THE LOVELY EGGS + STEWART LEE + POLITE BUREAUX – CONCORDE 2, BRIGHTON 26.10.25
There is only one place to be in Brighton on a damp Sunday night to raise your spirits before another week on The Grind and that is the Concorde 2 on Madeira Drive to see The Lovely Eggs, as local promoters ‘Love Thy Neighbour’ have arranged this gig as part of The Lovely Eggs 20th anniversary tour.
The Lovely Eggs are the epitome of a DIY band and if you don’t already then you really need to follow them on social media just to get a feel for the bizarre alternate universe that they live in which us Eggheadz have embraced. It really is a surefire way to escape the political madness and reality of this world. I was a relative latecomer to the quirkiness of The Lovely Eggs being that they had been going for 11 years when I first witnessed them play live at The Carlisle, a bikers’ pub in Hastings, but after that experience the seed was planted in my brain, and it wasn’t one of the panic variety but one of mind-blowing joy at their uniqueness.
Here we are eight albums deep after the recent release of ‘Bin Juice’, which mainly consist of songs recorded around the time of the release of ‘Eggsistentialism’ but were deemed not to fit the vibe of said album and therefore missed the cut. I for one am grateful for this release as there are some great tracks which would have been a shame to have been left on the cutting room floor. Here’s hoping that some make tonight’s setlist.
The Lovely Eggs embarked on their 20th anniversary tour on Wednesday just gone, starting off in Scotland and in a matter of a few days they travelled all the way down to Brighton via Newcastle and Leeds to perform the fifth date of eleven without a day’s rest. This shows their dedication as a touring band but also as parents as they usually bring their son on tour though there is no mention of him attending this tour, and it means that he doesn’t suffer from missing school as the bulk of the tour as usual is through half-term. It all sounds quite exhausting but at the same time a marriage and family life made in heaven, so it’s no wonder that they are taking a deserved rest from touring for a while after this one. Here’s hoping that they make good use of their time off and cook us up some more new music. I would blame their manager but seeing as they are one of the most DIY bands on this planet, they only have themselves to blame.
First up tonight and a new band to me is Polite Bureaux. Formed in Bradford they are now local to this area. I’ve heard their name bandied around and they have been championed by this publication, but they have escaped my radar until now. They released their second DIY studio album, ‘Except Your Skint’ on August 30th, which is based on poems and stories written by their dad about run-ins and daily life in Bradford. Having listened to it for the first time just today I was suitably impressed and knew I must get down early to see this band perform.
The band entered the stage promptly at 7:50pm as advertised with lead singer Joe dressed in a charcoal suit with a white shirt and black tie. In this get up with his unkempt black hair (I’m just jealous!), moustache and Yorkshire accent, I can imagine him with a pint in one hand and a ciggie in the other playing a Northern Working Men’s Club and he somehow has me mesmerised by his style and onstage demeanour. Joe is in charge of the laptop and his sister Maya Lili is on synth duties and some backing vocals, with Viv on bass guitar. There is no drummer unlike on the past occasions they have been reviewed here but there is a guitarist in tow who shall remain nameless as he wasn’t introduced but he was certainly enjoying himself and his dance moves didn’t go unnoticed.
This band hit hard from the word go with ‘C*nt Monday’ which is quite appropriate for a Sunday night. When Joe spits out the lyric “C*nt in the white Tesla” we all know the exact type of person he is referring to. The band play it safe in that five of the eight songs are from their first album and have been played live on plenty of occasions but that’s no bad thing, and they dare to delve into the new material early on as it’s only their third attempt at ‘Lidl Fiddle’ for which Joe is almost apologetic as if it wasn’t up to scratch but he needn’t have worried. The songs are spoken word social commentary akin to Sleaford Mods, but my first impression already has me surprisingly but firmly on the side of Team PB.
Taking it down a notch for ‘Bradford’ the jacket comes off for ‘Dollars And Dimes’ which starts off as if it is going to be IDLES influenced and then all of a sudden the thumping dance bass sets in and I’m entranced. I realise that I haven’t been to the C2 since seeing Stiff Little Fingers back in March and I’m pleasantly surprised when a digital screen is switched on halfway through the set. Assuming this is a permanent fixture it certainly adds to the concert experience and is a worthwhile piece of equipment.
