Gig report: Eureka Stockade @ The Portland Arms, Cambridge

Band: Eureka Stockade
Venue: The Portland Arms, Cambridge
Date: 14/03/12
Audience: Enough of them to make us feel wanted
Set: Violence, Been There Before, Without You, Caught In A Fire, All Alone, Ted
Notes: This was the first Eureka Stockade gig since the Christmas show in December, and indeed the first time we'd all been in the same room as each other this year. Without rehearsal I was a little worried, but there was no need to fret as - if anything, the slight fear of trying to remember everything only helped us focus more. This Eureka line up was Rob, Andy, Claudia and myself - both Rob and Andy were in good voice, and it's always a treat to have Claudia play bass for us, she's outstanding (as I've said many times before) and makes my life as a drummer nice and easy. We were supporting Misty's Big Adventure - a band I am a huge fan of and would have happily paid to see anyway, and the whole vibe was just so friendly. Our set went down well with those who could make it for 8.15pm, nice and responsive audience and we confidently played through this short selection of what is probably our strongest material. After us the fantastic Pony Collaboration played a superb set littered with personality, before Misty's - performing as a trio, hit the stage. The 'anything goes' attitude of Misty's Big Adventure is always a joy to watch (I've seen them live about five times now), so much character, the witty material never obscuring from the fact there is a great amount of top-drawer musicianship and lyrical brilliance on display. They ended with 'Two Brains,' which is a wonderful tune on so many levels. A great evening.