THE BLUETONES + ENJOYABLE LISTENS – CHALK, BRIGHTON 18.10.25
The Bluetones, formed in Hounslow in 1993, consist of Mark Morriss (vocals and guitars), Adam Devlin (lead guitar), Scott Morriss (bass guitar), and Eds Chesters (drums). They had an impressive first few years, thanks to some talented songwriting, the vibrant UK musical culture of the mid-90s, and the Britpop explosion. This weekend in Brighton seems to be a celebration of those times, with Echobelly playing at Chalk last night (Review HERE) and Sleeper also performing this evening at Concorde 2.
Tonight’s performance from The Bluetones is the third date of a fifteen-date UK tour promoted by The Pad Presents by arrangement with Strada Music. The tour started with dates at Exeter and Southampton over the past two evenings and continues in Bristol, Derby, Norwich, Leeds, Cardiff, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester, Nottingham, and finishes at Earth Hall in London on 13th November. Five different support acts are playing on the tour, including local Brighton band Canned Pineapple, appearing in Bristol, Derby, Norwich, Leeds, and Cardiff. The support for this evening’s show is from Enjoyable Listens.
Prior to this evening, it’s been almost 29 years since I was at a Bluetones gig. I attended many gigs in the mid-90s, and I was an avid follower of the band around this time, so much so that they even gave myself and an ex-girlfriend a lift back to London in their minibus once, having missed the last train back from Bedford. The first time I heard about them was in the weekly music press (NME / Melody Maker) in late 1994, and I first checked them out live at The Venue in New Cross on 22nd December soon after. Shed Seven were headlining a four-band show, with the other two being Marion and Goya Dress. I then went on to see them a further fifteen times within the space of two years. These included four dates as support to Supergrass in early 1995 at venues in London, Bedford, Reading, and The Zap Club in Brighton. Main support to The Charlatans at The Astoria in London, as well as performances at The Heineken Music Festival in Roundhay Park in Leeds, T In The Park Festival in Glasgow, The Reading Festival and at their own headline shows in Bedford and London, culminating with a headline slot at The Roundhouse in Camden on 10th December 1996.
During this time, The Bluetones achieved critical acclaim and had three top ten singles, including a number two hit with ‘Slight Return’. Their debut album, ‘Expecting To Fly’, went straight to number one in the Official UK Album Chart, knocking off Oasis’ ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?’ from the top spot. These were their peak years, although their two follow-up albums, ‘Return To The Last Chance Saloon’ and ‘Science & Nature’, both made the top ten. They also had one more top ten single (‘Solomon Bites The Worm’) and three more that made the top twenty.
ENJOYABLE LISTENS (19:20 – 19:56)
Luke Duffett, known as Enjoyable Listens, is tonight’s support act, and he’s certainly an entertaining one. During his previous appearances in Brighton at The Great Escape Festival and on a Hidden Herd bill at The Hope & Ruin, he’s been accompanied by other musicians. However, tonight he performs alone with his trusted laptop, providing all the musical accompaniment. The Oxford-born deep baritone crooner arrives on stage at 7:20pm, dressed in a stylish 80s businessman’s suit and tie. He tries to get the audience’s attention, but most are still nattering away. After three attempts at “Hello Brighton,” we’re ready to start. Unfortunately, there are technical issues that need sorting first, so Luke calls for some assistance. At 7:23pm, everything is sorted, and at the press of a button, the backing track starts up. Luke immediately walks off stage and comes back with a can of Guinness, which he consumes during the set. There are cheers, and Luke introduces the first song of the set, ‘Summer Hit.’
Luke’s distinctive vocals and dramatic stage presence evoke a blend of the Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon, Hamish Hawk, and Mike Roberts (lead vocalist of Mike Flowers Pops). Between songs, he shares a series of comedic anecdotes, such as how he acquired his Apple Mac laptop for £350 on Gumtree and a memorable journey on a Megabus to meet his future father-in-law. After the second song, ‘The Terror’, Luke expresses his delight at the rapport he’s established with the audience. The lyrics of the third song, ‘A Laugh And A Half’, recount his experience of buying an old Rover that conveniently takes him from A to B, and occasionally C. The frontman then mentions that he has merchandise available for sale, including CDs and damaged vinyl for £15. However, when someone in the audience asks if he has any tracksuits, Luke mishears the question and responds, “Did you say ‘Crack’?” He then suggests they discuss it after the show.
