Big Big Train at Thornden Hall in Eastleigh
Big Big Train, or Large Large Locomotive as they are occasionally known, have taken it upon themselves to tour once again. Mostly around the UK, but also diving into a few European cities too. I’m a self-confessed relatively recent fan of the band, finding myself swept away with this year’s release The Likes of Us. And that ended up landing perfectly for me as the setlist tonight focused heavily on that record! But I made some new discoveries too…
But who are they? Formed in 1990, the band have been through numerous incarnations of musicians never really settling in any particular place with the only constant member being Gregory Spawton who is now seen mostly behind a Rickenbacker bass on stage – or his trusty acoustic 12 string. Taking the ‘neo-prog’ genre tag and running with it, the band seem to have skipped out on any of the negative tropes that commonly get associated with progressive rock music. They only leave the good bits in!
The special thing about this specific show in Eastleigh however was that it was a warmup gig at the very beginning of the tour. Ahead of the concert, I thought this might lead to a more laid-back and impromptu performance as the show finds its feet. However, the band had very clearly finished warming up in rehearsals as as soon as they started playing, the night kicked off with a bang. Although this reviewer found themselves in a bit of a predicament…
Just as the show was about to start, a crew member gave out a photo warning to the audience to remind everyone that actually, the photos and videos of gigs you take on your phone are shit, you’ll never look at them, and it’s distracting for the rest of the audience stood behind you who have paid good money to enjoy the music. Particularly when people facetime their grandma at home holding their phone as high in the air as possible so everyone behind them can see Nana Esmeralda in her pyjamas – no really. You concert video callers and Facebook livestreamers are the absolute worst. Please stop!
I’ve been to gigs with warnings like this before, where the audience have either mostly just entirely ignored it, or forgotten after a handful of songs, but for this evening I’m not sure I saw anyone waving their phone around during the show. What an utterly blissful experience if I might say, and one I hope can become more common because of just how immersive the night can become. It does however mean that I was possibly the only official person there with an approved photo pass which would have led to me standing out like a sore thumb, running up and down the isles at a seated concert, so I chose to skip out on making an utter melon of myself and sticking to some wide shots.
I can’t complain in the slightest though as I was so much more engrossed in the music throughout that getting any photos to capture the magic was merely a panicked afterthought towards the end of the show. “Ah yes, I am supposed to write something about this!”
Starting off the night running through the first half of The Likes of Us, I must have looked like the smugest person in the room, particularly when Oblivion came on, my favourite track from the record. It’s a tour supporting the album, and they certainly covered their bases here by running through these tracks, some live for the first time ever!
For the next one, founding member Gregory Spawton took to the front of the stage to talk to the audience – something he’s apparently not usually allowed to do according to Alberto! It could only be The Last English King from 2002 record Bard. An ‘old song’ introduced by an ‘old man’ according to Gregory. This was the point in the evening for myself when the treats started to get dropped into the set and gave us as an audience the opportunity to lap up rare songs from the band’s now extensive back catalogue.
Another particular highlight for me was the stripped-back rendition of Telling the Bees with Nick D’Virgilio taking a step away from the drums to pick up his acoustic guitar alongside Rikard Sjöblom, who stepped away from his electric guitars to play the keys. Truly a band of multi-faceted musicians. Nick mentioned at the start that he used to love playing this number with the late lead singer of the band David Longdon who sadly passed away very suddenly in 2021. It was a moment for reflection, before gradually the arrangement expanded out into full band with Alberto Bravin, current lead singer of the band, taking on Nick’s drum kit. Multi. Faceted.
Last Eleven, and then Apollo from Common Ground could have been the perfect end to the evening, met with rambunctious applause from the dedicated ‘pre-tour’ fans. However, as always every band does the traditional encore dance… Off stage, on stage, until…
East Coast Racer which was the true finisher, and certainly a treat for me as someone who was unfamiliar with that song before seeing it on full display in front of my very eyes and ears. Full of highs and lows, this 15-minute epic sealed the deal when it came to the ‘prog factor’. The band made it seem utterly effortless to play, despite only two of the seven musicians on stage actually having anything to do with writing it. I can’t imagine the nightmare they had learning it!
Big Big Train brought their all to this show, but I personally feel lied to… This gig was advertised as a ‘warm-up’, and it was anything but! This band are utterly fantastic, and anyone who’s lined up to see them on this tour are in for a real treat. And if you don’t know their music? It’s time to get listening, and buying tickets.
MONDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER 2024 – Thornden Hall, Eastleigh, UK
TUESDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER 2024 – Wyvern Theatre, Swindon, UK
WEDNESDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER 2024 – The Riverfront, Newport, UK
THURSDAY 19TH SEPTEMBER 2024 – Playhouse Theatre, Whitley Bay, UK
SATURDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER 2024 – Queens Hall, Edinburgh, UK
SUNDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER – Palace Theatre, Newark, UK
TUESDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER – Stables Theatre, Milton Keynes, UK – SOLD OUT
WEDNESDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER – The Stoller Hall, Manchester, UK – SOLD OUT
FRIDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER 2024 – Stadthalle, Weinheim, GERMANY
SATURDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER 2024 – Boerderij, Zoetermeer, NETHERLANDS
SUNDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER 2024 – Boerderij, Zoetermeer, NETHERLANDS
TUESDAY 1ST OCTOBER 2024- Cosmopolite, Oslo, NORWAY
WEDNESDAY 2ND OCTOBER 2024 – Viften, Copenhagen, DENMARK
SATURDAY 5TH OCTOBER 2024 – Cadogan Hall, London, UK
