The Charlatans at the Usher Hall

I have seen The Charlatans over 30 times since I first caught them live away back in 1994. They have been helping to provide the soundtrack to my life since 1991. I should no longer be surprised....but I am still amazed.

I'm amazed at the songs, albums and performances that the band continue to deliver all these years down the line. Tim Burgess was on fire last night, singing better than ever and seemingly getting younger rather than older. 

15/20-years ago if Tim said on stage 'I hope you're feeling as good as I am' it would probably have been because he was high on E or coke. In 2015 he is high on life, love, music and family and when he said he was feeling good to the Usher Hall crowd last night you could tell that he meant it.

He then displayed it by bounding effortlessly around the stage, conducting his impeccable band and the crowd and by delivering an exceptional performance - as a singer and a frontman. Tim couldn't keep the smile from his face.

Burgess was on fire and so were his band and Tim recognised this towards the end, introducing them one by one to give them their moment in the spotlight; the stalwarts Mark Collins on electric guitar, Martin Blunt on bass and Tony Rogers on hammond and keys. They were joined by Pete Salisbury on drums and together they created groove after groove.

Highlights? Well check the setlist below, it was pretty much all one big highlight that flowed superbly, but here are my standouts.

North Country Boy - the Edinburgh crowd are (lets be honest) a little reserved. North Country Boy was delivered 3-songs in and the place erupted.

Just When You're Thinkin' Things Over - the groove machine were in full flow, as was Burgess

Trouble Understanding - a surprise highlight for me, delivered with real class and it made me go back to listen to the studio version this morning.

Let The Good Times Be Never Ending - up with the best songs of their lengthy career, they still have it in abundance, the way the band coaxed and teased towards the climatic chorus was orgasmic and the crowd responded accordingly. The grins onstage said it all.

One To Another - powerful and soulful, euphoric

In The Tall Grass - playful and melodic, Tony Rogers was brilliant 

The Only One I Know - the ultimate indie disco anthem 

everyone has been burned before

everybody knows the pain

Come Home Baby - Tim introduced the band and then said 'We're The Charlatans and we're from Scotland' before launching into the song of the year, with a reach for the sky chorus that gets me every time - euphoric

Sproston Green - the intro was incredible, the delivery sublime, ending the show in style

The Charlatans have had a brilliant 2015, releasing an album that has made it on to many end of year best of lists that contains several gems and career highlights, touring the world and playing to tens of thousands of adoring fans.

I look forward to seeing what they do next.

Modern Nature

The Charlatans are back, again. As always, they have never really been away, although this time they came closer than ever with guitarist Mark Collins admitting that when they played the Royal Concert Hall in memory of their drummer Jon Brookes, he didn't think he would be playing with The Charlatans again.

That concert and the display of passionate support from fans gave the band a shot in the arm to reconvene for the first Charlatans album in 5-years.

Modern Nature is a cracking album, full of warmth, taking in all kinds of styles and influences and sounding superbly fresh and full of energy for it. There are references to the past and dreams throughout the album

Talking In Tones is pretty different from everything else on the album, the verses are pretty cold but the chorus comes in all warm with Burgess singing;

I feel strengthened, by your presence

It's like heaven, in sixes and sevens

Warm sunshine vibes are all over So Oh, slide guitar piercing an acoustic flow and Burgess coming in all dreamy and lush. It is a beautiful song that came out at the end of 2014 and I played it over and over again.

Come Home Baby has a real old school Charlatans vibe, flowing superbly, the band sounding super tight yet with that beautiful loose feel that so many Charlatans songs have over the years. Burgess is in singsongy spoken word mode through the verses before the chorus explodes in. The band sound superb, full of life and energy, the gospel vocals just lifting the huge chorus even higher.

Come home baby, come home baby

Kiss me gently,

I can't wait don't hesitate lets be together

The soulful influences of Curtis Mayfield have been displayed before, especially on the Wonderland album, and the are all over Keep Enough with some gorgeous string arrangements soaring over the bands slick soul vibe.

Is this the beginning

Cause it feels like the start

In The Tall Grass keeps the soul vibe going, organ, bongos, handclaps, building into a loose funky jam that just sounds delicious. Stephen Morris (New Order) and Pete Salisbury (Verve) are among the drummers guesting on the album and it is testament to the band that they can accommodate them with ease and sound so good.

Feel free in the tall grass

Letting go of the past

Emilie is another gorgeous track, piercing guitar, beautiful harmonies and the band just sounding as good as they ever have. Cracking drumming on this as well.

The Charlatans are in stunning form throughout Modern Nature, it is an exceptionally strong album and its centrepiece lies Let The Good Times Be Never Ending.  The chorus flows and soars several times before the band take off on a loose spacey jam complete with horns and gospel singers. Tony Rodgers is on fire on the organ.

We know each other

I get the love that you're sending

Let the good times be never ending

The album does take a darker turn with I Need You To Know. The drumming and strings bring an UNKLE style vibe to the song at time, it has that kind of menacing element to it that a lot of James Lavelle's work has.

I could have said, I should have said

It's always the same

Can I tell you before it's too late?

The band zip through Lean In before a cracking beat and big house piano chords bring in Trouble Understanding. The latter is controlled just when you think it is going to take off.

Burgess sounds superb throughout the album and his vocals on Lot To Say are exceptional, layered at times for a dreamy psychedelic effect. There is the same dreamy vibe going on with the music, it's got to be a loose fit.

The Charlatans have been a remarkably consistent band throughout their existence and they have produced yet another cracking album with loads of variety and lots of depth.