The NHS. That most political of footballs.
It’s the subject matter that underpins 'Necroflat in the Palace', the real rabble-rouser that drops mid-way through Cabbage’s 45-minute set. Chaos instigated, it’s strangely empowering. There seems a collective pride in being born in the NHS – and wanting to die in the NHS.
But anyway. 'Fickle' is very Humbug-era Arctic Monkeys but with a darker twist. 'Crying Lightning' wrapped up in a macabre show tune fit for a black parade.
'Dinner Lady' remains a particularly frightful tale. Lee Broadbent’s vocal dexterity and playful theatrics bring the fat teacher with the wobbly hip to life. We all squirm as the imaginary headmaster chows down on spunk-sullied quiche. This nugget lives long in the evening. And more of this performative stuff and the swirling jam that closed would have lifted Cabbage above the norm.
The one new number falls a little flat. Broadbent sings about Gibraltar – but the rest of it is surprisingly generic save fellow vocalist, Joe Martin’s, troll under the rock impression. And there’s no room for two standouts in Cabbage’s oeuvre. 'Tell Me Lies about Manchester' and 'Free Steven Avery (Wrong America)' are irritatingly omitted – a view apparently shared as the latter rings out in the shuffle out of The Lexington.
While singing about death to Donald Trump, though, might seem a missed trick, it is a night being filmed for BBC Introducing Presents.
Steve Lamacq is the man on the mic for this leg of the 16-date UK tour designed to showcase three of the UK’s best new bands. April and The Shimmer Band hit the stage earlier. Ahead of Cabbage, Lamacq references the Manic Street Preachers and one of their early gigs at the Horse and Groom in London. It was an ‘I was there’ sort of moment. The beginning of something.
Cabbage are tastemaker Lamacq's next big tip. But for all the expectation and desperate will for them to come up trumps, they fall short.