Next, Luke introduces ‘Tear Up The Picture Of My Kids’ and asks, “Are you ready to dance, Brighton?” Unfortunately, just after the first chorus of “One Day, I’ll Kick Their Faces In,” Luke trips over his laptop cable. He manages to catch the laptop before it falls, but the backing track comes to a halt. Luke, unfazed by the unexpected turn of events, says, “Don’t worry, it’s part of the act.” He continues, “We’ll start that one again, you know the chorus.” The penultimate song of the set is ‘International Space Station’, a song Luke reveals he wrote during the pandemic. There’s applause, to which he playfully responds, “Don’t cheer for the pandemic.” The crowd is thoroughly enjoying the comedic elements of the act. Before the final song, ‘Drowning In The Reef’, Luke takes a selfie with the audience, saying, “Christmas is coming up, and family asks what I do.” Overall, it’s a very entertaining start to the evening, with great storytelling songs. I highly recommend seeing Enjoyable Listens if you ever get the chance.
Enjoyable Listens:
Luke Duffett – vocals
Enjoyable Listens setlist:
‘Summer Hit’ (from 2024 ‘Trapped In The Cage Of A Hateful Bird’ album)
‘The Terror’ (unreleased)
‘A Laugh And A Half’ (from 2022 ‘An Enjoyable Listen’ album)
‘Tear Up The Picture Of My Kids’ (from 2024 ‘Trapped In The Cage Of A Hateful Bird’ album)
‘International Space Station’ (from 2024 ‘Trapped In The Cage Of A Hateful Bird’ album)
‘Drowning In The Reef’ (from 2019 ‘A Professional Selection’ EP)
THE BLUETONES (20:18 – 21:52)
At 8:18pm the lights dimmed. Applause rang out, and the start of Joe ’Bean’ Esposito’s ‘You’re The Best’ (as featured in the ‘The Karate Kid’ movie from 1984) was played through the venue’s speakers. The band soon made their way onto the stage to further applause. Lead vocalist Mark approached his mic, saying, “Hello everybody, how are you? We are The Bluetones, and we’re going to sing you some songs in a Bluetones style.” Having not seen the band for so long, my initial thought was that they’ve aged (obviously, as we all have), but what’s unusual for a band that’s still around after 32 years since formation is that the lineup is still the same. From the opening song, ‘Bluetonic’ (their second single and No.19 hit from October 1995), it’s clear that they sound just as good as I remember them from all those years ago. The only real difference now is that Mark plays guitar as well as singing the vocals. He performs acoustically for most of the night, although a switch to electric does occur for a few songs. After ‘Bluetonic’ the band seamlessly transitioned into their 2010 release, ‘A New Athens.’
Following this, Mark announces, “Tonight, we’re going to play some older songs and some new ones. This next one is an oldie; it’s ‘Solomon Bites the Worm’.” This is one of the few songs where Mark ditches the guitar, removes his mic from its stand, and approaches the edge of the stage to sing. Interestingly, the band’s roadie, who we later discover is Jimmy, plays keyboard. After a “Thank you very much” from Mark, he reveals, “The next one is from our newer batch of EPs. This one came out last year and is called ‘Drive Thru’.” This song demonstrates that The Bluetones can still write great music. The frontman then explains their setlist strategy, stating they’ll play a song from your youth (Mark assumes most audience members are middle-aged, although there are a few enthusiastic younger fans scattered around the venue) followed by a newer song. They’ll avoid playing two newer songs consecutively to keep the audience engaged. “This next one is called ‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’,” a No.13 hit from 2000. It sounds fantastic.
The next new song performed is from their most recent EP, titled ‘The Aristocrats’. Before this, Mark announced that they will be releasing a new album next year, marking their first since 2010’s ‘A New Athens’. Following this, we hear a song that could have easily been a hit single had it been released as one. It’s ‘Can’t Be Trusted’, from their debut album. Mark mentioned that their ‘Expecting To Fly’ album was featured on ‘Bargain Hunt’, which caused some chuckles from the audience. He then jokingly said, “Their first album is worth £80” and added, “It was a day of mixed emotions, but nice to be on telly”. Before the next new song, someone from the audience presented Mark with a heart-shaped ‘Happy Birthday’ balloon as it was Mark’s 54th birthday. Some members of the audience sang ‘Happy Birthday’, but they were out of sync, which Mark pointed out. Despite this, he thanked them anyway. He also mentioned spotting someone taking a call on their mobile phone during the last song. He asked if the call was important. The next older song is from their chart-topping album and is ‘Cut Some Rug’. It’s their fourth single from May 1996, which reached No. 7. Mark sings this song without guitar.
