Live Review: Charlatans @ The Social

There are a few things we still remember from Youth Club - how much cider is too much cider, that luminous cycling shorts will never be flattering, and sitting in the car of a boy named after a cartoon character listening to tapes of The Charlatans. Yet whilst we continually revisit the first two with disastrous consequences (thanks to the marketing departments of Magners and American Apparel), it’s good to know that some things can turn out to be even better than you remembered.

The Charlatans gig at The Social on Monday was one such exception to the rule - slightly tipsy from the month long 10th birthday celebrations upstairs and clambering over the heads of the assembled crowd, Tim Burgess made a spectacular entrance (much to the relief of the rest of the already assembled band), ducking almost bashfully behind his trademark mop of hair. From the moment he finally touched down on the stage and the signature twangs of the Hammond organ drifted out across our heads, the audience didn’t stop dancing for a single track - ranging from the classic 'The Only One I Know' to the more mainstream 'North Country Boy'. Yet whilst once we might have merely waved our arms in the air, there was now a sea of Blackberrys and iPhones bobbing about. The set was rich with quality tracks, but not nearly long enough to cram in everyone’s favourites. However - as one member of the band pointed out - it was a school night “and we’ve got to get back up North”.

We may be all grown up now, and there may be some things that we will never learn, but at The Social we relived a little of our teenage euphoria. Workers of the World unite - long live the great October Socialist revolution!

Ruth Lang