The Wannadies - Was the long wait worth it?

***1/3

Is the show in London a 'Hit!' !!! 

The Wannadies ***1/3 are a band that I used to go see all the time, so I was excited when I heard they where going to be touring again. Sadly the shows got postponed and then only two of them got rescheduled, so tonight's show at the London, Assembly Hall in Islington was going to be a speical oppertunity to see them live again. The Wannadies have not played in the UK for quite some time, and I remember there shows could be quite crazy on the 'Bagsy Me' tour. I remember their performance at the Reading festival, second from the top on the Radio 1 - Evening Sesssion stage. But now their fans are a little older and a little more sebdued, and so are the band. And I don't think this really works for them, Yes! the songs are still brillinat... but some of the magic they once had is gone. And this is coming from someone that knows all the lyrics to all their songs, I think this is not helped by the gap between the stage and the audience which is just too big.

I really love the London, Islington Assembly Hall, the sound is really great and the pit has never really bothered me before. But it just seems far too big, and the stage is a little too foggy. I also think the band used to move a bit more, which doesn't really come out to what it used to be like until they play their hit single... simply called 'Hit!'. This song is the best song in the set by far, a long with closure 'That's All'... which is just quite special. I always really loved this track, and it's always a great song to close on... seeing it's entitled 'That's All'.

Another really nice moment is the screen behind them, showing beautiful pictures of the band before they come on stage. This was a really nice touch, and I really enjoyed this. Songs like 'Friends' and 'What you Want' show a lively side to The Wannadies, this is why they always came across so well. The Wannadies are at their best live, when they are being lively and a little bit frantic and when all the band have a fun connection with each other. Par kept going on about songs being voted as "Best song ever written", especially for hits 'Someone, Somewhere' and the massive hit 'You and me Song'.

Yes! The Wannadies where that popular, that a few of their songs where voted 'Best Song' by a few magazines. And I think the band find it fun to mention this, esepecially Par... who also goes on about wanting to be Marc Bolan (T-Rex). They did cover 'Children of the Revolution' at one point, I can't remember which song he said was his attempt at a Marc Bolan song. But this could be because maybe, their are so many hints of him in all their songs. And Par does have hair a little like him, so I think it is fitting that he pays tribute to him. Maybe it was 'Yeah' always thought that had a Glam Rock feel to it. Also their fun side comes out best tonight in this song, which was a slightly later from when the band where on the radio all the time.

The encore was four songs long, and the really do end the set in the right way with their choice of songs. Like the track about the bands home town is Skelleftea in northern Sweden, but they used to live in London in the UK. So declare that the city is like their home town, for a nice sing-a-long of their track 'My home Town' which is quite special. And Lee Remick the bands cover of The Go‐Betweens, which appeared on their debut self-titled album 'The Wannadies' (1990) and 'Never killed Anyone' which appeared on their second album 'Aquanautic' (1992). It's nice to hear the old song from the begining of the bands career, and I like that they have chosen songs from every step of their life as a band.

The band said they would come out and meet people at the merch booth, which they did in Manchester a couple of nights before. But when I left they hadn't done this, and if they came out out after I left then they would have only met about five to ten people. I know a lot of people outside where talking about this, because they had waited at the merchandise booth for them. So was left disappointed, especially when they waited so long for the show. Most of the people that waited where from the fan group on Facebook and probably wished they went to Manchester instead after they didn't come out, I just think if you say you will do something you must do it... not fair to let people down.

Especially when it's been so long since they last played, but saying this I think the band have a good connection with their fans. Which is shown on stage at quite a few moments, so there must have been a reason they didn't do this. The Wannadies have quite short songs, and I am not meaning 'Shorty'... I am meaning the length of the songs. So at almost thirty pounds a ticket and the length of the set. I am not sure it was great value for money, again not the bands fault!!!. Because if you see below, they played quite a few songs. Or maybe I enjoyed it more than I thought I did, and the songs went by so quickly. I am not sure I will be running out to see them again if they toured early next year, but I am sure I will get to see them again at some point. And I have to say I am sad to say that, because The Wannadies when I was younger where a big part of my life and will always have meant a lot to me. But I have to be honest with my reviews, and the way I feel about things.

Review and Photos by Dan Devour

The Wannadies - Setlist
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Lucky You 
Friends
Love in June 
What you Want
Might be Stars
String Song
Yeah
Low Enough
Someone, Somwhere
You and me Song
Shorty
Hit
---------------
My home Town
Never killed Anyone
Lee Remick (The Go‐Betweens Cover)
That's All

Check Out! the Video for 'Yeah' Below...