Bootlegs

Additional Information: The opening chords of Real Live fade in. "Everything OK?". As the chords continue Jim introduces the band: " On electric guitar Charlie Burchill. On keyboards, can you give a big welcome to Mark Taylor. On drums the heavyweight champion of the world Mel Gaynor. And on bass guitar legendary Malcolm Foster. We're gonna have a good night. This is dedicated to you and everyone back home - this is called Real Life. Let me see your hands." Real Life hasn't changed significantly since the US gigs except for Charlie improvising more and further extension of the middle-8.; "Thank you - we're gonna go back ten years. This song is called Love Song". The backing tape intro starts and the band rush through the Son's And Fascination classic, finishing with incredible drumming by Mel. Over the percussive start of See The Lights, Jim calls "We need you to sing this song with us - OK?" Even from a radio broadcast, the crowd can be heard singing along with Jim during the chorus. A pause, during which the crowd amuse themselves and Jim comes back. " I can tell it's gonna be one of these mad, mad nights. You only have to look at the size of that moon. This is called Travelling Man" (Those in the crowd looked in vain for the full moon begining to rise above rim of the Milton Keynes Bowl. It was behind everyone - but in full view of Jim from the stage.) Travelling Man seems rather short, but still includes its new extended coda with new lyrics.; It's followed immediately by East At Easter with great guitar solo by Charlie. The slow introduction of Banging On The Door fades in. (Tricks the bootleggers - they incorrectly index the start of this track.) Strangely someone can be heard announcing "Hello Naomi" during the start. "Is everything OK? Behaving yourself? Not what I heard." Probably in reference to the crowd chanting "Gary is a wanker" whilst Radio One DJ Gary Davis was on stage. The whole event was broadcast live.; Dedicated to everyone who'd travelled a long way, Book Of Brilliant Things was played in its shortened Five To One form with the marathon manic drum solo from Mel at the end. Hardly a breath passes before Don't You (Forget ABout Me) charges in. The crowd don't seem that enthusastic about continuing the "La, la, la" singalong at the end, and just erupt into cheers, after which Jim announces a speedy run through Stand By Love. It's followed by Oh Jungleland which hasn't changed since the Once Upon A Time gigs but it's initially odd to hear the song without the vocals of Robin Clarke.; "Everything OK out there in the darkness? Yup! These songs are from our album New Gold Dream. And this is called Someone Somewhere In Summertime" The New Gold Dream trilogy unfolds with no surprises since the US gigs except the recording of Big Sleep suffers from some terrible low crackles during the beginning of the song. (The extra 'Restless' coda of King Is White And In The Crowd tricks the bootleggers into giving the song the wrong title.); The tempo is notched up with Sanctify Yourself on which all the band go slightly mad (crazy ending care of Mark Taylor). Then everything mellows with Let There Be Love complete with a "Let me see your hands" introduction. A run through Alive And Kicking finishes the main set of the concert.; The bootlegger's have some problems with the volume settings but manage to get all sorted out for the intro to Waterfront. "Let me see your hands - even if you're listening on the radio. Everything OK!" Underpinned by the '89 remix of the song, this energetic take rushes by. Jim adds the words "I love you, I love you" before the "So far, so close" segment. The energy flows into Ghostrider, a superior take than the album cut, which includes the lyric "Milton Keynes... Live... I'm gonna die... I'm coming back again" and a slightly different coda.; The final song, and final encore, is announced. "This is Belfast Child." The song hasn't changed since it's recording, except Jim wrongfoots the crowd by coming back with a solo chorus after the song's apparent finish, and the whole evening is rounded off by a rhythmic drum solo by Mel Gaynor.; The whole day was broadcast by the BBC which is probably the source of this great sounding bootleg. Unfortunatley the packaging is rather flimsy and easily scuffed and damaged.; Proessional photographer and fan Matthew Ashton was there: you can hear his air horn through most of the inter-song breaks.; A fun day. OMD blew up one of the generators during Electricity. As the smoke billowed from behind the stage, and Andy MacClusky exited, someone sang the line "promised you a mircale" in the silent crowd.

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