The 'Bard Of Brum' arrives at The Corn Exchange on current UK and Ireland tour
27 January 2008 - "There's a lot of love in this room," booms Skinner as he takes to the stage, before launching in to Everything Is Borrowed from the 2008 album of the same name.Next came Don't Mug Yourself, then Let's Push Things Forward; "I know it's a Tuesday, but you can still rave."Cambridge Corn Exchange took this idea and ran with it, and Skinner certainly knows how to orchestrate a party.AlthoughEverything Is Borrowedis the latest Streets' release, the set list didn't rely on tracks from the album.The two big guns from the LP were out the way within five songs: the aforementioned title track and The Escapist.
Then it was pretty much a hits-fest; Weak Become Heroes, Never Went To Church, Fit But You Know It, Blinded By The Lights, Turn The Page.
Cambridge was eating out of Skinner's hands - he could've covered Clive Dunn's Grandad and everyone would have still gone loopy.
Skinner's strongest asset is his connection with his audience - you've got the, "Put your hands in the air" thing, and the, "Everybody screeeeeeeam", which always draws response.
But getting the crowd to "go low", which involves a mass crouch before everyone jumps upright as the track kicks back in, is a sight to behold.
As was the instruction to put your hands in the air, strike a pose and freeze when Johnny 'Drum Machine' Jenkins stands up from behind his drum kit.
Everyone, amazingly, obeyed.
Tagged on to the end of Never Went To Church...we were treated to a verse of Daddy's Gone by Glasvegas.
And speaking of Johnny Drum Machine - he deserves a mention in the 'New Year's Honours List' for 'services to incessant time keeping'.He, along with the rest of the band were flawless. There were some great touches between songs.
Tagged on to the end of Never Went To Church, which was written as a tribute to Skinner's late father, we were treated to a verse of Daddy's Gone by Glasvegas.
Other songs such as Outta Space by The Prodigy and Little Bit Of Luck by DJ Luck and MC Neat were thrown in and showed the genres that The Streets have spanned in an eight year career.
The gig lasted for just over an hour; a little shorter than expected, but the set was delivered with such gusto, physically, they wouldn't have lasted much longer.
It was a night of quality, not quantity.
Jon Raitt
