The Lightning Seeds - Live at Buxton Opera House, Monday 20th Feb

“I'm in Buxton and couldn't find me water!”

I made the short trip over the Moorlands from Stoke  - on – Trent to Buxton’s historical Buxton Opera House to see the Lightning Seeds. Pre gig I had mix up over tickets but to cut a medium story short, I ended up meeting and chatting with the band including legend Ian Broudie who seemed perplexed about a review in the previous day’s Guardian. He didn’t know quite what to make of it but had a fine smirk on his face when he mentioned being described as a great British institution.

The night kicked off with an extended intro as the band came on stage, but some not so familiar tunes (Ready or not, Imaginary friends and  What if)  left the seated audience gently stirred. The surroundings didn’t seem to lend itself to a live band  (imagine the good old days variety show without the Victorian clothing. The band were giving it all with some frantic drumming from Sean Payne and note perfect Pollock precision keyboards.

Sense was introduced with a fine sentiment “ Feel free to sing along, this is sense, an old one but they're all quite old”.  The Seeds rolled out All I want and the rarely played (but none the less brilliant) You bet your life,

A small pause while Ian Broudie looked aimlessly around, and then spotted something. He came back to the mic, bottle in hand and said “I'm in Buxton and couldn't find me water!”

Change was next up and it got the most reserved audience ever, nodding their heads with the fairground organ power pop.

Then the ice finally melted as Broudie said “with I'm not going to say anything” Pollock picked up a small keyboard to chime the opening notes of “The Life of Riley” before the audience clapped along and broke ranks to dance in the aisles.

Normal service was resumed as the audience settled back from their exertions while Broudie switched his telecaster for an acoustic guitar to play David Bowie’s  The Prettiest Star then cigarettes and lies.

The intensity and deep dub styling inspired a massive audience participation in Pure, which seemed to gel the band into a greater performance. Pure seems to somehow sum up Lightning Seeds, as does sugar coated iceberg, with it’s echoes of The Undertones.

Lucky You closed the set to a very appreciative audience, the encore saw Marvellous (featuring a Strummersque solo full of intensity) and the anthemic Three Lions (which has had a slight lyrical tweak to “all those years of hurt” and kicked off with a Brian Wilsonesque introduction).

A great night from a great band was bought to a close.

The Guardian review had intrigued Broudie as they mentioned them being a British institution, I can safely say that they well and truly are and plan to apply for a special heritage license for his music! If there were such a thing as a listed band (as there are listed buildings) then The Lightning Seeds would be a grade 1 band of exceptional interest and would be available on a free prescription to all and sundry. A listed band in a listed building, somehow a match made in Buxton.

Hear Terry Bossons interview with Ian Broudie before the gig on the YouTube clip below