A sparkling-blue backdrop fell onto the stage at O2 Academy in Leeds on Thursday, May 17th; a buzz of anticipation was in the air, the crowd screaming for their beloved Happy Mondays. With that, they took to the stage, a single note being played on the synthesizer causing a ripple of excitement to flow through the audience.
If anyone had been expecting this band to be lacking any energy, they were instantly proved wrong as The Mondays began to play “Loose Fit”, and the fans were instantly sent back to 1991. If this didn’t liven the atmosphere up, then the next song, “Kinky Afro”, had anyone who had been left in their seats previously on their feet. The song was a burst of colour that had everyone rolling back the years in a flood of ‘90s-fuelled ecstasy.
No one could resist, especially when percussionist Mark ‘Bez’ Berry made his entrance, to the delight of the audience. For “Step On”, the crowd went into a frenzy. Bez was running the show like a conductor would lead their orchestra. Rowetta Satchell was proving her vocal capability’s, while still finding time to throw out the odd dance move, dressed from head to toe in what can only be described as a fantasy black PVC number. Shaun Ryder did what he does best, perform, cheeky grins every now and again.
All in all, a fantastic night, where a predominantly 40+ crowd were taken back when one of the best bands of that era showed off their capabilities, but also showed that they are still having fun doing what they love.
