The Lovely Eggs 20th Anniversary Tour – Live In Manchester

Tonight I’m driving into Manchester to catch The Lovely Eggs 20th anniversary tour, so it’s going to be a sober one for me, and for various reasons I’m flying solo tonight, so you’re not going to get our usual standard of photography as it’s just me with my ailing phone. Against all the odds this duo have stubbornly and heroically remained independent, forging their own path, being endorsed by Iggy Pop and even achieving mainstream success, all of this has been acheived without ever compromising their DIY ethics or giving a single solitary fuck about what anyone thinks. Due to Manchester’s crawling traffic and numerous roadworks I arrive at the Academy complex, also known as Manchester University, part way through the Polite Bureaux and their melting pot of thundering rave beats, sharp indie guitars, social commentary and punk attitude. They reminded me of The Fall if someone had slipped Mark E Smith a couple of disco biscuits, or maybe a 22nd century Chumbawamba, that’s meant as a compliment if you were wondering. 

The Lovely Eggs have an established pattern with their tours, first up is an up & coming band, a spoken word act and then the main event, although for this, their 20th anniversary tour, they have brought some well known long term fans along for the ride, including Phill Jupitus, Zara Gladman, Simon Donald, Stewart Lee, Rob Auton and Eric Rushton, but in Manchester we are treated to an appearance by vintage comedian Frank Skinner, who is probably best known for the hit single Three Lions, numerous TV shows and his long term association with David Baddiel. Frank Skinner muses on ageing, dying catchphrases, drug sniffing drugs in Manchester’s Heaton Park during the recent Oasis shows, Yoda as a benefit cheat, dick pics, and a certain psychopathic doctor from these parts, which hits a nerve with one of the crowd, amongst other things. Frank Skinner provides a half hour of chatty amiable self deprecating comedy that crosses the line for some, but not for me.

As ever The Lovey Eggs have pulled a crowd that crosses genres and generations, which is about right for a band my colleague Mark Cartwright wonderfully described as the alternative to the alternative in his review of their new album, Bin Juice. The Lovely Eggs have been together for two decades and have built a faithful and devoted following over the years, everyone has their own story of how they discovered them, mine was when I heard Dickhead from their This Is Eggland album blaring out the speakers of a local record shop, I promptly bought the album and have been here ever since. Tonight’s set list spans the decades and includes a medley from “the anals of time” including the superb Don’t Look At Me (I Don’t Like It) that was featured on the eccentric BBC comedy, Alma’s Not Normal. The twenty, or thereabouts, song selection emphasises the sublime, intoxicating and off kilter charm that The Lovely Eggs exude, it’s something that you will either get or you won’t, I do, so did everyone else occupying a packed out Academy 2. 

The Lovely Eggs of course interact with the faithful in a down to earth and frank manner, in particular when Holly explains her germs in a sink theory which muses on the vastness of reality. The Lovely Eggs have kept to their blue collar roots, to empathise this they are celebrating with out of date cider they have hoarded from past riders, and they thank the Manchester chapter of The Lovely Eggs family ahead of the band’s mantra, and the closest thing they have to anthem, Fuck It. Towards the end Holly is reminded by David in the most northern way possible that ”it’s getting on” and we get one last track and it’s all over and I’m back out into the Manchester night where it seems Halloween is being celebrated a day early based on the assorted costumes populating various bars. If you missed this tour, don’t panic, they’ll be back out on the road shortly, possibly with another new album. Unstoppable, idiosyncratic and constantly evolving, The Lovely Eggs occupy a truly unique niche in the UK music scene, embrace your eggness and join your local chapter.

Their new album, Bin Juice, is available via The Lovely Eggs on their very own Egg Records and via Bandcamp and digital outlets.