Snow Patrol

They were stunningly good last year and once again had a magic moment. Last year it was the sound problems and singing, “if it seems like it works then it works.” This year they go one better and have a moment of pure magic in Run as on the last chorus of “Light Up, Light Up” the sun drops below the cloud to light up the crowd.

They amble onto the stage with new left handed bass player Paul Wilson and Gary Lightbody yells, “2005 the year we drop the debt! Make some noise!” Everyone does, a girl near me goes delirious! The crowd are on a fast build up as Snow Patrol power through the hits off ‘Final Straw’ and we love ‘Chocolate’, ‘Wow’ and vrapidly follow them up with ‘Gleaming Auction’ and ‘Spitting Games’ and then, we get first listens of the new stuff. ‘It’s Beginning to Get To Me’ is a terrific new tune and we keep dancing despite never having heard it before.

Then it’s back to familiar territory with ‘How To Be Dead’ then another new one ‘Chasing Cars’ which on first listen sounded terrific and Paul’s bass playing shows he’s already found his feet in the band. Another new track ‘Same’ is thrown to us after Chewbacca turns up in the audience and we all do Wookie impressions including the band.

From then on I’m having too much fun to remember the tracks, there may have been one more new track, but we had ‘Run’, with the magic moment above and ‘Tiny Little Fractures’ is their finale. Once again they’ve been magnificent. The IOW has a special effect on them. Just a bit surprised they didn’t play anything off the first two albums but the new album sounds cracking. Hope they’re back for a third year next year.

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