Teenage Fanclub - 25 May 2005 - Newcastle University The music scene in Glasgow in the early 1990s was spectacular, unrivalled, but nicely ignored by the music press, and London in particular. Bands like Captain America, Thrum, 18 Wheeler, The Pastels and the BMX Bandits were releasing great records. The bands were supporting each other, drinking together, sharing labels and Glasgow was a great place to be around in. Fifteen years, two drummers and six albums later - Teenage Fanclub are still writing, recording, and more importantly, touring. You never have to look far for a TFC record in the Bravo household, after being bowled over by 'A Catholic Education' in 1990 and staying with the band, up to the release of their last studio album 'Howdy' in 2000. Better late than never The band come on stage later than expected. The stage is set, but the Champions League final has gone into extra time and we have to wait a bit longer for the guys to appear. I don't mind, as the beer is cold and the warm-up DJ is playing some decent tracks. I've not actually seen Teenage Fanclub play for 10 years either, so 10 more minutes isn't going to hurt.
 | | Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake |
The guys look the same when they finally come on stage. They're a little older, grey around the edges, and they've got a keyboard player with them. But it's more or less, the same band I saw a decade before. Teenage Fanclub have always had a really strong fan base and it's a really mixed crowd at Newcastle University. Even after their opening songs, taken from the latest album, 'Man Made', it's clear that tracks from their 1995 album 'Grand Prix' is what the fans are here for. Crowd pleasers
What we get is a greatest hits set, with around half a dozen tracks from the new album. The sound at Newcastle University isn't always great, but the harmonies still carry well. Norman Blake and Raymond McGinley still clearly enjoy playing the older tracks like 'Star Sign'. The crowd get the best tracks from 'Grand Prix', with 'Don't Look Back', 'Sparky's Dream' and 'Neil Jung'. The highlight for me was hearing 'Everything Flows' played live as part of their encore. Perhaps it's not fitting to feel nostalgic when you're only 32, and the band playing are still touring, sounding like they've always done. But as they play the first few chords, I'm 20 again, down the front at a sweltering Glasgow venue, watching the band squeezed onto a tiny stage, and loving every minute. | 
