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Review: The Bluetones make a triumphant (slight) return to Cambridge Junction

09:38, 27 October 2024

updated: 10:41, 27 October 2024

At the start of The Bluetones’ enthusiastically received return to the Cambridge Junction’s J1 on Friday, 25 October, singer Mark Morriss announced that, though wary of how they might be received by fans of a band that first made it big in the 90s, he and his musical cohorts - brother Scott Morriss on bass, guitarist Adam Devlin, drummer Eds Chesters and keyboard player Richard Payne - would be playing some new songs. Although he assured us that there would only be three of them.

The Bluetones at the Cambridge Junction on Friday, 25 October 2024. Picture: Adrian Peel
The Bluetones at the Cambridge Junction on Friday, 25 October 2024. Picture: Adrian Peel

Wearing plain white T-shirts with just their job titles emblazoned on the front (vocals, bass, guitar, drums, keys), the likeable quintet kicked things off with the jaunty sing-along Bluetonic.

Commenting on the T-shirts (shirts with ‘fan’ on the front were available for sale at the merchandise stand), Mark, who proved himself to be a rather amusing and witty cove throughout, noted that originally they wanted to put their names on as well, but that would have resulted in having a ‘Richard Keys’ in the line-up.

Highlights early on in the set included Cut Some Rug, Fast Boy (which Mark revealed was the last song they ever performed on Top of the Pops in 2003) and Down at the Reservoir.

The first dreaded new song of the evening was the title track of The Bluetones’ new EP, Drive Thru, and it wasn’t bad at all - Mark needn’t have worried.

After it had finished, the chatty frontman said that he and the others had been doing this “showbusiness lark” long enough to know that you should always follow a new song with a “timeless classic”.

It duly came in the form of the band’s top 10 hit from 1996, Marblehead Johnson, which of course had a very memorable video (my words, not his).

I enjoyed the lively Carnt Be Trusted and Billy Balfour (the second new song) was also pretty good.

Ahead of After Hours, Mark revealed how a subscriber to the group’s YouTube channel had been particularly scathing in their criticism of that particular song. Personally, I think this insanely catchy tune is one of their very best.

Mark reflected on previous visits to this particular venue. “We played here in 1995,” he recalled, “supporting a band called The Charlatans - remember them?”

The charismatic singer introduced the band’s smash hit single Slight Return, one of the most recognisable guitar-led ’Britpop’ tracks of the mid-90s, by saying “This is the song that made us millionaires, kids,” and the deep appreciation for it was clearly evident in the crowd’s reaction.

The two-song encore consisted of the third and final new song, the delightfully moody Madeline, and the anthemic If….

The Bluetones at the Cambridge Junction on Friday, 25 October 2024. Picture: Adrian Peel
The Bluetones at the Cambridge Junction on Friday, 25 October 2024. Picture: Adrian Peel

Having been familiar with this band as a teenager, it was a delight to finally see The Bluetones live and to be introduced to more of their less well-known material (well, less well-known for me anyway!).

[Read more: Mark Morriss of The Bluetones: ‘The four of us are very much best friends’]

For more information on the band, and to check out their upcoming tour dates, visit bluetones.band.

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