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mansun live...punk as fuck!

We met, we talked, we drunk lots, we watched the gods of very much?. We got to Edinburgh just after 10pm. And headed for Princess Street? The five of us (Pammy, Ashley, Debbie, Louise ) were casually walking about, armed with our new year cheer. All I could make out was the bassline to "Stripper Vicar" I looked at my watch, it was only 10.30 pm. I turned round to
Pammy, "do you hear what I hear". Pammy did, then the rest of us? But up on Edinburgh packed Princess Street we could only hear Stove ??? we frantically tried to find the entrance to Princess Street Gardens, and everywhere we turned was mobbed L Then we could hear the bass line to "Being a Girl" Oh No ! how much have we missed !!. After all Paul had mentioned in NME that they were to play at 11.30pm? something's fucked up somewhere?
Anyway we eventually found the entrance to the gardens, and they were playing "Mansun's Only Love Song" No ! this can't be happening ! that's one of our favourites ! madly scrambling passed bewildered revellers, we got on to the steep path and ran all the way down, Oh No ! now you could hear the those chiming intro notes to "Wide Open Space" we located the stage and headed right for it?. we got near the front at Chad's side to start off with? The lads all looked well, wrapped up cosy in lovely winter jackets, they had come prepared for the harsh Scottish weather ! Paul was using a (I think) 'Liverpool' Rickenbacker guitar, quite ironic? besides?
Unfortunately the crowd where we were stood, did not know who Mansun were and did not know their songs. This didn't stop us from enjoying ourselves !. Next up "She Makes My Nose Bleed". We moved further over to the centre of the stage about 3 or 4 rows back. Then there was this snobby woman right beside us ! Glowering at us just cos we were bouncing about enjoying ourselves, she could see she was taking up room, and getting in the way of us, she continued glowering at us. We could have swung for her !! anyway to avoid more friction we moved back a couple of rows onto some steps, we were barely able to stand up (and that wasn't the drink.. yet), just using the crowd to prop us up ! I couldn't see any of the Mansun family beside where we were, they must have been down the front !
"Take it Easy, Chicken" ! that unforgettable intro riffs signified that it was time to go mental. "Take it Easy" was mental, well it was for us and the band ! we were jumping about, (which couldn't be helped !) and some people appeared to be getting annoyed with us ... Fuck just because some of these folk don't know who Mansun are, doesn't mean that they have no
fans? It looked like the lads were playing up a bit for the TV Cameras, but you don't really know cos they have so much energy when they play?.
Oh here we go "Taxloss" "what ?" "we want your money", ah.. no swearing there.. you could see it was hard for Paul to resist not saying "we want your fucking money".. Now wait a minute? what happened about Mansun not changing to suit commerciality requirements, etc.. I love that extended version they play, its so raw ! ooooooh. Some of the crowd didn't have the
same opinion .. there weren't any real positive feedback from the crowd where we were stood?.. boring bastards? so we cheered louder ! "thank you", said Paul, and with a swig of Bud, it was all over? we walked out from the bemused and bedazzled crowd, bedazzled cos they don't know what fucking hit them ! We went to the left of the stage.. as we were exiting
these blokes stopped us and said, "why are you not staying for the Pretenders" we replied, that was is for us, that was our highlight of the night !. These blokes started giving it "oh that band were shit" well why did they stand and watch them then ! keep your unwanted opinions to yourselves mate ! I got a bit defensive there?
I can see 1999 being a very significant year for Mansun, more so than 1998. At the end of '98 Mansun received lots of press and praise, earned good results in the Melody Maker "End of Year" polls too. They won "best live act 98" in the Melody Maker polls. Which is a title they definitely deserve. It is good that they get the press exposure they are worthy of, but as long as they are not the next "press darlings" we will be all very happy, cos we know what happens to press darlings??

Written by Genine - email : dandysgirl@yahoo.com

There's a buzz around the Moulin Rouge this evening and although it involves sex appeal to a certain extent, it is based on SIX appeal. Next door to the world famous venue, at MCM, the Music Cafe, word is out on the band with the album so far ahead that it's acclaim is only just catching up. They are playing live tonight - France will get to check them out in the flesh and simultaneously on a TV broadcast of the show (or will they?)

