Johnny arrives on stage with confident swagger as he bounces straight into ‘Back in the Box’, a favourite of mine from Johnny’s second solo Album ‘Playland’. Thundering straight into ‘Panic’, it soon becomes apparent which type of crowd we have here. It’s getting rather squishy up at the front, with a liveliness usually reserved for Northern gigs. London seems to be, as they say, “going for it”.
on. The disco ball on the ceiling throws an incredible light show on to both band and audience during the instrumental break in the song.
There are various hollers from the audience, from the usual laddish “Johnny, Johnny, Johnny Fuckin Marr’ chant - with percussive accompaniment from ‘Magic’ Jack Mitchell - to women and men of varying ages mooning over their hero And declaring their undying love...
I’d been musing with a few friends before the gig as to whether there’d be a ‘special guest’ at this gig. Last time Johnny played London it was Noel Gallagher, so naturally people expect there to be something a bit extra about a gig in the capital city. So when Johnny announces a special guest for ‘How Soon Is Now’, there’s a frisson of excitement... and when it’s announced that the guest is Barrie Cadogan of Primal Scream and Little Barrie - well, I can hardly contain myself. It’s no secret that I’m a huge Primals and Little Barrie fan. Indeed the few hours at this summer’s Y Not festival, where it was Johnny followed by the Primals, was quite frankly the most amazing hours of festival performances that I can remember - I was so enthusiastic
“Don’t be afraid”, states Johnny as he introduces new song ‘Spiral Cities’ - a song which I have adored since the first time I heard it in July in Wakefield Johnny has spoken about releasing an EP in 2016, and I can only hope that this is going to be the lead track. Next up it’s that popular ‘disco tune’ ‘Getting Away with It’, which gives the London crowd a chance to soften the pace slightly and get their groove
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Ramping up the tempo again is the frenetic ‘Generate! Generate!’, then ‘Boys Get Straight’ and ‘Word Starts Attack’. The way that Johnny has melded the two together is pure perfection.