Demon - The Limelight Crewe 26th September 2001

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'Tis I, Sparky. Seeing as how Laughing Boy isn't around, I shall seize my opportunity for immortality. Carpe Diem, Sparky! (No, Brooksey, that has nothing to do with fish…)

Set list: The Plague / Writing's on the Wall / Spaced Out Monkey / Never Saw it Coming / Wonderland / Into the Nightmare / Sign of a Madman / Dreamtime / Streetwise Cowboy / Remembrance Day / Don't Break the Circle / One Helluva Night // Night of the Demon

Now then, Demon: The Limelight.

In the guitar department, Mrs. Walmsley's little boy had once again been in and out of the closet, and the furry hat, so beloved of Demon fans worldwide, made a reappearance. At the other side of the stage, Brooksey couldn't make up his mind which guitar he wanted to play. Whilst some uncharitable types might say it doesn't make no nevermind, I would never do that. He says, he broke a string, and I believe him, for one.

In the throat section, singer Dave Hell appeared to be preparing for a paddle in the sea at Blackpool. Questions are being asked in the House today, as to whether Mr Hell's choice of stage attire has, in fact, set back the levels of sartorial elegance for rock bands, to pre-spandex levels. We await the results of that particular survey.

 

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The bass and drum section looked their normal cool, unflappable, urbane selves (although ivory-tinkler, Duncan Donuts appeared in need of prescription medication, but settled for a couple of jars of throatsoother, instead) These three gentleman, with their refined manners, sophisticated wit and ineffable charm, undoubtedly prove to be the equalising factor in the band, and provide a stable backbone for the attention-seeking, flash-Harry antics of Messers. Hell, Walmsley and Brookes.

The set list is in a state of flux as more of the new material is rehearsed and readied for the growing masses that frequent Demon gigs. Sadly, this inevitably means that old favourites have been dropped. Now, I realise that you can't please all of the Sparkys, all of the time, and someone's favourite will, routinely, be conspicuous by its absence, but I have to question the wisdom of dropping "No More Hell on Earth" and "Life on the Wire". Both of these songs deserve to be aired at every opportunity and Sparkys everywhere should be writing letters of complaint to Mr. Stone, at the relegation of these songs to the realms of non-performance.

There, now that I've got that off my chest, I feel better than James Brown.

 

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Now, before you all go saying that Sparky is just a bitching, whining maggot, let me tell you something: last nights show at The Limelight Club was, without doubt, one of the best - if not THE best - I have seen from Leek's very own hard-rocking, popular music, beat group, Demon. A respectable number of the unwashed masses crowded in to witness an emotionally charged performance. The audience, like Mr Vai says, was listening, and the band fed on it, like a pack of starving Rottweillers. I wondered, contemporaneously, how far it was possible for the reciprocal symbiosis to ameliorate, for I feared that, should it progress to dangerous levels, I may become vaporised in the resultant explosion, and subsequent conflagration. I mean, I thought that they were going to blow the bloody roof off at one point!

Ooh gotta go; Laughing Boy has come back. Final word: Demon live, go see 'em!

L8RS!

Sparky 27/9/01

 About the photos...

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A word about the pictures...

Now then, this was one of the best performances I've seen from Demon. the gig was well attended and the crowd got into it - hence the pics of people headbanging etc. A couple of the pics didn't come out quite how I'd anticipated because the auto-focus foiled me or the dry ice was a bit thick, so I tried a couple of "artistic" things out and of course there's this batch's "Andy Pic".