Monday, 14 May 1984

One of those evenings you never forget. All seated. Subdued for the first few songs, although Your Silent Face was written to be played in places like this. Took my camera down to the front during Leave Me Alone, Barney then asked everyone if it was only “photographers that are allowed to stand up”. All rise. A new one, “I’ve got a cock like the M1”. Doubt it’ll be called that on the next album. Encore. Hooky: “You know this encore’s costing us 400 quid, that’s a bit more expensive than your fiver innit?” Then the familiar drums. Surely not. It was. I had never seen a song affect a crowd like that, at once uplifting yet tearful. Where had they been?

Seems like I've been here before.......that feeling a few seconds into a song, the part-recognition part-wildest dream that had occurred just over a year ago at Birmingham was back, with a different tune. After a storming set that had contained some new material including the debut of what became Perfect Kiss, Steve began a strangely-familiar but not drum pattern. It can't be. Fcuk, it is !!!! Decades did something strange to the crowd, it evoked a spirit and feeling of euphoria, remembrance and heart-bursting pride. I WAS THERE WHEN THEY PLAYED DECADES. Still brings a smile to my face now every time I listen to the tape. If only they would do it again and again and again.