Gig Review: EXTC @ MacArts, Galashiels

If you read my last post New (To Me) Music - March, then you’ll know my story about getting into the works of English rock band, XTC, only a matter of weeks ago, and that I got myself a ticket to see EXTC, a band formed by original drummer, Terry Chambers, who tour a selection of songs from the former’s back catalogue.

Before the gig, I checked set-list.fm to see the songs the band had been performing, hoping that I was at least familiar with a good chunk of them, since I’ve not listened to every XTC album yet. There was one song on the setlist from a gig a few days previous which I’d not heard before: Stupidly Happy from 2000’s Wasp Star (Apple Venus Vol 2), an album still on my To-Listen-To list. Sadly, Tidal doesn’t have this album so I went onto YouTube and had a listen to the song. Very nice it was, too.

The doors to the venue opened at 7pm with the gig due to start at 8pm. Once I got to the venue - a converted church - I went to the bar and got a Pepsi then took a seat on one of the original pews at the side of the main area, and waited.

I noticed a small merch table to the left of the stage so went and had a look. It was mostly EXTC t-shirts, hats, posters. In a tumbler were a couple of sets of Terry’s old, and very well-worn, drumsticks. In the end, I got myself a signed poster and a pack of badges and picks/plectrums. A minor niggle is that the poster was from another gig last year, somewhere in England. It’s a shame they couldn’t have signed some promo posters which mentioned the MacArts gig instead, just to make it more personal, but I bought it more for the Drums and Wires design and the signatures.

Merchandise bought at the gig

The band came on at 8pm on the dot. Steve Hampton on vocals and lead guitar, Terry Lines on bass and vocals, and of course the man himself, Terry Chambers. A quick greeting was made before they launched into This Is Pop, the first of 22 songs they played that night (albeit with a 15 minutes break halfway). There was no support act. The merch woman told me the band didn’t want one as they wanted to be able to play as many songs as they could within the time they had.

It could have been easy for Hampton and Lines to keep speaking to a minimum and focus on performing the songs the audience had come to hear, but they both seemed outgoing and chatty, with Hampton taking the lead when addressing the crowd.

I’ve been watching many videos of XTC live performances on YouTube over the past few weeks, and I can safely say Chambers is just as exceptional as he was over 40 years ago. He was quiet vocally, throughout, focusing on what he does best: taking command of those drums, though he did point out that it was Hampton’s birthday which resulted in an impromptu Happy Birthday from the audience.

I’m only just getting familiar with many of the songs that featured on the set-list so I found I was only able to sing bits of a verse or chorus here and there for the majority of the songs. Hopefully, if I get a chance to see them again, I’ll be well-acquainted with all the songs.

The highlight for me was Generals and Majors, one of my favourite XTC songs, from the 1980 studio album, Black Sea. Nearing the end the music dropped and the crowd sang acapella. For a small venue with a capacity of 300, we were were very vocal.

L-R, Steve Hampton, Terry Chambers, Terry Lines

Both Hampton and Lines each took lead vocals for certain songs, but I think Hampton sang the majority. I’m not sure if Hampton was covering Partridge songs while Lines was doing the same for Moulding, but during the gig I did wish the circumstances surrounding XTC becoming a studio-only band hadn’t happened and it was Andy and Colin on stage playing their own songs backed by their former bandmate. That’s not to take anything away from the very fine job Hampton and Lines were doing that evening.

Since it was a standing-only gig (apart from the aforementioned pews), I was able to have a good look round the crowd and there was definitely a good range of ages enjoying the music. Near the end of the gig, Hampton pointed out a young lad at the front of the stage who’d been singing along to every song. I was near the front so could see the boy who looked in his mid-teens, standing next to his dad who may have been the one to introduce his offspring to the sounds of Swindon’s finest. It’s always lovely when music from the past is embraced by younger generations.

Set List:

This Is Pop

Statue of Liberty

No Language In Our Lungs

Love on a Farm Boy’s Wages

Real by Reel

Towers of London

Paper and Iron

Senses Working Overtime

Jason and the Argonauts

Ball and Chain

The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead

[15 Minute Break]

Summer’s Cauldron / Grass

King for A Day

Mayor of Simpleton

No Thugs In Our House

Sgt Rock (Is Going To Help Me)

Rocket from a Bottle

Respectable Street

Living Through Another Cuba / Generals and Majors

Making Plans For Nigel

Stupidly Happy

Life Begins At The Hop