Athlete – The Cluny, Newcastle (27.07.11)
This venue is attracting a few surprises in the next month or so, Shonen Knife, Tribes and Vintage Trouble are all set to play, then there’s the mouth watering proposition of tonight’s entertainers. Athlete are three quarters of the way through their “Stripped Back” Tour. Tonight is a rare chance to see the band in a smaller more intimate, sold out, rammed to th… Cluny venue.
Considering in the first decade of the 21st century the band were know as more of a studio outfit, just look at recent times the band may have just started, but I have seen this before, with Neds Atomic Dustbin. Just look what happened. Back then, all kinds of crazy shenanigans as the Neds embarked on sixty date tours; could Athlete take to the motorway services as much as the studio drinks dispenser?
Tonight, there is a strong sense of anticipation, Athlete after 10 years, still attract teenagers, 20, 30, 40, 50 somethings as well. it is a wide spectrum of age and styles, the one thing that unites us all is the ability to sing-a-long and a wider appreciation of hell of an rock group to some, an important indie band to others, that refuse to sit still, possibly happier now with Fiction Records behind them, look at the bands they share the label with Snow Patrol, Elbow to name but two.
I have a chat with Joel and Tim beforehand and being dozy, manage to ask Joel why was there no drum kit set up on stage “Oh Steve could not make this one” is the simple reply from Joel. From the opening song ‘ Superhuman Torch’ the crowd around me sing every chorus, if not, the majority of the verses. ‘You Got The Style’ shines bright once more, ‘Black Swan Song’ goes down so well being released a little more recently; but tonight Athlete cannot do no wrong, the Cluny venue is packed but as Joel sings, you could almost hear a pin drop. Unless you are talking, ‘Vehicles & Animals’ where every word is und by all, or any request from Athlete for some hand clapping, was instantly compiled to by the mass.
As Athlete leave the stage for a minute at the end of their set, the cries of the crowd are loud and rousing as you would expect with a sell out crowd in a smaller venue. But the cheer that greeted Joel and Tim’s return, is prolonged and loud. If I recall correctly, the encore comprised of two great former singles, I think by default, they were ‘The ‘Getaway Plan’ and ‘Wires’, singer Joel Potts even had the wherefore to leave the stage and start singing, walking the venue’s mezzanine floor, serenading the crowd. I can only summarise tonight’s gig, which will live long in the memory, for sure. Of course it was a great set, well arranged and performed complete with an electric atmosphere. A good reminder, if we ever needed one, of how good Athlete were and are. Looking forward to a maybe a new album lads?
www.athlete.mu/home
Steve Janes
All Photos – Neil Jonson