Photo: WENN.com
Maximo Park’s 13-year journey as band has seen them play countless venues and to many thousands of fans across the UK. But tonight for the band it’s a homecoming affair.
The JD Roots event sees the band returning to Newcastle’s Cluny venue, a place that the band holds some early memories from and is literally a stone’s throw (or steep inclined walk) from The Cumberland arms where the quintet’s first gig ever occurred and which earlier that day the band returned to fill out the tiny local pub to perform a quick acoustic set.
The evening first kicks off with the opening numbers from their latest album (The National Health) and unfortunately some early mic problems means Paul Smith’s vocals can be hard to be made out over the band, but the frontmans unrelenting energy and stage prowess means that the minor technical fault is hardly noticed.
After the current tracks are performed, the night continues back to the band’s early and well-known numbers to the delight of the Cluny faithful including Graffiti from their debut album and rousing band and crowd singalongs for Our Velocity and Questing not Coasting, after all this is hometown gig. With the local crowd clearly in the palm of their hand, the band give quick thanks to the opening support act Palace hailing from nearby city Hartlepool which receives a few cheeky boo’s as Newcastle’s ever proud dedication to hometown sport is recognisable even at a music gig.
With thanks given the evening continues on just as before with more tracks from The National Health and fitting to the occasion the band play a poignant performance of Take me Home.
After Girls Who Play Guitars, the band leave the small stage to let the packed out venue give a full volume demand for an encore to which they are only happy to oblige with the final three of the night closing out in perfect fashion with debut album track Apply some Pressure.
If you ask any long serving band about their local town they will tell you a venue that holds close to their hearts. For Maximo Park’s homecoming, its left them with another happy hometown memory made.
