LIVE REVIEW: Kirk Brandon, Old Cinema Launderette, Durham, Wednesday 12 February 2020
I’ve been to gigs in pubs, clubs, theatres, arenas, stadiums, tents, cathedrals, muddy fields and subterranean car parks, but never, ever have I watched a show in a fully-working launderette.
The Old Cinema Launderette, located within a parade of shops in the heart of Gilesgate in Durham, has been winning quite a reputation as one of the quirkiest and most charming venues in the region.
It has attracted intimate performances from a host of names, from The Primitives, Mark Morris of the Bluetones, Romeo Stodart from The Magic Numbers and Chris Helme of the Seahorses, as well as old warhorse John Ottaway and local hero Martin Stephenson.
No wonder it`s becoming one of THE places to play for those wanting a unique, intimate musical experience.
On this, his second of two shows here, Spear Of Destiny and Theatre Of Hate mainman Kirk Brandon brought his inimitable brand of post-punk in stripped-down acoustic form, along with Sam Sansbury on cello, for a reimagining of songs cherry picked from across his illustrious career.
With the evening split over two sets there was plenty to keep both the casual and ardent fans more than happy, with Spear Of Destiny’s Young Man kicking off proceedings, with Brandon and Sansbury in front of a bank of washer driers rather than the traditional rock backline of Marshall stacks.
Theatre Of Hate’s The Wake sounded radically different in this format, with Sansbury’s haunting cello weaving between Brandon’s emotive vocal. Quite stunning.
Coming bang up to date with Pay The Piper – a song Brandon wrote for his daughter – meant pretty much every possible aspect of his repertoire was covered over the course of the night, including a stunning take on Second Life from the recent Tontine, where Brandon’s vocals ached with anguish.
In between sets Brandon and Sansbury mingled with the crowd, sharing a drink and a chat, giving a delightful laid back, easy going vibe to the evening, before returning for the second half which included his ode to extra-terrestrial beings in Prison Planet and Roof Of The World (complete with original intro) and Brave New Soldiers from his The Pack project alongside the big hitters Playground Of The Rich, Never Take Me Alive and the Theatre Of Hate classic Do You Believe In The Westworld?
Brandon may have played in bigger places over his four-decade career, but none will have been quite like this and the look of sheer joy on his face at the ovation he received at the end said it all.
