TRANSMISSION/THE SMITHS LTD

The Live Rooms, Chester

Review by Brian Gorman 

On a sweltering night at Chester’s premier live music venue, The Live Rooms, we have tributes to two of the most iconic indie bands of the 1980s; Joy Division and The Smiths. With a capacity crowd, the atmosphere effectively wrenched us right back to the heyday of claustrophobic, hot, sweaty indie gigs.

Transmission are celebrating their 20th anniversary, performing the music of the legendary post punk band Joy Division. With their recent inauguration into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, an upcoming multi cd of live performances, plus the stage show ‘New Dawn Fades’ touring again this autumn, Joy Division’s popularity grows and grows. Songs from the two studio albums ‘Unknown Pleasures’ and ‘Closer’ are characterised by haunting, melancholic, brooding, and often terrifying sounds, coupled with the esoteric and enigmatic lyrics of doomed front man Ian Curtis.

In contrast to The Smiths Ltd, there is no attempt to recreate the onstage personalities of the original band members; Transmission concentrate purely on delivering the sound, and it’s an absolute triumph. Paul Tibbetts handles vocal duties and lead guitar, delivering every song perfectly.  His focus and concentration are 100%. Kicking off with the solid, hard rocking ‘Shadowplay’, Transmission have the audience tightly in their grip, and they never let go.

 Apart from the odd “Hello, Chester” and “Come on England!” (there’s a world cup match, following tonight’s show), Transmission allow the music to speak for itself, and one song segues into another with barely a breath taken. Joy Division’s one and only hit, the hugely popular ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ is a standout, with even the quieter audience members springing into life, and singing along with the rousing chorus.

Finishing with their namesake song, ‘Transmission’, the band end on a real high.

After a short break, allowing us all to get a breath of much-needed fresh air outside, The Smiths Ltd make their dramatic entrance to ‘Dance Of The Knights’ by Prokofiev (also known as the theme to TV’s ‘The Apprentice’). It’s a suitably theatrical introduction, as the crowd go wild when ‘Morrissey’ waltzes on to the stage. Johnny Turner as the great man is simply amazing; in looks and body language he is spot on. We are even treated to the sharp, irreverent little quips, such as “Are you enjoying yourselves?” to which the audience scream “Yes!”, leading to our man waving a dismissive hand, saying “Wrong answer”.

First up is the frighteningly appropriate ‘Panic’, which has the audience singing and dancing along to. Turner has Morrissey’s voice off to a tee, and the crowd are truly in awe. Next there’s the equally appropriate ‘Shoplifters Of The World Unite’, yet another timeless classic that the audience seem to know word for word. Unlike Joy Division, The Smiths have a large back catalogue of hit records, and the lyrics are very widely known.

‘Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want’ is delivered beautifully, and the raw emotion of this profoundly delicate song slams home. Every song is sung along to with great gusto, and the cult/spirit of Steven Patrick Morrissey is with us, tonight. Flowers are thrown on stage, gladioli are waved, and our ever-voguing front man embodies the very essence of bohemian splendour. Of course, the final song has to be ‘How Soon Is Now’, which has a magnificently awe-inspiring vibe, and holds the audience spellbound.

This is a formidable double bill, showcasing two completely different bands from the same era. Both have cult followings, and are hugely influential. Transmission have the melancholy, deeply personal lyrics of Ian Curtis (who committed suicide before the release of Joy Division’s second album), which are truly disturbing and often terrifying. In complete contrast, The Smiths Ltd have Morrissey’s deceptively sweet, naive, simplistic (yet razor sharp) songs which are genuinely uplifting (as long as you don’t study the words too closely).

Surprisingly, the audience had a good share of very young people, who were enjoying both bands just as much as their fellow, much older, fans. Very encouraging indeed!

Reviewed on Saturday 27 June

Originally published at https://www.thereviewshub.com/transmission-the-smiths-ltd-the-live-rooms-chester/#google_vignette