Do you think I'm good?

Shed Seven, Rock City, Nottingham, 9 December 2009

Yodelling Britpop refugees Shed Seven are one of those bands that if you asked me (which I know you haven't) I couldn't tell you one reason why you should like them but I am certain I will love them until the day I die.
I locked my love for them away years ago though - their farewell tour in 2003 seemed to be a good place to stop bleating on about the strange beauty of Rick Witter's bellow - but tonight they were back and I'd be fooling no-one if I said I'd not missed them.
Hitting the stage with the the mighty beat of Dolphin and following up quickly with 1995 single Where Have You Been Tonight? it's impossible not to bounce along and lurch out the lyrics in joyous abandon of age and pitch.
The between song banter carries us along in camaraderie and despite apparent jibes from the front line we're all here to indulge in this musical nostalgia. And a good selection from the three studio albums were allowed to stretch their legs.
She Left Me On Friday, The Heroes, On Standby, Devil in your shoes - all elicit arms-aloft-smile-at-your-neighbour sing-a-longs. As tight as a band who've been around as long they have should be Rick is charming, self-deprecating and confident all in one.
All too soon it's onto the home stretch with Ocean Pie sounding as magnificant and full of wallowsome promise as it did back in the day. Then Getting Better (with the lights out) charges the finish line and we're done. Shed Seven complete their eighth tour of Rock City duty.
Of course they return once the lights have been fixed up and we're an encore away from locking this secret in it's box again.
Through a fairly pedestrian cover of Jumping Jack Flash (but I find the original pedestrian so perhaps faithful would be fairer...) what other way is there to finish than with Chasing Rainbows? The off-kilter love song just tickling the idea of becoming anthemic tonight is elevated in status as everyone sings at full volume, caring for nothing but the words.
It's the song most fitting of this band's history and probably close to the bone for most of us here...a generation who tried to get hedonism and worthyness to walk hand in hand. We might be working the 9-5 now but we'll be chasing those rainbows all our lives.
A perfect ending for a comeback gig from a band whose glory comes from being so flawed.