Sinister: a blow to the chest, like a boy you liked suddenly entering the room (Toronto)

[Genevieve Wesley]

Reporting Back

Took the Greyhound bus to Toronto with Sheila. Looking forward to the show 
and a trip to the big city but we both have essays due. So, balancing 
binders and Yeats and Paradise Lost, hard to concentrate. Pass through a 
cute little town named Tweed. When we arrive in Toronto, the first image 
that greets us is rather ominous one involving a dead pigeon. I guess you 
can never lose that country-bumpkin face, no matter where you move to, weird 
man sits next to me and makes creepy commentary about the pigeons, "There 
are probably more pigeons than people in Toronto."
But anyways, the show. It was very good. We were in the first level, so it 
was nice for a change to overlook the whole scene. There seems to be more of 
a budget for the light show. The dreamy green ones are nice but the blinking 
white ones remind me of Science class and the magnesium experiment. Vincent 
Massey hall is very fancy. The ushers show you to your seat and everything. 
Stevie said it was a very "grand" audience. Struan talked about imagining a 
soul dance hall, Northern Soul style, and did we know what Northern Soul is? 
A couple of handclaps. They do a good version of I Want You Back. Struan 
invites people to sing the spoken-bit in Dirty Dream #2. Richard in 
lumberjack shirt. Struan in a black and white striped t-shirt. Mick in Led 
Zeppelin t-shirt. And did I see on here, a few posts back, Mick is now a 
father? Congratulations! Wasn't it only yesterday he was Scotland's Most 
Eligible Bachelor? In the middle of their set, Struan says this is the time 
they take a break from their own songs. Any requests for a choon? "Give us a 
choon" is such a nice expression. Struan asks, so then can anyone play? A 
woman says yes, she can. When they ask what her request says, she says her 
own song. Struan says she is a brave girl. So they play her song. Struan 
says all the world's a stage, eh Bob?Silence. "I guess you didn't get the 
Rush reference?" At the end Struan doesn't like the gap between front row 
and stage and invites everyone forward, they all dance. Oh, and during one 
song Struan invited a boy on stage to dance, he was rather slim like Struan 
and they both danced in that same style, elbows bent, legs apart, big steps 
and little jumps.


Toronto 8 November 2003

Instrumental
Expectations
Step Into My Office, Baby
Wrapped Up In Books
Seeing Other People
Dirty Dream #2
You Don't Send Me
Travelling Light
I Want You Back
Lord Anthony
The Loneliness of a Middle Distance Runner
(attempt at Rhoda)
Stars of Track and Field
If She Wants Me
Photo Jenny
Piazza, New York Catcher
There's Too Much Love
Roy Walker
Stay Loose
You're Just A Baby

(encore)
Sleep the Clock Around


I didn't know the new album that well going into the show, but I had a bit 
of a Legal Man feeling, different opinion after seeing certain songs live.
I was happy they played You're Just a Baby, that's one of my favourite of 
the older songs and I have good memories attached to it.
So, my favourite bits from the show, concerning the new songs:
In the middle of Step Into My Office, very beautiful and dreamy ("laid down 
with a sigh")
If She Wants Me, around the "if I could do just one perfect thing" bit. Like 
how Struan's voice sounds on the verge of breaking, "And it was Huh-ard"
Roy Walker...lovely singing & harmonizing, Stevie asks for finger-snapping 
audience participation (replacement for flamenco style handclaps?)
You Don't Send me and Stay Loose, both how they begin...the lights 
compliment the feeling and Struan's dancing and pose. There's nothing, 
there's nothing!
The guitar in Stay Loose, reminds me slightly of Loneliness of Middle 
Distance Runner. Makes me feel a bit funny inside, like I am 14 years old 
and listening to Belle and Sebastian on my walkman during gym class wishing 
I had a boyfriend who plays guitar.

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