Who
Gruff Rhys
Where
Birmingham Town Hall
When
26th November 2024
Price
£29.50
Who with
No-one
Position
Seated, at the front towards the right
Comments
My write-up of this review has been frustratingly delayed by over two weeks because my website was down and I just had to wait for it to be fixed. I got tickets immediately upon release, although didn't remember again until the day itself that this was a seated show and I'd bagged a front row position. It's a strange choice as Birmingham Town Hall can do standing shows just fine, and it clearly was more appropriate for a show like this to be free standing? Amusingly this ended up clashing with a rare occasion where I was pressurised to go into the office, but it was nice to have a genuine reason to get out of it to save myself from lying. Never going into the office has become my primary career goal to take me through to retirement now! I listened through Gruff's solo back catalogue, but focused largely on the last three albums. I included The Almond & The Seahorse in there, which I like a lot although I hear that the film it is soundtracking is rubbish. In the end Gruff Rhys didn't play anything from it, and that's a shame, but I nevertheless enjoyed the listening experience. The weather had been pretty rubbish generally, with some snow days, cold days and also some torrential rain. The night of the show itself was mild though, and I was shocked to read that Gruff would be taking to the stage before co-headliner Bill Ryder-Jones, and that they were alternating each night!

It's a good thing I found that out as I'd just presumed that Gruff would be headlining. I mean he is infinitely more popular and talented, so I just figured that he was giving his support act a credit to boost attendance slightly? But I realised that I had zero interest in staying for Ryder, as I'd watched him supporting Gruff in Birmingham five years before, and had found his set of minimal interest. That had been a shitshow as Gruff played really late and bizarrely many of the crowd seemed to leave after Bill Ryder-Jones. I had to leave six songs before the end of Gruff myself and was pissed off, although intriguingly I only remember this as my gig review from the time documents it. I'd misremembered seeing him in Wrexham too, but that had been Gruff and other support acts only. Anyway, I sure wasn't going to face the anti-climax and an earlier night definitely suited me. I did double check his setlist online to try and eliminate the possibility that Gruff would appear with him, and there was mention of him playing Iechyd Da in fact. But that is actually the name of his latest album, and not even a Gorky's cover version as it should be. Also the sheer incompetence and unreliability of the trains made an early night even more appealing, and I can't wait until the government nationalise this shite and sort it out once and for all. I still had Euros Childs to come in 2024 and was hoping to see Half Man Half Biscuit a stonking three times in 2025. Once at an unknown venue in Wolves, once in combination with my next visit to Glasgow, and also a fascinating show playing The Devil's Arse cave in the Peak District!

I also was going to see a Jurassic Park spoof show plus another about the making of Jaws, as well as booking to see Supergrass playing The Piece Hall in Halifax, so 2025 was looking pretty exciting. Annoyingly the Peak District HMHB show was proving beyond parody, as Supergrass with ace support were playing Ludlow Castle that same night. Also Pulp were headlining the Tramlines Festival. And finally my first Kraftwerk show of possible interest in Sicily clashed too! Given that I was seeing Supergrass elsewhere and Pulp are unlikely to beat their London show, I think I made the right choice though. Also Kraftwerk later announced a festival headline slot in Milton Keynes - which I got tickets and a cheap nearby hotel booked for - and I hope that there are one or two 3D projection shows in the pipeline too, so in the end it will all work out ok. But how can one Friday have so many clashing potential events eight months ahead of time? It's pretty ridiculous. But I was sure looking forward to visiting Halifax, and £40ish to see Supergrass was quite a bargain price in this day and age too. Anyway I think I should be reviewing Gruff Rhys here, so I probably need to get back to that. I wore my classic Furrymania top, although sadly it now had a hole under one arm that seemed impervious to an attempt to sew it up. Although better than other days, it was still a little chilly and I drove into Wolves and got some petrol. The queues of traffic shafted me to the point that I switched from my original plan of Slim Chickens to a McDonald's takeaway. I was going to be sensible and skip the McFlurry, but I obviously wasn't going to miss out on trying the Terry's chocolate orange Christmas one, so I went for it anyway.

I still got the first super off peak onward train to Birmingham ok, finding time to write up these overly elaborate pre-notes that form this review. It was quiet and I had no drama with searches to get into the Town Hall either, although I did have to fuck around downloading a shitty app to get in, which I then deleted at the first possible opportunity. Just send my ticket as a PDF you pricks! I checked out the merch store and was a little interested in Sadness Sets Me Free scarves and also a Gruff Rhys baseball cap. However I never wear a scarf in any weather, and the baseball cap just wasn't identifiable enough as Gruff merchandise for me to be interested. If it was an SFA one with a classic Pete Fowler monster on it I'd have snapped it up, but the connection to Gruff Rhys was just not clear enough to make it appeal to me. Also there were quite a few CDs, but I believe I owned them all already. I ventured downstairs to the bar and purchased an Ubu Amber Ale bottle. There was nothing on tap, which is surprising as I thought that there had been last time? My Lightning Seeds/Badly Drawn Boy review doesn't clarify this point, so I'm not sure. I poured it into the vibe-ruining plastic cup, but the beer was gone before I knew it. I walked through the back doors and ventured to my position on the front row. The venue did fill up by the time Gruff took to the stage, but when I took to my seat it was still pretty quiet.

