Love Music Live Warrington presents Miles Hunt (The Wonder Stuff) at Warrington Irish Club Sunday 28th January 2024.

 

 

WORDS JANET HARDING / IMAGES WARREN MILLAR

 

 

 

Love Music Live Warrington presents Miles Hunt (the Wonder Stuff)

at Warrington Irish Club

Sunday 28th January 2024.

 

It’s a very welcome return visit to the Irish Club in Warrington for our headline tonight. It’s been eagerly anticipated and a sell out, and tonight’s all seated venue is already awash with anticipation and early arrivals, people eagerly chatting and looking forward to what promises to be a wonderful night of live music and laughter. And a bonus is in the form of support, coming from Jack Francis.

Note; Images of headline Miles Hunt are from a previous event at the same venue, due to no availability of photographers for the actual event.

Jack Francis

Opening tonight is Jack Francis, performing a solo acoustic set. The house is packed now but a hush befalls this crowd as Jack begins strumming his guitar. He has a very easy stage presence, real calmness and instantly likeable as he confidently performs his original songs. Vocal is wonderful: husky with hushed tones, a real rasp and breathiness, then fullness and depth which ultimately becomes outreaching, voluminous and loud. The song material is observational and witty and interaction between songs is genuine and kept to a minimum.

I particularly enjoyed “Failure”, a song filled with irony and cynicism with catchy riff; for me this has a real air of the Smiths about it! Top notch set, excellently performed and went down very well with an enthusiastic crowd. It’s well worth checking out Jack’s soon to be released single “Early Retirement “so look out for that!

 

 

Miles Hunt

And so to our headline…to eager and passionate applause Miles Hunt arrives on stage and then, seated on a high stool, he begins to play. I’ve seen Milo before so knew to expect nothing less. It’s a delight to witness this iconic musician perform live, especially in such an intimate venue. It’s a high vibrational sound and a fun filled set, nonstop and very animated. Our headline is a lively soul. Between each song we have explanations of themes and song backgrounds, stories from Milo’s past, very engaging and witty and completely captivating. Sing along feels as the crowd readily and happily join in; it’s a great atmosphere; this crowd are with him throughout each rendition of every song. The vocal of course is distinctive and instantly recognizable, luminous quality with real clarity and brimming with character., as are the songs as Milo takes us on a musical journey of inspirations and snapshots of his life and the themes of his solo album “Hairy on the Inside” which is celebrating 25 years.

An upbeat and uplifting set, but when slower tracks are performed it’s atmospheric and moving and quite engulfing. For the most part we cannot take our eyes away from this stage. Wonder Stuff songs are of course performed and get an epic response. It’s been a full of content set, brimming with songs, you honestly get more than just songs though – exquisite performance, musically on point with added laughs and a fascinating insight into song and writing themes.

 

 

It’s clear to see from these dedicated crowd members (many of them laden with their treasured collectibles for Milo to sign) how well loved Milo is and the songs are genuinely celebrated – each one was chanted back with such gusto by our audience. Another memorable stunning performance from a very sprightly, creative and eclectic Miles Hunt.

Unfortunately no set lists for either set are available.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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