Gig played on 05/05/06

Someone really ought to have a word with The Charlatans. Though hardly the most influential of bands, they've always been a paragon of the kind of solid songwriting skills that have seen the band ride the waves of baggy and Britpop with an almost indecent ease while carving themselves a comfortable niche and secure career. Frequently dipping into the songbooks of The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Curtis Mayfield, The Charlatans have admirably ensured a solid body of work that, as it doffs its cap to the past, keeps one eye on the present. However, as new album "Simpatico" displays, they've also elected to turn to The Stones of "Black & Blue" for guidance and, as proved by countless white bands since, the horrendous attempts at reggae are just as bad live.

It really doesn't help that their collective heart just isn't into this performance. Sporting a pair of wraparound shades, Martin Blunt's bass is a stodgy thud, lumpy rather than fluid and it's an obvious Achilles heel when tackling Jamaica's most famous export. Consequently, "Road To Paradise" lurches drunkenly rather than skanking light-headedly and Jon Brookes' crashing drums fail to connect with his rhythm buddy. Likewise, "For Your Entertainment" which doesn't do what it says on the tin and it's as if The Charlatans have realised what a mistake they've made as they go through the motions to promote their new disc.

This in itself would be forgivable but it's an attitude that informs the rest of their performance. Tim Burgess struggles to summon the enthusiasm to get the crowd going while Mark Collins' guitars sound polite at best and Tony Rogers' keys lack the necessary bite to kick start a tired reading of "One To Another" while "North Country Boy" is staggeringly underwhelming. In many respects, they're like Primal Scream's polite cousins; both under the influence of Dartford's favourite sons, the Scream would probably jack up at your dinner table while The Charlatans would instead nip off for crafty between courses fag outside.

Still, on the odd moments when they can be bothered to hit their stride, the old magic shines through. "Impossible" is one of the best songs Bob Dylan never wrote and it's a rare joy to see the band actually enjoying themselves and this sense of fun is repeated on a particularly filthy "You're So Pretty - We're So Pretty" while ironically, the band reach a peak with "Blackened Blue Eyes". Tightly focussed, it shows The Charlatans still have something to offer. Let's just hope that it won't be in tonight's meagre measures.

by James Marshall