This was a cracking gig. Therapy? were one of the best live bands I saw in 1998 and their set at Camden’s Electric Ballroom was on fire. I’d seen them twice before (Monsters of Rock ’95 – GIG 227 – and the memorable Brixton Academy gig in December 1995 that kept on getting encore after encore as no one could leave due to a riot going on outside the venue – GIG 253) and they had been brilliant both times.

Loads of people were out for this. I went with Delphine but we met Cole, Gideon, Fish and a host of other friends at the venue. This was Therapy?’s Semi-Detached Tour, supporting their sixth album of the same name that was released at the end of March. Troublegum, their 1994 fourth album, was one of my favourite albums of the 90’s. It still really holds up to the test of time too, although I always seem surprised to discover that whenever I play it these days for some reason.

Anyway, the support bands – Jetsteam and Group Dogg Drill – were both ok but neither blew me away. That accolade fell solely on the shoulders of Therapy? who played an absolutely stunning set. They were so full of energy and blasted out song after song. Definitely one of of the best bands of 1998 and right up there among some of the best I’ve ever seen live.

SETLIST

1. Nausea
2. Knives
3. Tightrope Walker
4. Die Laughing
5. Disgracelands
6. Stories
7. Black Eye, Purple Sky
8. Teethgrinder
9. Turn
10. Church of Noise
11. Isolation
12. Diane
13. Don’t Expect Roses
14. Screamager
15. Lonely, Cryin’, Only
16. I Fought the Law
17. Nowhere
18. The Boy’s Asleep