It Bites

Bonecrusher · Last edited by Bonecrusher on Fri Oct 31, 2014 4:56 pm; edited 2 times in total

So I made it last night in the end (after a day of cave trampolining and zip writing in North Wales that's a different tale though) to the Sensational Francis Dunnery band show in Manchester. Set list was as follows:

Whoever Brought me here
I Got You
Yellow Christian
Underneath Your Pillow
Feels Like Summertime
Marijuana Make Those eyes at me
Ice melts Into Water
Calling All The heroes
Vampires
You'll Never Go to Heaven
Old Man and the Angel
Screaming On The Beaches
Still Too Young to Remember
Once Around the World

I think that was it. The band are excellent and inevitably my thoughts went to comparing the performance with It Bites led by John Mitchell - it can't be helped really can it?

It was great to see Francis pick up the Fender (Squier) strat again and really let rip. I love the way he insists on playing a cheap guitar and making it sound brilliant. What came across to me was that despite Tony Beard and Jamie Bishop doing an awesome job on drums and bass some of the songs really missed John Beck on keyboards in particular Calling All The Heroes and Vampires in particular. I don' think you can underestimate the importance of John Beck to the It Bites sound and I remember Mitchell saying something similar. Other songs just sounded awesome and overall it was a cracking night finished off by a great rendition of Once Around the World.

Funny though as it came to the end I had a feeling that it might be my last Francis Dunnery gig after 25 years. Hearing those closing chords of OATW really took me back and it seemed as though it had all come full circle for me since the first time I saw It Bites in 1989. I wondered it it felt like that for Frank as well - I had a feeling it might have done.

I've seen the acoustic tours, the grass Virgins tours, the David Sancious stuff, the Welcome to the Wild Country and Fearless tours, the New progressives reworked It Bites stuff, the Necromandus stuff, house concerts and now finally back to where it began. It just felt nicely bookended and I'm not sure where Francis goes from here unless he has the inspiration to write an album of original material again.

Who knows? But if that is the last one for me then what a great way to cap it off. I have some video clips which I will try to upload later and will post here for you.

People - I dedicate this post... to you all!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhuOHmFXrSg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pnZ8hjoOuU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkAH79rV3cU&list=UUh5guxrdVL-WTe7d7_s1vaQ
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What's wrong with being sexy?

Bonecrusher · Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2014 1:58 pm Post subject:

Seems I picked up on the vibes correctly.

http://www.francisdunnery.com/2014/10/31/the-end-is-high/
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What's wrong with being sexy?

DS · Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2014 2:08 pm Post subject:

Glad to hear you enjoyed it. That's some set list - even more IB than when I saw him earlier this year. No OMATA but OATW is a worthy substitute. I know what you mean about the lack of JB (and let's not forget Bob's contribution either). However, with the present IB not touring currently, it was great to hear these songs again and to see Frank enthausiatic about his past and enjoying himself. Let's face it, seeing Frank with the old Strat on brings back memories of why many of us got into IB in the first place and it just seemed, well, right that he should be back doing this material too.
It's sad that he won't be doing more of this but it was great to see him again playing the old songs how they should be played one last time.

Bonecrusher · Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2014 2:23 pm Post subject:

Sav · Joined: 02 Nov 2007 Posts: 147 Location: Farnborough.Kent

Dave,

Great post.........And help me with my lottery numbers. Wink

I think Bush Hall on Sunday will be a bit special/emotional
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Peasant