I'd been particularly looking forward to this gig because, the last time I saw The Wonder Stuff, it was something of a special occasion, writes Andy Darlington.
It was my first "proper" gig. By that, I discount my first "actual" gig, which was the Detroit Spinners. Thanks, Mum. Thanks, Dad.
I also discount the year or so following a Ripley heavy metal band called Taurea around the pubs and clubs of Derbyshire.
The Wonder Stuff was my first time paying money to see a big-name band. The gig was at the Assembly Rooms about 20 years ago and it was awesome. Apart from my mate fainting.
Anyway, two decades on and the Stuffies were back in Derby – this time at The Venue, a smaller but beautifully intimate, erm, venue. And yours truly was on the front row. Yeah!
The line-up had changed since I last saw them but Miles Hunt was still at the helm and that was the main thing. He bounded on to the stage looking little chunkier (aren't we all?) but rather chipper and long curly locks intact.
The Stuffies opened with Oh No! and proceeded to rattle through hit after hit, mainly from the first three albums.
They started a little slowly but got more into their "eight-legged groove" by the time they played Golden Green and The Size Of A Cow, Miles apologising to the older, more serious music fans for the latter. It was and remains a brilliant pop song though.
By the time the opening chords of Mission Drive kicked in, the fans at the front formed a pogo-tastic mosh pit and it remained for the rest of the gig.
"This is the first gig of 2012 for the Wonder Stuff," announced Miles. "We've left it a bit late."
And he really enjoyed the night. I love to see happy musicians onstage and he was exactly that, finishing each song with a flourish – a "Pow!" here and blown kiss there. Some of his facial expressions were hilarious.
Welcome To The Cheap Seats, one of my favourite songs, let the gig down a little because Miles was singing it an octave lower than usual.
But that was the only low point. Don't Let Me Down Gently was perfect and the encore featured a cracking cover of Duran Duran's Planet Earth, violinist Erica Nockalls sounding all Lenny Valentino (The Auteurs) with her strings in place of the synths.
Radio Ass Kiss followed and never have the lyrics been more profound. It wasn't dedicated to Radio One's Nick Grimshaw but it should have been.
"Thanks for making our first gig back so easy," said Miles to the smiling fans. You're welcome, sir.
