TV21/The Twinset/Paul Research/William Mysterious
John Peel Day - Edinburgh, Citrus Club - 13th October 2005

You can't help feeling that this is one tribute that Peel himself would have appreciated. Whilst you have to agree with Andy Kershaw that the great man wouldn't have welcomed Peel Day, this tribute by a host of Scottish acts from the late 70s and early 80s who owed a leg up in the business to Peel seemed a perfect example of  what the day should have been about. I feel that the sincerity of the tributes would have meant a lot to Peel.

For me this was really about the reformed TV21. Managing to miss an email about the gig until learning about it from other sources was almost a disaster. Fortunately it all worked out in the end.

I suppose when you get to a certain age, bands do start to reform for a variety of reasons. At 23 years though TV21 certainly take the prize for the longest time to make their minds up about getting back together! I confess I've always been slightly wary of reformations but history suggests that such wariness has been misplaced. Other than the recent Pixies gig at Meadowbank, it has all really worked out fine.

Which meant that TV21 had a fair bit to live up to. That I couldn't have hoped for them to be any better than they were says it all - particularly on the strength of 2 rehearsals!


Norman

Playing with an energy some bands half their ages can't manage and stripped back down to the original 4 piece set-up, this was a triumph in front of a packed home crowd. From the opening bars of  'Less Than Zero' through a less than 100% obvious choice of 7 songs this didn't sound like almost 25 year old music. It was genuinely thrilling to hear them back in harness with the only disappointment being the short nature of the set.


Ally - feeling blue

 That said the 7 songs were packed with highlights like a ringing 'Ambition', a slow burning 'On The Run' and a simply wonderful 'Snakes & Ladders'. Surprise inclusions were 'End of A Dream' and for the encore, the unrecorded 'It's Me'. Self deprecating, funny and clearly enjoying every minute this was a really terrific show.

And to finish the evening off the four TV21s were joined on stage by Jo Callis for a couple of raucous covers and eventually a couple of Twinsets for a heartfelt 'Teenage Kicks' a song that was doubtless played dozens of times last night up and down the country but which felt perfect here.

Norman said they have been asked to support the Damned so TV21 may not yet disappear back into history books again quite yet. Let's hope so.

If TV21 were the highlight for me it had been a really good and varied evening up until that point. One man and his guitar singing of hefty 50 year old punks, pancakes and milkshakes (William Mysterious), another man, his guitar (and violin!) and various electronic backing tracks (Paul Research) plus the Twinset combined for entertaining proceedings. Paul Research in particular was interesting operating in similar areas to Bob Mould's COLAS show and throwing in a  couple of Scars numbers to a varied electronica set enhanced by some superb guitar playing.

So all in all a fine tribute of both the old and the old playing the new. If you weren't there you missed yourselves.