I was a bit to the right but the stage was so high that I had a poor view and had to look up constantly. Although it was pleasant to know that I was at the front, I'd have much preferred to stand and it was not cool for a front row seat to have such a bad view. I do wonder if some fans had assumed that Gruff Rhys would be headlining and showed up too late, and the two seats to my right remained empty throughout the set. Gruff arrived onstage at an unnaturally early 7.45pm. There was a TV screen backdrop showing the Gruff Rhys shipping container in space, and Gruff made a few comments to the side and gave a few looks at the screen to hint that it wasn't working right, but apart from a few colour changes it didn't do much. I feel it should have done more, but the sound desk weren't doing their jobs? Also the silly black curtain again covered the iconic organ, and it's infuriating as Birmingham Town Hall is fundamentally a wonderful venue, but unnecessary seats, a high stage, covering the main feature of the room and lack of a moving backdrop were frustrating drawbacks. Gruff started quietly with I’ll Keep Singing and Sadness Sets Me Free, the latter of which had a sign to mark it also. The band were all wearing caps and white boiler suits, although Gruff wore a different baseball cap rather than his own merchandise as the others did.

It was a sedate start and a striking visual image, and as far as I can tell the band were the same as before. Kliph again was on drums, and Gruff helpfully explained that they were playing the role of an imaginary logistics company. I don't know where the idea comes from, but I like it! Last time Bad Friend had been introduced with considerable explanation and unveiled in snippets throughout the night, but tonight it just had two breaks in it without any clarification. Gruff did some chat in the gaps, although I didn't feign enthusiasm when he shouted out for Bill Ryder-Jones! Pang! had Kliph stalking the front of the stage and holding up a sign encouraging us to shout Pang!, but it's a rather disjointed song and it was difficult to know when we were supposed to chant. Also I think that the early start and fundamentally quieter new album worked against the overall energy levels. Mausoleum Of My Former Self was a highlight, and after a few listens I've realised that Seeking New Gods is a genuinely classic Gruff Rhys album. I wanted to film but it didn't feel right and it was tough to do from my angle, although the photos I took turned out well, and the venue seemed to be chilled about it too. Loan Your Loneliness and Celestial Candyfloss were also great slow burners, and I can't remember when but at some point the crystal ball on the ceiling was pulled into action as lights shimmered around the venue.

I feel that I should be more enthused by the new songs, but the vibe just felt too relaxed, and in the end the shortness of the set made me less happy to tolerate lesser tunes. Walk Into The Wilderness was a possible highlight and a wonderful surprise, after Gruff and Kliph debated how best to start it. It's a gorgeous song and this was undoubtedly the best moment of the quieter tunes, and probably my overall favourite to boot. American Interior wasn't as rocking as it had been before, but Gruff proudly waved his picture of John Evans and I again wondered what had become of the felt puppet? Sensations In The Dark was livelier but again the show just wasn't a rocker, and it was unusual that Gruff didn't bring out his mouth organ. Gyrru Gyrru Gyrru was an obvious way to signal the end of the show, and Gruff looped his vocals briefly using his second mic. It was chaotic but amusing and exciting, although at moments the volume on his second mic was too low and he was forced to switch. And that was the obvious finale, but I believe that a brief reprise of I’ll Keep Singing ended the show. Gruff went mad with the signage, including Applause, Louder, Apeshit, Wild Abandon and Prolonged Applause! He stood behind each band member holding a sign asking us to applaud them, before unleashing the Thank You and then The End signs. There was a well-deserved standing ovation that starting at the middle until I and everyone else stood up. Gruff had - as expected - won everyone over.

Bill Ryder-Jones was due on at 9.25pm but I wasn't going to waste my time and dashed out of the venue around 9pm, following a like-minded fan out of the door and into the night. I did think of revisiting the merchandise store or the loo but my heart was set on Cherry Reds and my choice of a jammie dodger flapjack accompanied by a Madness Twisted Ale bottled beer was a fantastic one. Also this treat only added 20 minutes onto my evening before I got my train, which was subject to a random platform alteration just seconds before it arrived. I wrote up some notes on the train, which despite being a totally inadequate two carriage service actually had enough space on it for me to get a seat. It's tough, I appreciated the early finish but I am conscious that the show would have thrilled more if Gruff had gone on second. I don't believe that he played less due to being first, but certainly the show was shorter than it would have been if the unnecessary Bill Ryder-Jones had not been billed. There was no sign of Candylion, and I really missed hearing the excellent Hiking In Lightning. Also People Are Pissed or Layer Upon Layer would have been wonderful choices, although I had thought that if I was going to heckle for anything, it would have been for Whale Trail! I got back to my car for 10pm, walking past the bare Christmas tree in Queen Square Wolverhampton that was in the process of being decorated. This was a solid choice for my penultimate show of the year, and I noted that Gruff was playing Wrexham in 2025, but I'd been there and done that, so I would hold out for his next visit to Birmingham. He's done quite a few different venues in the city, so it seems a good bet that he'll be back again soon!
Setlist
I’ll Keep Singing
Sadness Sets Me Free
Bad Friend
Pang!
Mausoleum Of My Former Self
Loan Your Loneliness
Celestial Candyfloss
Taranau Mai
Overthrow The Government
On The Far Side Of The Dollar
Walk Into The Wilderness
Silver Lining (Lead Balloons)
American Interior
Sensations In The Dark
Gyrru Gyrru Gyrru
I’ll Keep Singing (Reprise)

Mark: 7.5/10