Shaun Ryder at Birmingham O2 Academy - review

Shaun Ryder, Birmingham O2 Academy.

"Son, I'm 30 - I only went with your mother 'cos she's dirty." Granted, it's not the most romantic couplet ever written.

But enough to have Shaun William Ryder eulogised as a poet for the modern masses ranked alongside Auden and Yeats. Well, in Manchester at least.

Sadly, on last night's form he was ordinary rather than Auden and as for Yeats, only ex-Corrie binman Eddie sprang to mind.

Still, the original 24-hour party person was greeted with a wave of good will on the first night of his SWR XXX tour to mark 30 years of pills and thrills and bellyaches — with some undoubted musical genius along the way.

Now 48, the father-of-six has given up hard drugs and become one of Britain's most loveable rogues. Things, in general, are looking up.

But the fact the venue was barely half full was foreboding testimony to Ryder's reputation for chaotic live shows — and last night proved no different. After opener Kinky Afro set an upbeat tone, catastrophic sound problems meant only the drums could be heard on second track Never Mind the Quality Feel the Wit.

Fill in your own punchline, irony lovers.

Stripped of Bez's freaky dancing, Ryder — hand permanently in pocket — looked lethargic, despite the best efforts of backing singer (and real star of the show) Julie E Gordon, from Dudley.

The crowd, a strange mix of I'm a Celebrity star gazers and ageing football 'casuals', was in a forgiving mood.

And it's a good job too, as SWR regularly forgot lyrics and constantly referred to prompts taped to the floor.

All of which let down a setlist which had era-defining moments from Madchester onwards; Happy Mondays' Loose Fit, Black Grape's In the Name of the Father and Gorillaz' Dare.

Sounds good to me, even if delivered in a didgeridoo drawl. Then suddenly, after less than an hour, it was over — with the end greeted with surprise, frustration and relief in equal measure.

Because while no-one was expecting it to be slick, few would have imagined it to be this dull.

Yeah, life may be great when you're straight, Shaun. But this wasn't.

By Keith Harrison.

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