Across a set split into four characters, attracting a crowd of people who’d only comfortably remember Simon Day from his Fast Show heyday, the comedian’s return to the stand-up circuit was both a demonstration of someone who could truly call it his stock trade, but also one that rested on the laurels of past glories.
On the night after the Manchester attacks the Brighton Dome had stepped up security, making for a delay in getting everyone in to the venue.
Manchester’s PINS have evolved over the past couple of years, with a dense sound that now falls comfortably between the agitation of US bands like Bikini Kill and the electronic noise originated by rock royalty from their hometown.
“WHY are there so many old men here?” shouted an observant female fan when Haley Bonar called out for questions before her encore. It was true, but hardly worth mentioning, as it would seem the US singer is finally bound for a broader audience than those attending her Green Door Store show last year.
Soulful – that’s how you’d describe Craig David’s sell-out gig, although it was very much a night of two halves.
