Some things are as reliable as he sun coming up in the morning, and one of those is a TB gig. I have seen them every year for an age now and they are never less than ace. If anything, as the weight of living up to their early ‘success’ has lessened, they get better. Perhaps without the pressure to move up (if up is what it is) they have been able to find a place where they are comfortable and their loyal fans become an extended family.

It certainly felt like a big family coming together last night (despite the irritating bar-side knobs carrying on their vacuous conversations forgetting they had paid out to listen to a band … grrr), people like us returning to yet another TB show.

The band plays so intuitively now, all knowing each others little ways, even a ‘string moment’ leaves them in un-phased. A set stretching across all their albums (‘so many hits, so little time’ as caveman Edd put it) just serves to remind you of the consistent quality and sheer musicianship. Old favourites gain new twists and turns that only add to the pleasure.

The bands more recent embracing of certain cover songs, often included on the tour EP’s, is no mere filler material. They take familiar songs and make them their own. Tonight Panic morphed seamlessly into a brilliant version of Floyds Breathe and back again. Epic.

As I have said many times afore their back catalogue is a thing of wonders and I could listen them all night long, and normally they play and play but tonight the pesky venue sound chaps turned on the  music a mite too soon. Still we got a good set none the less.

But a band cannot reply forever on its past albums, no matter how good, and it was good to hear a new track (Rescue Squad) but I recall this from at least one other gig already. What would really hit the spot chaps is a new album. I know Olly Knights has had something of a writing block for a while – albeit broken by his very recent and sparkling solo album If Not Now When – and you can but hope that this will spur them to more new material.

OK TB may not be the darlings of the music glitterati these days but who wants to be that when you can put out such splendid music, so consistently and so honestly. I passed a laydee on the way out who mused ‘I am surprised they’re not more famous’ -well fame is a fickle thing but quality lasts.