February 21, 2002 -

Reviews by...
Graham and Lesley
Will Jennings
Will Jennings (again)
alick_leslie

21st of February 2002. After a 2-hour train journey Lesley and I trudged our way across a grey and windy London to checked into our hotel. A change of clothes and something to eat and were are in a black cab on our way to The Borderline Club, why? Because that is where my all time favourite band Cracker is playing, it’s their only U.K. gig and I have waited years to see them.

The Borderline is small (maximum capacity 275) the bouncer is large and thank god he has my pre-booked tickets and I have the correct reference number. Inside is a small stage, a raised bar and a standing area hardly big enough to hold that maximum capacity figure, yet it must as this gig sold out in less than three days.

We manage to get a great location, standing on a raised area in front of the bar, about 5 feet from the stage and almost at the same height. The support band "Ray" do a set that goes down well, best song Whiskey Angel.

By now the place is crammed full, hot and smoky, people are lining the staircase, can they see anything from there? It doesn’t matter as long as they can hear. The lights flicker, a cheer goes up, figures walk on stage, a welcome from David and we are straight into Brides of Neptune. Johnny is grinning and clearly enjoying the moment, David is serious, totally into the song, Brandy, Kenny and Frank are all looking cool. The sound is great and the band are really tight, the crowd love it and we all know the new songs. This is not an audience, this is a family and the favoured sons (and daughter) have just come home. I wish I could remember the exact running order of the songs, roughly we had from the new album:

 Brides of Neptune
 
 Shine
 
 Guarded By Monkeys
 
 Miss Santa Cruz County
 
 One Fine Day
 
 Other songs were (I may have missed some):
 
 St Cajetan
 
 Mr Wrong
 
 Low
 
 Take Me Down To The Infirmary
 
 Lonesome Johnny Blues
 
 Big Dipper
 
 Been Around The World
 
 Wedding Day
 
 Take The Skinheads Bowling
 
 Eurotrash Girl
 

Johnny is a real showman and a gifted guitarist, how does he make those sounds from one guitar? David’s vocals were spot on. I couldn’t believe how together the band were, no rough edges just slick and professional, as if that great sound they were producing was just so easy. Frank’s timing is perfect, Brandy’s vocals and bass were rock steady and Kenny’s keyboards added finesse to the sound. Lesley thinks Kenny looks like Kevin Kline, that’s meant to be a compliment, I think.

The crowd loved every song, shouted for their favourites and sang all the words. This was not some everyday band playing just another gig, this was special, they should visit us more often. Four mad Scotsmen shouted louder than anyone, but none of us could understand a word they were saying. One of them stood on a barstool and proved that they really don’t wear anything under those kilts. A press photographer did his own particular flashing, (how on earth did I manage to forget my camera?) and the songs kept coming. Brandy sang Wedding Day; David introduced her as his cousin from Ramsgate. Now that was weird as I live in Ramsgate, is she from Ramsgate, England or USA? A fellow fan told me David’s father was originally from Margate, England, which is only 4 miles down the road from me.

An hour and a half went by way too fast, they could have played all night and still we would have shouted for more. Walking back to the hotel, London was now wet and windy but we were trying to work out if we could ever afford to visit my sister in New York and time it to coincide with a Cracker gig. Thanks for a great night.

Graham and Lesley

21st February 2002, The Borderline Club, London, England.

PS Two suggestions for the band:

1. Make a DVD of one of your gigs.

2. Come Back SOON.

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I just saw a barnstorming show. Cracker debut for me. The Borderline was packed, the atmosphere great. David in suitable cowboy hat obscuring his eyes, Johnny hamming it up for the crowd. All the band were great.... No more to be said on that front. The new songs fitted in perfectly, a treat of Take The Skinheads Bowling, and Big Dipper of course. Touts outside were buying tickets for 50 quid -such was the demand.

Ok, a setlist in rough, not complete order

 
  Brides of Neptune
  Been Around The World
  Shine
  Euro-Trash Girl
  Lonesome Johnny Blues
  Take Me Down To The Infirmary
  Guarded By Monkeys
  Wedding Day
  Big Dipper
  Mr. Wrong
  Miss Santa Cruz County
  St. Cajetan
  *encore*
  One Fine Day
  Take The Skinheads Bowling
  Low
  
  -I think that's roughly right.... But that's from memory.
 

Anyway, the band didn't disappoint needless to say. Nice moment where David tried to interview a heckler but somebody shouted that they had the live cd....

Bring on next time. Safe travels to the Euro-trash travellers -Philippe, Ade, Graham, etc.

A couple of people were recording I know. So hopefully they'll get into circulation.

Will

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Oh, and I (somehow) nearly forgot. Adam Duritz was at the Borderline gig. A friend of mine saw him singing along to Take The Skinheads Bowling (apparently he knew all the words) ;-).

And, there was a bit where David was trying to get someone Scottish to say World Wide Squirl -know anything about that Alick?

Anyone with recordings of the gig -feel free to contact me!

Will

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Can only agree with Will - a storming show. Good sound, great to finally meet up with all the email folk, good to have a quick chat with some of the band after. Glad (sort of) to have come back north though - the roads don't look too good just now. Pity BastardEasyJet (their official name) had a 4 hour delay coming down, so missed the pub before. Wonderful to see a packed club singing along to most of the songs - where are these people and why aren't they on the list? Skinheads was a laugh, Brides of Neptune very good, Big Dipper perfect. Just as I sang along to 'all I want is a pint of cool Guinness', Mr Rechs, a true gentleman, arrived out of the blue with same - spooky. Much entertainment was provided by the teen fetish club after the show. If there is a CD of the show, might it be called World Wide Squirrel?

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