An evening in Neverland...

According to Wikipedia, the free on-line encyclopaedia, NEVERLAND is a place where “people may cease to age; therefore, Neverland is often seen as a metaphor for eternal childhood (and childishness), immortality and escapism”. That’s as may be, but last night it was a place where I was treated to some of the best live music I’ve heard this year!

Neverland, the band, have been around for a good few years now but I’m sure some of the magic of J. M. Barrie’s Neverland has touched them... the music is ageless, the power and enthusiasm of the musicians stronger than ever. Last night’s gig was quite simply brilliant! If there was one minor disappointment for me it was the lighting and the floor of the gig room. The lighting, and dry ice, was way too atmospheric for my little camera to cope with; all the people dancing and bouncing around made the floor move enough to blur any photos I did try and get! In short... it was amazing!

The good photos were bad - the bad ones, terrible!

The set the band played lasted for almost 2 hours (I didn’t time it) and was made up of 23 tracks. It’s hard for me to single out any one track as being “the one” that stood out - I love ALL of their music - but, as ever, Stars and the Blues made a lasting impression. The opening track of the night, Out, was getting it’s first live play and it looks to be on it’s way to becoming a Neverland classic. It’s dark, it’s heavy, it’s mysterious - it’s Neverland at their best!

By the end of the night I was rather thankful of all the cycling that I now do, my legs and lungs stood up rather well to all the dancing, and bouncing, around that I subjected them to. That, or the Neverland magic, touched me - who knows? The full set list was...

OUT - a new track
THE DAY THE GENIE CAME TO TEA
KEBAB NO MORE
THE HUNTER
DOOM GARDEN JELLY FISH BLUES
THE SHIP
BELIEVE
SEAGULLS - another new track
ELEPHANTS CAN’T DANCE
THIRTEEN - another new track
NEVER LEARNED TO SPEAK
THE FIRE CRADLE
THE HEARTMAN
HELLO (TOMORROW IS HERE)
CALL ME MONSTER
CARTOON PLANET - another new track
IF I WERE YOU - another new track
BETWEEN THE MOON AND THE SEA
ROSES
I THINK I’M GONNA BUY A CAR
EARTH DANCE (ADE’S JIG)

Encores were...

THE TALKING TREE
STARS AND THE BLUES