Saturday 22 June 2013

Siouxsie & Viv Part II - The Return - Meltdown 2013

On Monday I returned to the Royal Festival Hall to see the second gig from Siouxsie who, once again, was supported by Viv Albertine.

Viv played the same set as when she played on Saturday, including the two new songs only available on her double vinyl version of the 'The Vermillion Border'. She played:

Don't Believe
If Love
Becalmed
The False Heart
In Vitro
Still England (short version)
Life's Too Short To Be Shy
Couples Are Creepy
I Want More
Confessions Of A MILF

Viv had the same band as on Saturday with the addition of a violinist whose name I didn't catch. Laura (aka She Makes War) was still bouncing around on bass. They make a great sound and it's lovely to hear Viv live with a five-piece band around her. I loved her introducing the opening love songs with a reference to the New York Dolls, 'when I say I'm in love you better believe I'm in love L.U.V.'.

After the gig ended and everyone was leaving I saw Viv in the bar and headed straight over to say 'hello' - how could I not? I mentioned that I'd seen her at the 12 Bar gig in January and that I'd bought the vinyl LP on Saturday. She was a bit surprised at that since she didn't know it was out and asked me if it was on red vinyl, to which I replied yes. I prefer to think of it as vermillion coloured vinyl. I then left her to enjoy her night out with friends but it was great to meet her. She's a lovely person.


After Viv it was time for the majesty that is Siouxsie. Siouxsie also played the same set as on Saturday - the whole of 'Kaleidoscope' and a hits section - but with the addition of a second encore with 'Spellbound'. Siouxsie played:

Happy House
Tenant
Trophy
Hybrid
Clockface
Lunar Camel
Christine
Desert Kisses
Red Light
Paradise Place
Skin
Eve White/Eve Black
Israel
Arabian Knights
Dear Prudence
Cities In Dust
Loveless
Face to Face
Careless Love
Here Comes That Day
Into A Swan
Spellbound

It was great to see Siouxsie again, strutting round that stage and pulling shapes, once again dressed in white vinyl. Some pathetic people down the front kept launching balloons at her for some reason and she ignored them but during 'Dessert Kisses' she leaned down to shout 'fuck off' at them and, when someone tried to climb on stage she simply kicked them off and kept on singing. That's Siouxsie! After the song she said, 'why do people always have to piss me off during a slow dreamy ballad?' adding that it was probably one of her family who were in to see her tonight. At the start of 'Skin' she said that this was the kind of song in which to piss her off!

She again picked up her guitar to play 'Paradise Place' and again took up her bells to add percussion to 'Israel'. During 'Careless Love' she picked up one of the hats that had been thrown on stage and wore it during the song. After an intense 'Into A Swan' Siouxsie and the band left the stage and the lights stayed down. This didn't happen on Saturday so what was happening? Siouxsie then came back out to give us an exhilarating 'Spellbound', thats what! What an exhausting evening that was!

Thank you Siouxsie and thank you Viv!

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