There’s nothing quite like a brush with mortality to help bury old grievances. When one of Fairground Attraction was very ill recently, the band wisely decided to put aside their differences and take to the road.
By Miles Salter
It’s been a long time coming; after a bout of considerable success in the late 1980s, the members were estranged for the best part of 35 years. Seeing the four original members – songwriter Mark Nevin, singer Eddi Reader, drummer Roy Dodds and guitarron player Simon Edward – on stage at York Barbican for the third night of their reunion tour is moving. The band are augmented by two excellent musicians: the fruitily named Roger Beaujolais (vibraphone) and Graham Henderson (percussion, accordion).
Nevin and Reader are a great pairing. They met in the late ’80s when she was doing session work in London. He was looking for a singer, she was looking for a songwriter. The band had numerous offers but chose RCA/ BMG because, says Reader, ‘it was the label Elvis was on.’
He writes fantastic songs, she’s a brilliant singer, and her charisma remains in force this evening. She is a commanding presence, formidable but brave enough to be vulnerable. Reader has more soul than a dozen gospel choirs. She can show off vocally if she wants to, but more often is possessed by the music, transported by it, waving her hands about, playing with her skirt. Her voice is a little deeper now, but it’s still a remarkable instrument. She must be one of our best vocalists. Nevin, dressed in a suit and playing guitar, is happy to rely on her leading presence, but his songs are wonderful; Reader is fulsome in her appreciation.
The backbone of the set are songs from The First Of A Million Kisses, their jazz-folk-pop affair that won the Brit Award for best album in 1989 and found admirers in Elton John and Paul McCartney. Set highlights included Find My Love and Clare.
They played a number of new songs including What’s Wrong With The World?, which was pretty apposite as violence in the Middle East continues to result in death and destruction. The main set closes with their hit Perfect. ‘You’re too young for this, but you might have heard it in Ikea,’ Reader jokes with the audience before singing the song.
An encore includes Nevin’s excellent song Fear Is The Enemy Of Love after an audience request. This was a wonderful, uplifting evening. The band members all smiled broadly at various points. Sometimes it really is best to leave grievances behind.
Fairground Attraction played at York Barbican on Tuesday 1 October 2024.
