FRONT ROW CENTRE - Steve Mason - 'All Come Down'

You've listened to the songs...you loved the album...now you absolutely have to see them live...

FRONT ROW CENTRE

Steve Mason - 'All Come Down' (2011)

Village Underground, Shoreditch on April 11th, 2013

For music lovers out there, the ultimate thing to do is to see your favourite artist or group live on stage. Now, I go to a lot of concerts and for me the whole evening is an experience. Living just outside of London means it's a dreaded disgracefully long trek but it is such an amazing place, not only for music but for a night out so its worth it. Sprinkled with individual bars and restaurants hidden in every corner, it makes for a far more memorable experience! To save you hassling around, see my Gig Watch tips below! This is not a normal gig review, this is my experience.

I'd never been to Shoreditch before, let alone the Village Underground but I was really impressed with the place. Shoreditch was totally not what I expected! It was really arty with lots of cool shops, including a pop up mall and excellent graffiti around. As a venue, it was one I'd definitely return to. Its not too large a hall and is much like an old brick train tunnel with a low stage at one end and a bar to the side. LS and I got there around 8pm and as we walked through the entrance, a guy in a green jacket brushed passed me and started speaking to the ticket blokes. Hang on a minute! That was Steve Mason! He had his specs on but it was definitely him. I get quite star struck so I just watched as no one batted an eyelid whilst he walked passed me again and then backstage. This was going to be a great night!

We decided to stand right at the front to get a perfect view and Steve was touching distance (if you wanted to that is). The sound was on point as were the band all dressed in exactly the same worn blue jeans and grey blue shirt, but each member had "distressed" the outfit in a different way. Steve had paint on his and the rest had rips in their jeans. Interesting touch. The banter from Steve was very politcally charged right from the start when he initially walked out and said "Ding Dong the Wicked Witch is Dead!" He didn't talk a lot but he was razor sharp and made us laugh. 

A few songs in, some idiot thought it would be funny to throw a bottle of beer at the stage which luckily narrowly missed the drummer. Steve was looking down at the time when the sound man said "Someone threw a drink at you!" The crowd waited to see if he would kick off but he answered "A what? A twix?!" He's a true pro and got the jovial mood back on track! He played a great selection from his new album Monkey Minds In The Devil's Time such as Oh My Lord, Lie Awake and Fire but it truly made my day hearing him perform songs from previous album Boy's Outside. Lost and Found, Am I Just A Man and Boys Outside were superb but what really got the goosebumps going was the phenomenal All Come Down (official video above). You could hear a pin drop in the room and the crowd were still. I was looking right into his eyes and you could feel he meant every word. He may have been bolshy in between songs when challenged with Maggie Thatcher quips but he seemed to surrender himself to the song. It was unforgettable. When they came back for the encore we were treated with Fight Them Back and a King Biscuit Time song C I AM 15 with Steve doing an impressive show on the bongos. A perfect end to one of my favourite gigs. I desperately want to see him again live, he is a master of his trade.

Gig Watch (everything you need to know!)

Venue: Village Underground, Shoreditch

Support Act: Andrew Weatherall DJ Set

Recommended restaurant: Boho Mexica

Recommended pub: Crown & Shuttle Pub

Photos were taken by and are copyright of K. Bazeley

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FRONT ROW CENTRE - Steve Mason - 'All Come Down'

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