Another verse of ‘Happy Birthday’ to Mark from the audience is sung, this time in tune. The next new tune is ‘Cheap Hotel’. For a change, Mark’s younger brother Scott, who plays bass, features heavily on vocals. He alternates verses with Mark, unlike most tracks where Scott usually provides just backing vocals. Mark then expresses his enjoyment of the venue. He says, “It’s the first time we’ve played here, and I really like it.” The last of The Bluetones’ top ten singles, ‘Marblehead Johnson’, is next. This non-album track was released as the fifth single and reached No. 7 in September 1996. Next is ‘In The Cut’, another song from one of the newer EPs. It has a catchy chorus that the crowd sings along to.
Mark says, “Thank you very much,” and then dedicates the next track to audience member Julie, who is approaching her 50th birthday. He mentions that Julie attends many of their shows. “My colleague, Adam, is going to play a D major chord now,” he says. There’s a big cheer as Adam plays the instantly recognisable opening chord, which starts their glorious No.2 hit, ‘Slight Return’, from February 1996. This song was kept off the top of the charts by Babylon Zoo’s ‘Spaceman’. As you may expect, there’s plenty of singing along to this one. Mark then introduces the band, and this is the point where Jimmy gets his first bit of appreciation. He has been switching around, helping Mark and Adam change guitars throughout the set, as well as playing keyboard on a few of the songs.
The next song is ‘The Last Song But One’ from the band’s 2006 self-titled album. It features plenty of harmony between Mark and Scott. While it may not quite match the standard of the Everly Brothers, the Morriss Brothers are not too far off it. Mark then announces, “The next one is the fake last song of the set. It was a Top 40 hit this century.” This sparks a bit of amusement among the audience. Mark continues, “We are double-century hit makers.” The song is ‘Never Going Nowhere,’ their most recent Top 40 hit from August 2003, reaching No. 40 on the charts. Following this, Mark says, “Thank you very much, good night.”
As the quartet exits the stage, Jimmy is greeted with a chorus of “We love you, Jimmy, we do” as he retunes some guitars, ready for the encore. The encore features two songs: first up is a new track called ‘London Weekend Television.’ Between songs, Mark asks who is happy that the show is ending early? There is not much response. Mark then states, “In the future, our shows will only get earlier and earlier, and before long, we’ll have afternoon shows in care homes.” The final song of the wonderful set is ‘If…’, a No.13 hit from May 1998. At the end, the band members, as well as Jimmy, take a bow and are greeted with further applause before they exit the stage. Once again, Joe ‘Bean’ Esposito’s ‘You’re the Best’ is played through the venue’s speakers as the crowd disperses and exits the venue.
The Bluetones exceeded my expectations, demonstrating their enduring talent. Their playing was exceptionally tight, showcasing Mark’s tuneful vocals, Adam’s impressive guitar skills, Ed’s rhythmic drumming, and Scott’s bass playing and additional vocals.
The Bluetones:
Mark Morriss – vocals/guitars
Adam Devlin – lead guitar
Scott Morriss – bass guitar
Eds Chesters – drums
Jimmy – keyboard
The Bluetones setlist:
‘Bluetonic’ (from 1996 ‘Expecting To Fly’ album)
‘A New Athens’ (from 2010 ‘A New Athens’ album)
‘Solomon Bites The Worm’ (from 1998 ‘Return To The Last Chance Saloon’ album)
‘Drive Thru’ (from 2024 ‘Drive Thru’ EP)
‘Keep The Home Fires Burning’ (from 2000 ‘Science And Nature’ album)
‘The Aristocrats’ (from 2025 ‘London Weekend Television’ EP)
‘Can’t Be Trusted’ (from 1996 ‘Expecting To Fly’ album)
‘Madeleine’ (from 2024 ‘Drive Thru’ EP)
‘Cut Some Rug’ (from 1996 ‘Expecting To Fly’ album)
‘Cheap Hotel’ (from 2025 ‘In The Cut’ EP)
‘Marblehead Johnson’ (a 1996 single)
‘In The Cut’ (from 2025 ‘In The Cut’ EP)
‘Slight Return’ (from 1996 ‘Expecting To Fly’ album)
‘The Last Song But One’ (from 2006 ‘The Bluetones’ album)
‘Never Going Nowhere’ (from 2003 ‘Luxembourg’ album)
(encore)
‘London Weekend Television’ (from 2025 ‘London Weekend Television’ EP)
‘If…’ (from 1998 ‘Return To The Last Chance Saloon’ album)
