be honest I could never work out what DLG was doing. The songs were fine but they just didn’t have the same impact for me. Other people came to TWP from Cinerama and see that band as their first love. Maybe that’s the point; TWP are mine.
Whatever; I would like to see more nights like tonight, and definitely more expanded Cinerama sets. It is hard work for DLG as well as the other three band members Charlie Layton, Katharine Wallinger and Sam Beer-Pearce, but as they must have seen from the reactions to both sets, well worth it.
The Wedding Present:
Take me
Not from where I’m standing
Skin Diving
Fortland
Deer
Gazebo (rock version)
No
Heather
Bells
Kansas
Flying Saucer
You Should Always Keep In Touch with Your Friends Kennedy
My Favourite Dress
Cinerama:
Model Spy (intro instrumental)
146 degrees
Kerry Kerry
Ears
Careless
Hard Fast And Beautiful
Mystery Date
Honey Rider
Your Charms
The Girl From The DDR
Quick Before It Melts
Après Ski
Catgirl Tights
Wow
Review: Ian Gelling
Photographs: Stephanie Colledge