Man 40th Anniversary Tour & Man Remastered

Bingham Hall, Cirencester - 22nd March 2008

There aren’t too many bands I’d make a five hour, 250 mile round trip to see these days but after discovering them last year the Welsh “Manband” are certainly one of them. Now expanded to a five piece again with Phil Ryan rejoining the band and adding an extra set of lungs as well as his keys and synths they are a subtly different band to the four piece rock oriented outfit I saw last year too.

Cirencester’s gorgeous old Bingham Hall venue was the location for my live introduction to the ‘new’ sound and despite some considerable mixing problems, making the guitars unbalanced, the keyboards too often lost in the mix and the vocals unclear for much of the early part of the show, it was ultimately an enjoyable evening. The set list has been revamped somewhat since the last set of dates and Ryan’s presence has encouraged the band to reintroduce older material. “Something’s Happening” from 1976’s “The Welsh Connection” was the most notable new inclusion for me, whilst the return of the mighty “Shit On The World“, a highlight of their Cambridge 2007 set but absent by the time of the Christmas show made for a stunning main set closer and demonstrated that when the sound was sorted, this configuration of the band have a chemistry that sounds excellent.

“Many Are Called But Few Get Up” made for a set highlight, and “Bananas” a hugely enjoyable encore too, whilst the inclusion of recent album “Diamonds And Coal” tracks “All Alone” and “Man Of Misery” ensure they can’t be described as a band living solely on former glories.

A very nice venue then, some significant sound issues, but overall about 150 satisfied punters… all of whom probably were safely tucked up in bed by the time I made it back to South Wales!

Set List : Love Your Life / Something Is Happening / Diamonds And Coal / All Alone / Sudden Life / Man Of Misery / Victim Of Love / Manillo / Many Are Called But Few Get Up / Freedom Fries / Romain / Shit On The World / Bananas

(could be wrong here - borrowed this from another gig review of an earlier show on the tour!)

Milkwood Jam, Swansea - 29th March 2008

This is more like it! Just 30 minutes down the road, a more intimate venue and a better sound mix from the off. Rather than a sunny drive across the border though like last week, it was a trip through torrential rain and attempting to park as close to the venue as possible. Typically Wales!

Any remaining disappointment at last weeks technical problems was extinguished as the 5 man strong “Manband” performed a superb set. I’d travelled to Cirencester simply to witness the band returning to a full complement of instruments and didn’t get the full effect but here they were simply the best of the five times I’ve seen them live in the past year. Ryan’s additional to the band really has added an extra gear. Whether it be the growling Hammond challenging the guitars as the dominant instrument or his perfect piano passages, his addition really has made such a difference to a band I’ve found pretty bloody impressive anyway.

An extended set for the final night of the tour saw the superb “C’mon” make it’s tour début whilst the lengthy encore of “Bananas” was followed by the lengthier still “Spunk Rock“, complete with ex-member Clive John sharing keys duties with Ryan. Some two hours plus of music drawing from all eras of the band, making for an impressive set selected of songs drawn from various points throughout their history. Once again the thunderous “Shit On The World” made for a highlight, Bob Richards incredibly powerful performance on drums key to proceedings, and personal Man favourite “All Alone” taken to new levels by the additional Hammond sound offered by Phil Ryan.

Set list : Love Your Life / Something Is Happening / All Alone / Man Of Misery / Victim Of Love / C’mon / Sudden Life / Manillo / Many Are Called But Few Get Up / Freedom Fries / Romain / Shit On The World / Bananas / Spunk Rock

(this one’s correct cos I got a copy of the set list!)

MAN CD Remasters

Over the past few months, Esoteric Recordings have been steadily working through the Man United Artists catalogue reissuing every album up to “Rhinos, Winos & Lunatics” so far, with more to follow soon. Given that I’ve been trying to collect the vinyl issues personally this is something of a double edged sword! On one hand there is hope that more of the vinyls will become readily available, on the other the discs normally add a slew of bonus tracks that seem well worth having. Final decision? Get both! So far I’ve picked up three of the six issued so far.

Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day

Details : 2007 reissue of 1972 album, Esoteric Recordings, CD

The 1972 release “Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day” is for me one of, if not the essential early Manband album, featuring four tracks of which two are staples of the live set today. Despite the departure of Martin Ace and the sacking (temporary as it turned out) of Deke Leonard, in “C’mon” and “Bananas” Man produced two of their most popular and enduring tracks. Alongside it the excellent “Keep On Crinting” and “Life On The Road” make up an album heavy in extended instrumental sections that allow guitarist Micky Jones and keyboard player Phil Ryan every opportunity to stretch out and impress. Bonus tracks offer an early instrumental version of “Bananas” as well as “Rockfield Jam“, recorded earlier in the year at the famous Welsh residential studios.

Highlight: C’mon

Score: 4/5

Rhinos, Winos & Lunatics

Details: 2007 reissue of 1974 album, Esoteric Recordings, CD

This album found the Welsh band getting as close to a successful worldwide breakthrough as they would ever get. In a fine demonstration of the bands apparent revolving door members policy, the previous albums survivors Micky Jones, Terry Williams were joined by ex “Help Yourself” members Malcolm Morley and Ken Whaley and were also augmented by the returning Deke Leonard to produce an album that not only made No. 12 on the UK album charts but also cracked the US Top 50, leading to a series of American tour dates.

As well as being the home to favourites like “Four Day Louise“, “Scotch Corner” and “Kerosene“, “Rhinos” now gets the edited single version of opener “Taking The Easy Way Out Again” bolstering disc one as well as a bonus disc featuring the band live at the famous “Whiskey A Go Go” in 1974. A fine document of Man at that period it features two tracks from Leonard’s “Iceberg” solo album including an outstanding saxophone enhanced take on “7171 551“, and in “American Mother” a track from Whaley & Morley’s “Help Yourself” outfit. A superbly drawn out journey through the popular “Romain” and an equally impressive “Bananas” complete the set and whilst five tracks might not sound many, in typical Man style the songs are stretched out in the live setting and collectively clock in at a full 70 minutes. A bonus disc that could quite easily have made an excellent live album in its own right. Superb value for money.

Highlight: 7171 551

Score: 3.5/5

Christmas At The Patti

Details : 2007 reissue of 1973 album, Esoteric Recordinds, CD

Originally released as a double 10″ vinyl collection, and a limited edition at that, this isn’t the easiest album to pick up therefore the CD issue offers a chance to check out an album that would have remained on the wants list until richer days come I think! By its nature this is a more varied set capturing one of the Manband’s early Christmas shows at the legendary Swansea venue. A number of members both past and (then) present, friends and assorted acquaintances perform in various configurations, notably Martin Ace’s “The Flying Aces” opening with “Welcome To The Party” and “Plum Crazy” being joined by well known Welsh guitarist Dave Edmunds for some seasonal fun with unique versions of “Jingle Bells” and “Run Run Rudolph“. There are some old standards to work through before the real highlights come at the end of the disc. Firstly “Help Yourself” are joined by Deke Leonard and B.J. Cole for the lengthy “Eddie Waring” before Dave Edmunds joins the Manband for “Life On The Road” and an improvised “Shuffle“.

More of a curio in the collection than an essential addition it probably works better if you were either present when it was recorded or have memories of early Man Christmas shows. I can claim neither but its a keeper thanks to those last two songs.

Highlight: Eddie Waring

Score: 2.5/5

—–

Esoteric’s Man catalogue can be found at www.cherryred.co.uk/esoteric/man.htm

—–

BL

Pictures 1 to 3 (Cirencester gig) courtesy of Antony Smith.

Return To Main Page