On Sunday I saw my first Delirious? gig in six months. Unfortunately the band haven't played in England since the Christmas Show in London last December, mainly due to other touring commitments and being in the studio to work on their new album. So anyway, having not seen them live in such a long time I was excited to see them again. For many fans six months isn't a long time between gigs, and I appreciate how fortunate I am to see them as often as I do - in the past few years I've averaged about 4 or 5 d: gigs a year, even seeing 6 d: concerts in 2002. So going half a year without a gig has seemed like a long time for me.
Arriving at Ipswich Town Football Stadium I found I had been lucky enough to have been given a seat in the directors box, an area of the stand where the directors sit during football matches. Getting there involved an interesting walk along the inner corridors of the stadium, past a door marked 'Board Room' and endless photographs of famous players from the past, as well as memorabelia about Sir Alf Ramsey the former Ipswich Town manager who also famously led England to World Cup victory in 1966. Feeling suitably educated in local football history, I went in search of my reserved seat. My ticket had a row and seat number, and as I stood there working out which seat was 'mine', I came to the conclusion that someone was already sitting in it.
From where I stood all I could tell about this person was that they were quite large, fairly old and wearing a black shirt. Not feeling like making a fuss, I sat in a nearby empty seat to take in the atmosphere. Some time later the person in 'my' seat happened to turn around to talk to someone else in the row behind him. It was at this point that I noitced the dog collar around his neck and the large heavy silver cross dangling around his chest. It turns out that this was the local Bishop, no less. Such a relief that I hadn't barged up to him and demanded he move from 'my' seat. The question "who does he think he is?" had been on my mind earlier... at least that question was answered now.
After a brief phone call I arranged to meet up with Jon. He led me down the 'players tunnel', which is the corridor between the football pitch and the players changing room, and in through a door marked 'Home Team' - the band's dressing room for the day. It was an extremely surreal thought that Premiership footballers used to get changed in this room (Ipswich were relegated from the 'Premiership' to the 'Championship' a year previously). Next door was the 'Away' changing room where players like David Beckham and Thierry Henry would have changed not too long ago.
I spent a few hours chatting with the band in the dressing room, asking them about the new album - which Martin tells me he is extremely excited about. "Better than World Service" was how he described it to me. The changing room itself was surprisingly basic. Just a large tiled room with a bench running along the wall on all sides, with hooks on the wall where the football shirts would be hung before a match. A door from the main room leads to another large tiled room containing about 6 individual baths. You often see pictures on TV about football changing rooms and all the baths they have for the players to use, but I'd always assumed that these would long since have been replaced by modern luxurious power showers. But sure enough, just as I'd seen on TV there was a row of very well used looking baths.
There was a slightly bizzare moment when the band decided to do a 'mock photo' in these baths. Each of them jumped into their own bath, whipped off the shirt and got me to take a photo. The outcome was a highly amusing picture in which they each appear to be taking a leisurely bath (see above). There were childish squeals of delight at the resulting photo, followed by serious consideration about whether they could actually get away with using the photo without causing offence. Thankfully they came to the conslusion that people would see the funny side, so the photo made it to the frontpage of d.co.uk.
Finally it was time for Delirious? to head to the stage. They paused at the entrance to the tunnel for a scrap book photo (see above), before striding out across the pitch to the stage. The crowd instantly recgonised the 5 figures as they crossed the pitch and a huge cheer went up. For more about the concert itself, check out my review. I spent most of the gig moving between the side of the stage, and out front in the seats to get various different photo positions.
Thankfully Dave the d: guitar Tech (very nice chap) didn't object to me getting in his way as he attempted to get Stu G's next guiar ready and I attempted to take a photo of Stu without the stage camerman getting in the way (see below, left). Later I managed to stand on Andy Hawthorne's feet as I scrambled around, he'd already made himself less than popular with the crowd after announcing from the stage that he was a Manchester United fan. Not the best thing to say to a crowd full of Ipswich supporters!
So, another d: concert came to an end. It always amazes me that the band never seem to tire of what they do. Every concert still seems to come with an ample dosage of energy and ability. Long may it last.
Arriving at Ipswich Town Football Stadium I found I had been lucky enough to have been given a seat in the directors box, an area of the stand where the directors sit during football matches. Getting there involved an interesting walk along the inner corridors of the stadium, past a door marked 'Board Room' and endless photographs of famous players from the past, as well as memorabelia about Sir Alf Ramsey the former Ipswich Town manager who also famously led England to World Cup victory in 1966. Feeling suitably educated in local football history, I went in search of my reserved seat. My ticket had a row and seat number, and as I stood there working out which seat was 'mine', I came to the conclusion that someone was already sitting in it.
From where I stood all I could tell about this person was that they were quite large, fairly old and wearing a black shirt. Not feeling like making a fuss, I sat in a nearby empty seat to take in the atmosphere. Some time later the person in 'my' seat happened to turn around to talk to someone else in the row behind him. It was at this point that I noitced the dog collar around his neck and the large heavy silver cross dangling around his chest. It turns out that this was the local Bishop, no less. Such a relief that I hadn't barged up to him and demanded he move from 'my' seat. The question "who does he think he is?" had been on my mind earlier... at least that question was answered now.
After a brief phone call I arranged to meet up with Jon. He led me down the 'players tunnel', which is the corridor between the football pitch and the players changing room, and in through a door marked 'Home Team' - the band's dressing room for the day. It was an extremely surreal thought that Premiership footballers used to get changed in this room (Ipswich were relegated from the 'Premiership' to the 'Championship' a year previously). Next door was the 'Away' changing room where players like David Beckham and Thierry Henry would have changed not too long ago.
I spent a few hours chatting with the band in the dressing room, asking them about the new album - which Martin tells me he is extremely excited about. "Better than World Service" was how he described it to me. The changing room itself was surprisingly basic. Just a large tiled room with a bench running along the wall on all sides, with hooks on the wall where the football shirts would be hung before a match. A door from the main room leads to another large tiled room containing about 6 individual baths. You often see pictures on TV about football changing rooms and all the baths they have for the players to use, but I'd always assumed that these would long since have been replaced by modern luxurious power showers. But sure enough, just as I'd seen on TV there was a row of very well used looking baths.
There was a slightly bizzare moment when the band decided to do a 'mock photo' in these baths. Each of them jumped into their own bath, whipped off the shirt and got me to take a photo. The outcome was a highly amusing picture in which they each appear to be taking a leisurely bath (see above). There were childish squeals of delight at the resulting photo, followed by serious consideration about whether they could actually get away with using the photo without causing offence. Thankfully they came to the conslusion that people would see the funny side, so the photo made it to the frontpage of d.co.uk.
Finally it was time for Delirious? to head to the stage. They paused at the entrance to the tunnel for a scrap book photo (see above), before striding out across the pitch to the stage. The crowd instantly recgonised the 5 figures as they crossed the pitch and a huge cheer went up. For more about the concert itself, check out my review. I spent most of the gig moving between the side of the stage, and out front in the seats to get various different photo positions.
Thankfully Dave the d: guitar Tech (very nice chap) didn't object to me getting in his way as he attempted to get Stu G's next guiar ready and I attempted to take a photo of Stu without the stage camerman getting in the way (see below, left). Later I managed to stand on Andy Hawthorne's feet as I scrambled around, he'd already made himself less than popular with the crowd after announcing from the stage that he was a Manchester United fan. Not the best thing to say to a crowd full of Ipswich supporters!
So, another d: concert came to an end. It always amazes me that the band never seem to tire of what they do. Every concert still seems to come with an ample dosage of energy and ability. Long may it last.
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