Review: Inspiral Carpets return to Cambridge

‘Madchester’ icons Inspiral Carpets performed in front of a sell-out crowd at the Junction’s J1 on Friday, March 31. The quintet, whose very existence was thrown into doubt following the passing of long-time drummer Craig Gill in 2016, came out to the sound of ‘moos’ from the audience, a nod to their cow logo and the word ‘moo’ written on banners either side of the stage.

“When was the last time we played in Cambridge?” keyboard player and all-round entertaining guy Clint Boon asked guitarist and founding member Graham Lambert after opening number, the manic Joe. “I think it was ’92,” came the reply. “Seriously? Has it been that long?,” exclaimed a surprised Boon, whose keyboard parts really add to the Inspirals’ overall sound.

If it really had been that long, the boys would certainly have been pleased to be back, given the enthusiastic reception that greeted their first few songs, which included the frenetic, high-energy tunes Generations, Weakness and Butterfly.

This intense audience appreciation then went up a gear when singer Stephen Holt, who sounded in strong voice throughout, delivered passionate interpretations of perhaps the group’s two best-known hits, She Comes in The Fall and This Is How It Feels back to back, the latter being a particular favourite of mine.

The emotive Two Worlds Collide and the irresistible groove that is Caravan - which came complete with a head-spinning accompanying video - were further highlights, while Keep the Circle Around was also suitably euphoric.

Introducing the crew, Boon joked that their roadie is the “next Noel Gallagher”, a reference to the fact that the Oasis founder famously started out as a roadie for the band. “We did a gig last Sunday in Brighton and it was one of the best gigs we’ve ever done - and this one’s up there,” noted Boon, adding: “Thank you for all your support over the years.”

Adding to the already highly-charged atmosphere, Stephen dropped down to audience-level during the anthemic Dragging Me Down, and then it was off to the wings for the band, leaving the crowd mooing for more.

A moving tribute to Craig Gill came in the form of a video projected onto the giant screen, which the band members acknowledged as they came back out. The three-song encore concluded with one of their very best tracks, Saturn 5. It had obviously beeen a while since Inspiral Carpets performed in Cambridge but happily they said they’d come back soon.

A few weeks before the gig, affable frontman Stephen Holt chatted to the Cambridge Independent and spoke of the new members, bass player Jake Fletcher and drummer Kev Clark, “gelling really well”.

He noted: “It’s like being in a new band again, when you’re starting out and you’re really excited and you want to get out and play the songs.” That excitement certainly came across tonight.

For more on Inspiral Carpets, and to check on tour dates, visit inspiralcarpets.com.