The Durutti Column Presents Chronicle Live

The Durutti Column played a two-set gig at the prestigious Bridgewater Hall on Saturday. With a prompt start promised (nearly) everyone filed into the auditorium for the first set by the designated 7.30pm start time. However, it was some 25 minutes later before the band appeared quietly on stage and without a word being spoken launched into a selection of new material from the Chronicle album.

The core Durutti unit of Vini Reilly (guitar, cuatro, Rhodes, piano), Bruce Mitchell (drums, percussion) and Keir Stewart (guitar, marimbas) were occasionally augmented by Laurie Laptop (electronics) and Poppy Morgan (piano).

A slideshow of photographs taken by Vini Reilly (16 of which are featured in the hot-of-the-press and express-couriered-from-Northampton pre-sale version of Chronicle which was on sale at the gig) played on a giant screen behind the band. These featured band members old and new, friends and family and key figures from Vini's personal history such as Anthony H Wilson, Alan Erasmus and Morrissey).

As Vini first explained in the recent 6Music interview with Collins and Maconie, whilst Chronicle had begun as a career-spanning autobiographical project, it had mutated into a "break-up album" when his girlfriend Poppy had left him. The resultant songs are clearly very personal and this combined with the fact that Vini's left hand is still not 100% following his recent health problems, gave rise to an emotionally-charged atmosphere which was clear for all to see and hear.

The exact setlist of what was played in this section will be confirmed soon (all too new for my ears) but notably in the mid-section, Poppy came out for two new piano/guitar duets Vini and then he played a couple of very melancholy songs solo on cuatro.

The atmosphere lightened slightly for the first set closer, Tomorrow which started with Vini solo on electric guitar but finished loud with Bruce on drums and Keir on marimbas.

The second half was more "up" and featured a selection of regular and not-so-regular favourites. Highlights included Salford, Keir's Opus and a reworked Without Mercy with Keir and Vini on guitars. There was no room for usual staples like Jacqueline, The Missing Boy and The Beggar but in the circumstances they were not required.

The house lights came on briefly before Vini and Poppy returned for one more duet and then Vini closed with a solo guitar special tinged with Peter Green's magnificent Albatross.

Clearly this was a "difficult" gig but the performance in the face of adversity was up there with the very best.

Second setlist

Sketch for Summer
Otis
Sealine
Salford
Keir's Opus
Without Mercy
Mother
--
Poppy & Vin tune
Guitar solo

Check out the full photo gallery (on Facebook but accessible to all).