Another Friday afternoon in Norwich.
At this point it is less a social arrangement and more a standing booking with Greater Anglia.
This week it was me and Jimmy, plus two new additions to the travelling circus. Jimmy’s nephew John (not aged 10, despite how that sounds and despite how it will now stick forever) and his mate Tag.
New faces. Fresh enthusiasm. No idea what they were letting themselves in for.
Pre-Gig Routine
The Compleat Angler. Of course. A few beers to get things going, a bit of nonsense, and that familiar lie we tell ourselves that we will “take it steady tonight”.
Four pints in, I made the bold decision to stop drinking.
Not out of discipline. Not out of sudden maturity. But because I had a Park Run the following morning. Followed, as it turns out, by 16 miles on the bike. Reader, I completed both. Which makes this easily the most athletic gig review you will read this week.
We grabbed some food, did the sensible thing for once and got an Uber across to the UEA. A rare moment of organisation, mainly driven by the realisation that even we could mess up getting across Norwich if left to our own devices.
The Venue
UEA is one of those places that has seen everything. Big bands, student nights, questionable fashion choices, and thousands of people discovering warm lager for the first time. It sits nicely in that middle ground. Not tiny, not massive, but a venue where you expect a gig to properly lift. Which made what followed slightly confusing.
The Charlatans
On paper, this should have been absolutely nailed on. And to be fair, musically, it was. They opened strong and ran through a set packed with proper songs.
North Country Boy, One to Another, The Only One I Know all landed as you would expect. The encore of Tremelo Song, Judas and Sproston Green should have been the kind of closing run that sends everyone home convinced they have just seen something special.
But here is the thing.
The Bit I Can’t Quite Explain
It was good. But it never quite became great. And I am fully aware that this may be the opinion of a man who stopped drinking mid-gig and had to experience the second half with full clarity. Which, in hindsight, might have been a tactical error.
There was just something missing. A spark. A lift. That moment where everything clicks. Instead, it felt like watching a very good band doing exactly what a very good band does. Which is fine. Just not quite enough.
A Brief Intermission (Unplanned)
Midway through, I had what can only be described as “a moment”. Nothing dramatic. No collapse. No scenes. Just a quiet realisation that a bit of fresh air might be required. So off I went, for a quick reset and a word with myself about hydration, pacing, and life in general.
The upside was that I rejoined proceedings on a bench right by the stage, albeit behind a curtain, which is not where I had started but is definitely where I ended up. Accidental audio upgrade.
The Final Stretch (Sort of)
From that point on, I took it all in from a slightly different angle. Closer to the band, slightly removed from the crowd, and possibly still thinking about my 9am Park Run. The band carried on exactly as you would expect. Tight, polished, professional. The crowd were into it.
And I sat there thinking, this is good, I just wish it was a bit more than good. With one eye on the clock and one eye on the last train home, we made the call to leave just before the final two songs. A decision made with heads, not hearts.
Logistics and Responsibility
I was on Uber duty. A role I take seriously, mainly because the consequences of getting it wrong involve missing trains and making very poor overnight decisions. Somehow, despite everything, we got out in good time, got the car booked, and made it back to the station without incident. Which might actually be the most impressive part of the night.
The Real Jimmy Moment
Remarkably, the entire day had passed without a proper “Jimmy incident”. Until the very end. For the Ipswich to Felixstowe leg, Jimmy took over the ordering of the Ipswich to Felixstowe Uber. On the train. While moving.
Which meant the app, doing exactly what it is designed to do, picked up the GPS somewhere between Stowmarket and Ipswich. The driver, understandably, turned up there. We, equally understandably, were not. What followed was a bit of rebooking, a bit of confusion, and a slightly longer wait than planned.
We eventually got home. At nearly 1am. Which, all things considered, feels about right.
Verdict
This is a tricky one. The Charlatans are still a very good band. The songs are still there. The performance was solid from start to finish. But it never quite hit that next level. Maybe they suit bigger stages. Maybe it was the room. Maybe it was me, four pints in and already mentally preparing for a Park Run.
Probably all three.
Still, Park Run completed. 16 miles cycled. Last train made. Eventually. And somehow, that feels like the real achievement.
The Charlatans Setlist
UEA, Norwich
- Kingdom of Ours
- We Are Love
- Many a Day a Heartache
- North Country Boy
- Weirdo
- Oh! Vanity
- Let the Good Times Be Never Ending
- Blackened Blue Eyes
- Then
- For the Girls
- Tellin’ Stories
- One to Another
- Title Fight
- Appetite
- Deeper and Deeper
- Just When You’re Thinkin’ Things Over
- You’re So Pretty – We’re So Pretty
- The Only One I Know
Encore
- Now Everything
- Tremelo Song
- Judas
- Sproston Green
