You may not have heard of Scott Piering. I certainly hadn't until recently. Yet his tragic death from cancer two years ago had a deep impact on many of Britain's most popular indie and rock bands, as shown by the role call of artists turning out to play in the kind of small venue most of them left behind years ago.
Each has their own tribute to pay, whether anecdotal or in song, while between acts a large screen on the wall shows a compilation of videos of some of the bands he worked with - The Smiths, The KLF, Underworld, Prodigy and most of the acts here in person. These kind of events defy the normal rules of music reviews, as there is a greater goal than artists merely offering a great show. This is personal and it shows.
First up are Teenage Fanclub, whose gorgeous harmonies and manic soloing get things off to a rousing start. They're followed by arch agent provocateur Luke Haines who, never missing the opportunity for an in-joke and the chance to raise an ironic eyebrow, does a version of David Essex's 'Gonna Make You A Star'.
Embrace are the first band the majority of the crowd are here to see and they reward their rousing reception with a full-on, ceiling-lifting four-song salvo, including a passionate 'All You Good Good People' and a poignant 'Fireworks'.
Perhaps the most surprising reunion so far this year has been that involving Messrs David McAlmont and Bernard Butler. Differences patched up, the duo offer an acoustic taster of their forthcoming album with new songs 'Different Strokes' and the apt 'Where Are You Now?' They also remind us what all the fuss was about first time around, with a glorious version of 'Yes', where McAlmont proves his stratosphere-shattering range doesn't need an orchestra behind it.
Brian Molko's voice is similarly exposed, as Placebo have chosen the 'semi-acoustic' option, which in their case means keyboards, drums and voice. You either love or loathe Molko's vocal style but somber versions of 'Special K', 'Haemoglobin', 'Teenage Angst' and 'Slave To The Wage', "the song we were mixing when we heard Scott had died", work fine.
Badly Drawn Boy, as ever, is on ramshackle form, getting a photographer in the photo pit to hold a lyric sheet up for a song he's written especially for the occasion. A magical 'Once Around The Block' is his dedication to Scott and makes one realize that such maverick talents need someone fighting to bring them to a wider audience.
Rumours of Richard Ashcroft's demise have been exaggerated, judging by his swaggering three-song acoustic performance that squeezes the tender 'You On My Mind In My Sleep' between rabble-rousing renditions of Verve classics 'Lucky Man' and the inevitable 'Bitter Sweet Symphony'.
Stereophonics are also in semi-acoustic mode, which means no sign of drummer Stuart Cable. They do four hits - 'Local Boy In The Photograph', 'Traffic', 'Step On My Old Size Nines' and 'Just Looking' - and a cover of The Beatles' 'Don't Let Me Down' that gives Kelly Jones the chance to further strain his sandpaper vocal chords.
For a grand finale, who better than Pulp, the perfect example of one band's struggle to get themselves heard in the face of an indifferent industry? They are on marvellous form, with Jarvis, deadpan as ever, introducing 'Babies' by recalling how "this was the first video I played Scott - he hated it". They end with a throbbing version of 'Sunrise', a pretty perfect
elegy.
If this review still doesn't convince you about the importance of people like Scott Piering, nothing will. The last two decades of British music would have been a lot poorer without him. Tonight he got a fine send-off.
