“It was supposed to be so eeeeasyyyy…” There can be few surprises in a performance of a full album from 2004, but the enduring nature of lines like the instantly recognisable opening phrase from A Grand Don’t Come For Free, evidenced by the electric surge it sends through a buzzing crowd, is testament to the impact that The Streets’ second LP retains in the two decades since it dropped.
A curtain falls as the line is delivered (the choreography throughout the first half of the show is watertight) revealing a stage dressed with the bus stop from the album cover, complete with street lamps and trees. It provides an incredibly effective backdrop for a show that is as much a theatrical performance as it is a gig.
Slouched in the bus stop, pint in hand, Mike Skinner remains in character throughout the first section of the gig, delivering iconic tunes like Blinded By The Lights as they were written to be performed, set within the narrative of the record, and impeccably executed by Skinner and a phenomenal band. The material allows all performers the opportunity to get into character: singer Roo Savill is particularly magnetic, revelling in her moments to shine, as on the back-and-forth barney set to a beat of Get Out Of My House.
Somewhat jarring with the dedicated performances and commitment to telling the story from start to end is the inconsistent crowd reaction. Dry Your Eyes and Fit But You Know It, the album’s two biggest hits, inevitably kick the energy levels up, but the album tracks clearly don’t hold everyone’s attention to the same degree. At times it feels like watching the show on a TV in a beer garden, with only certain moments cutting through the hazy summer evening chat; certainly, there’s more of a festival vibe than a partisan crowd here for the deep cuts.
So, it’s just as well that after a short break, Skinner and band return, more relaxed, with a second set of bangers from across the Streets’ career. From the jabbing synth of Turn The Page to the d‘n’b punch of Take Me As I Am, this second chapter keeps the energy high. Skinner himself remains deadpan but is clearly having a great time – building up throughout to a crowdsurf, splitting the audience then being borne aloft on his back, like an overturned beetle draped in Stone Island.
The Streets, Cardiff Castle, Fri 31 July
words HUGH RUSSELL photos KEVIN PICK
