The Sunday between Christmas and New Years. Generally quite a quiet time for gigs as many people have fled London to visit relatives, or in post-Christmas food comas – stuffed too full with turkey and chocolate (or atleast the carnivores – of which there were more back in the 90’s than today). For those of us who remained in London we got a rare treat of an interesting gig in this usually desolate week.

Of the support bands I’d seen Manuskript before the previous year (GIG 211) and they’d really impressed me. On this occasion I still enjoyed them, but they didn’t click as much (for me) as they had done previously. Still put on a good show though. The opening act, Surface 23, was a band I’d not heard of before (and don’t think I heard of again). I can’t remember anything about them sadly, but my notes inform me I thought they were ok – a pretty standard opening act.

This was my fourth time seeing The Marionettes. I’d loved them every time so far so was expecting another good show from them. Did they disappoint? Not at all. Ave Dementia, Heaven & Hell, Oxygen, Like Christabel, and more – a great set and a great way to spend an evening during the usually dead week of festival season.