Bruise broke the musical ice this January with a gig at newly kitted out 229, and let me tell you it was FINE! New PA, student union style prices at the bar, a tasty turn out from Bruise/ Heels fans, the very lovely and talented Fiona Bevin opening the show, that sort of thing – to be sought out, not avoided.
We loved the Heels set, the sheer joy of it, the dancing yoot and from my personal point of view the knee trembly bass sound. I can put this down to only one thing, the presence of Dave Cogan, probably the best sound man in the… no I don’t want to sound like an advert. Dave had come down from Cambridge and his regular duties as Hawkwind’s onstage sound king to twiddle our knobs, and very grateful we were too.
When it got to the Bruise set I really felt like I was floating on a sea of sound, Jim and Bob were a huge meaty presence in the monitors but somehow my guitar sat on top of it and better than that my voice cut through it all. It was the perfect balance, it’s not always like that…. Sometimes there’s so much ‘noize’ you can’t distinguish a single thing.
We’d written a set of old faves, opening with “Excuse Me” in a giant festival style soundscape and closing with “The Game” so with just a couple of exceptions we referenced the first album “B”. Though I couldn’t see much in the glare of the lights I did see a forest of wild flailing hair in the harder tunes, and when cooled it down for “Don’t Make Me Wait” I didn’t have to SEE anything I could FEEL the appreciation. Thanks so much to all you who said you were moved by that song. And while I’m thanking people, thank you Ian and Alison and posse, and thank you Mother Kelly for having so many musical children who habitually cut loose at Heels/Bruise do’s. Shaun, Tasha and Ed, it was an absolute pleasure X