There should be a Carry On Mansun movie, because, of course, there's a hitch (today's is that there is no monitor desk, so the band won't be able to hear what the fuck they are doing on stage, playing and singing into a feedback of noise - just what they don't need on such a nerve racking occasion in front of The Paris media band-wagon pullers, kids in the know, a TV Crew and EMI France head honchos.
The driver bringing this most vital piece of equipment - for a band so powerful live that metal bands call them too loud (!) - is, so far, a.w.o.l., incommunicado and around four hours late. The show is looking uncertain at 7pm. Where is he, Le Fornicateur Petit! (little fucker?). Unable to even soundcheck, the sadly resigned band members are drinking coffee across the road - so many jinxes in one short history.
Eventually the arrival of not-the-right-monitor means that the show will somehow go ahead. This is another set back which, as usual, Mansun will have to rise above...
...four and a half hours later, they do so spectacularly.
By now the place is packed with cool chicks 'n' dudes set on partying like they're at a stag do. There is a crush around the stage and the loud, high noise that greets Mansun when they take to the stage isn't feedback (...yet!), and is more like a welcome home than a first sighting.
"Bonjour, nous sommes Mansun" They then tear into a roaring "Stripper Vicar" then tear straight off stage while the crowd are still cheering their formidable entrance!
(oh not, not ANOTHER one or two song Mansun gig! Is it a case of Mansun's Only Song or will they make it to "Mansun's Only Love Song"?/)
The monitor has not passed "The Mansun Test" (yet again - a regular part of their history) and the rest of the set is an endurance of their genuine star factor.
A frantic short break. They come back and (minus blown-up monitor) play a blinding (and for them deafening), energetic show which they pour their souls into as if their life depended on it. At one point Paul (singing falsetto numbers like "Television" and "Wide Open Space" at a guess) looks nearly defeated by the overwhelming odds against them getting through the set. Buoyed by Chad, Andie and Stove giving their last surges of energy and determination to be fucking brilliant, Paul proves Mansun's star quality in the last two songs "Drastic Sturgeon" and "Tax Loss" by pulling the atmosphere up to a huge triumphant climax. God knows what kind of punk mayhem TV viewers experienced.
Mansun leave the stage, and in the one town where you'd expect them to shout "encore!", hugely appreciative and excited people in the audience shout "again! again!" winsomely...
Although Mansun knew that they were unable to be even half their best under such circumstances, their appearance was a huge success, so exciting and dynamic that they must have been up to the highest standards, as the "biz" and "kids" had obviously fallen in love.
After their set a celebratory atmosphere pervaded the audience, and media/biz folk. By the time the Friday night disco started, MCM resembled a cross between The Hacienda, Club 54, a wedding reception (with added autograph hunters), The Rocky Horror Show and a piss up in a brewery. (Brilliant place, highly recommend it if you're looking for a night out in Paris).

At some point in the early hours, Mansun's rhythm section were frugging their funky stuff on the dance floor (Andie and Stove have promising careers as go go dancers if Mansun's live set ever goes cabaret!). An excellent night was had by just about all, most of who weren't aware of the chaos happening with the equipment on stage at the time that Mansun were playing.
One day it will regularly 'go right' for Mansun, in the mean time, around the globe their live and recorded performances are waking people to Britain's buried treasure.Carry On Mansun. Au Revoir!

DOM-ination! (oh la la!)

New Year's Eve 1998 Edinburgh
Typical weather for a December night, but Mansun were much cooler... The hottest live show to end the year!

whoah, a moonlit castle on a cliff as a backdrop! as usual Mansun gave it everything, they had 60,000 people to win over who had probably only heard wide open space, a mosh fan frenzy at the front,   some cool posing, word forgetting and party spirit on stage, and they just about pulled it off! For a band who arent too arsed about new year/the millennium they were as exciting as midnight's firework display! Surreal...

Feburary 17th, 1997. when Mansun played their legendary ISLE OF MANSUN show, the day that "Attack Of The Grey Lantern" was released, it must surely have been one of the greatest rock n roll moments for the Isle Of Man...EVER! Toffs Nightclub was packed too tight to hardly move. it is impossible that a better live gig has taken place there. Literally legendary then. Earlier that day, the band had taken a trip to Douglas Shopping Centre and signed autographs for an excited queue of appreciative music fans...

dom, julian, paul, tower (glasgow), by Minxy