Where does one area start and one begin? No-one seems to agree. Where does say, North End finish and Stamshaw begin? I live in Oriel Road...is that North End, Stamshaw or Hilsea?
Date: September 16, 1990
Venue: The Gaiety Theatre, Dublin
Support: Shawn Colvin (advertised but did not appear), Brian Kennedy, Katell Keineg
Seat: Upper Circle, Row G, Seat 30
Cost: Forgotten
Wasn’t that familiar with them beforehand, my only real knowledge was from a review of A Walk Across The Rooftops in an archive copy of Hi-Fi News And Record Review magazine at the local library in the mid 80s. The reviewer raved about it and although his words stuck in my mind, I never bought the album.
In September 1990 posters went up around Eden Quay advertising their gig at The Gaiety Theatre. I’d no idea they were on tour or that it was a rare event, or even that they had recorded a second album. Up-and-coming Irish singer Brian Kennedy was billed the support act and so I got a ticket mainly to see him, such a late decision that I only managed to get a seat high in the Dress Circle.
Arriving at the gig, a poster in the reception said that both Brian Kennedy and Shawn Colvin were scheduled to appear as support. However, Colvin cancelled on the night and was replaced by Breton singer Katell Keineg.
The Blue Nile’s entrance was memorable. Various bandmembers shuffled out into the dim light to a three-minute standing ovation from the audience before they started palying, something I’ve not seen before or since at a gig. So I thought there was something special here. The band looked at each other, as if to say “All this, just for us?” They seemed a bit embarrassed. What I came to realise is they’d gathered an underground following that waited for years to hear them actually play live. It was fairly well known that they also had a fear of performing live. Without seeing their videos on TV or much coverage in magazines etc, I think it might have been the first time many of the audience had seen the band members at all.
Setlist started with Rooftops/Tinseltown/Over The Hillside/Downtown Lights, I think. The atmosphere was amazing – the audience was deafening between songs, but sat in absolute silence during them, as if they were mesmerised.
A woman in the stalls shouted “Are you gonna play Easter Parade?” to which Paul Buchanan smiled and said “Yes”. Another voice shouted “You’re the best thing to come out of Scotland since The Bay City Rollers”. Paul lifted up his trouser leg and replied “We WERE The Bay City Rollers”. Someone else noticed the similarity between Paul and guest guitarist Jon Herington (later of Steely Dan) and asked “Is that your brother?”, to which Paul replied with a surprised “No?”.
The show ended, Paul announced to the audience “We’ve run out of songs we know”, so I think they played Tinseltown again for an encore.
Setlist:
A Walk Across The Rooftops
Tinseltown In The Rain
Over The Hillside
Stay
Easter Parade
The Downtown Lights
Saturday Night
Headlights On The Parade
Seven A.M.
Let's Go Out Tonight