Mr Big played the Manchester Academy 2 last night and what a stormer it was. To see what was (and still should be) an Enormodome band in a small venue in front of a few hundred people was a treat.
Small venue or not Mr Big played their hearts out for almost two and a half hours giving us all the classics also throwing in three or four from the comeback album What If and of course a couple of extended showcases for Paul Gilbert and Billy Sheehan to strut their stuff and show off a bit. Now I’m not a huge fan of solo spots but when it’s world-class exponents such as Gilbert and Sheehan they can be forgiven a bit of self-indulgence because they are so bloody good.
An afternoon spent dodging the rain in a grey Manchester (and avoiding the seemingly disoriented fox criss-crossing the main road in down the hill towards the city centre) culminated in a pre-gig pint over the road and we wandered in to the Academy probably around 7:45pm expecting to be warned up by some form of support band. Only there wasn’t one. The sign on the wall indicated Mr Big on stage at 8pm and a curfew of 11pm. Nice.
A vantage point about a dozen feet from the stage was secured with the wall to lean on about a dozen feet from the stage and an uninterrupted view. Right on time out they come and not unexpectedly it’s the usual opener and the boys get their drills out. And for the next two hours and roughly twenty minutes Messers Martin, Gilbert, Sheehan and Torpey really do put it all in an set that gives us the lot.
Can’t recall the entire set list though it do remember including Green-Tinted Sixities Mind, Alive and Kickin’ Temperamental, Take Cover, Price You Gotta Pay, Undertow, American Beauty, Around The World, Addicted To That Rush and a whole lot more.
The encores were the obligatory To Be With You and Colorado Bulldog quickly followed by the instrument-swapping Smoke On The Water closing with Baba O’Riley.
Genuinely first rate performance from muti-million sellers putting it all in and more in what’s basically the Manchester students’ union. Excellent to see and be part of and to be able to witness a world class guitarist and a world class bass player at close quarters.
Truly great stuff.