The Coral / Cherry Ghost / Ned Skelly

It's been a busy time for The Coral since the release of their new album 'Butterfly House' on 12th July. Starting their tour with Oxegen and T in the Park they land at The Sage, Gateshead on this grey Monday evening to deliver their own style of modern retro sounds.

The Sage is a spectacular and surprising setting and the very opposite to King Tut's Wah Wah tent where I saw them last, the only similarity being the weather and the anticipation of the attendees who were as disparate and juxtaposed as the two venues.

But a very civilised audience they were, clapping politely after each song they welcomed the supporting acts Ned Skelly and Cherry Ghost to the stage like old friends reunited, only leaving their seats, in the non-alcohol drinking hall, to have a swift beverage and fulfil any other necessary requirements.



As The Coral appeared on stage the viewers returned, no pint in hand, streaming though the many doorways of the auditorium. As the audience settled so the bands self-stylised session began with their surreptitiously summer sound seeping seamlessly through the seated synapses of the spectators.

And what a performance they gave, from listening to the album on repeat for the last few days I was expecting a mellow and chilled evening but the band rocked. From the classic 'Pass It On' to the their newest material on the 'Butterfly House' they rolled out the tunes effortlessly and flawlessly. The distinguishable tones of James Skelly sailed gracefully through each refrain whilst his wonderful Wirral accent was heard only briefly when he spoke to the listeners to thank them or to introduce the next song.

There was no shouting or yelling for an encore, when the main set finished, but the band returned having saved the best until last they played the night out with an immense performance of 'North Parade'.



The Sage provided a very comfortable setting for the evening with amazing lighting and acoustics but I did question whether it provided the audience feedback the band had expected. The energy and talent portrayed through the performance was mind-blowing but I felt that the audience's response was more of a damp squib.

Not for one minute do I believe that the crowd did not quietly appreciate and later enthuse about the show but I felt that the environment somehow limited and blanketed their externalised enjoyment.

Towards the end, however, I did witness a few rebellious individuals dancing and clapping along but there was never going to be a stage invasion as there had been in Salford earlier in the week.

The setting made the gig extremely accessible to the myriad of followers the band have, but for me I felt a different arena would have better reflected the band's energy and would have amplified the viewing experience.

What I have to reiterate is that if you love the new album and have enjoyed any of the last 14 years worth of their music then seeing The Coral live will blow you away. They more than exceeded my expectations and I look forward to seeing them again in a more relaxed and less seated venue.

In the words of Ned Skelly, The Coral are, "the best band in Britain at the moment."

< img src="/photos/2010/TheCoral-100719-TD04.jpeg" width="500" height="329" alt="The Coral">

FUTURE GIGS

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