Tonight’s openers – and in fact tour openers -The Farm, kick off the evenings baggy revival in typical fashion with 70’s funky grooves and guitar.  Quick to prove that Baggy was always more on the side of “funk revival” than it was on “dance-crossover”, the Farmers jive in and out of deep basslines replicating a back catalogue that, although not littered with hits, does provide a solid support slot particularly with their “Groovy Train” and “All Together Now” gems.

Carrying on the groove, The Mondays arrive on stage – just after their scheduled time – opening up with possibly their finest tune ‘Kinky Afro’.  Light and bouncy, it’s a mere seconds before we get Bez doing his freaky dancing thing and Ryder doing his street poet thing.  Though both Paul Ryder and Rowetta are still missed – Firouzeh Berry does a decent replacement job on vocals – and though they’re not quiet as raucous or wired as perhaps they once were – tonight proves that at one point The Monday’s really did have it all.  It might be better to burn out, but fading away can also have it’s merits.