For those of us unfamiliar with the set it is sometimes hard to know when a song is going to end but Joe is always polite and says “thank you” as a song ends making it easy to know when to applaud or unashamedly whoop. I particularly like the fast and gritty ‘EXCEPT YOUR SKiNT’ which is about the time Joe was on universal credit after finishing his course at BIMM Music Institute. A well-deserved rant at the system. ‘Broke Biscuits’ is the perfect set ending song as the lyrics incorporate a lot of the keywords and points from the first album. Polite Bureaux tell us that Britain is broke and broken and they encapsulate that perfectly. Their eight-song set whizzes by and I am left wishing it had been longer, but it looks like I will have to keep an eye out for a headline gig in future to get the full PB experience.
Polite Bureaux:
Joseph Smith – vocals
Maya Lili – synth, backing vocals
Viv Maher – bass
A.N. Other – guitar
Polite Bureaux setlist:
‘C*nt Monday’ (from 2024 ‘C*nt Monday’ album)
‘Lidl Fiddle’ (from 2025 ‘Except Your Skint’ album)
‘Bradford’ (from 2025 ‘Except Your Skint’ album)
‘Dollars & Dimes’ (from 2024 ‘C*nt Monday’ album)
‘EXCEPT YOUR SKiNT’ (from 2025 ‘Except Your Skint’ album)
‘Bodyrocker’ (from 2024 ‘C*nt Monday’ album)
‘Scratchcard’ (from 2024 ‘C*nt Monday’ album)
‘Broke Biscuits’ (from 2024 ‘C*nt Monday’ album)
www.instagram.com/politebureaux
It’s been 25 months since I saw Stewart Lee at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill and I must confess that I never expected to see him perform at a music concert but here we are tonight. Stewart arrives on stage exactly ten minutes after the advertised time of 8:25pm, showing a very poor punctuality standard as jokingly pointed out by a friend who tells me that Stewart likes to put bad reviews on his website. Being one of the original left wing socialist comedians from back in the day with Stewart Lee the appetiser on tonight’s menu there is absolutely no chance of any gammon accompanying the eggs. He points out that a music gig is out of his comfort zone, as is reviewing comedians for me, compared to the normal theatre surroundings and it’s not an easy start with one particular neanderthal grunting which sours Stewart’s demeanour even more and he soon asks the two photographers in the pit to leave which is rather awkward to say the least.
That aside he soon gets into his stride for his half hour stint including some well-deserved topical, as we are at a music event, digs at Coldplay and Morrissey. His complex political satire is well observed and gets you thinking, which appears too much for some audience members, but most are appreciative with some even saying they are there to see him. He tells us that his best opening and ending sequences are taken from 36 years ago in 1989 and cleverly tells them as if they are happening now. His corporate Christmas bookings may be a distant memory but there is still a demand for a Stewart Lee audience out there in these days where opposition to right-wing fanaticism is much needed.
The scene is now set for the headliners of the night after a quick change around. It’s been a whole 85 days since I last saw and reviewed The Lovely Eggs at Rebellion Festival in Blackpool and I am looking forward to seeing them in more intimate surroundings once again after playing the 3,000 capacity Opera House. Holly delivers the opening lyrics to ‘Minibus’ from offstage before she appears in a gold spangly mini dress and thick black tights whilst holding a colour co-ordinated can of Strongbow, of which in true Eggs fashion there is a story to be told later. Husband David is not far behind her and takes his place behind the drum set.
Proceedings liven up quickly as Holly explodes into ‘Introducing Bullshit’ from their latest album, though they slow down quickly due to a pedal malfunction early on in ‘People Are Twats’ or ‘Pedals Are Twats’ as commented by one audience member. This breaks the ice and so the band-audience interaction which is synonymous with a Lovely Eggs gig begins, though maybe not quite on the usual level for a Brighton gig. The wonderfully psychedelic ‘Magic Onion’ is well received, though some people still get caught out with the elongated ending to the song. The unbridled joy of the crowd is there for all to see as a mild mannered mosh pit ensues with many happy smiley faces.
Holly talks about this being their 20th anniversary tour and their crimes to music with Exhibit A being ‘Don’t Look At Me (I Don’t Like It)’ and Exhibit B ‘Have You Ever Heard A Digital Accordion?’ These are two songs which probably sum up the bizarre world of the band and are far from crimes though you probably have to be of a certain zany mindset to appreciate them. Would any other band hand out a book by Richard Brautigan mid-song? Would any band hand out a book mid-song full stop?
The link to ‘Oh The Stars’ has Holly in her element as she engages with the audience about the story behind the song which involves a posh sandwich shop in Lancaster and olives, whilst David relentlessly tunes his Ukulele by ear and will not be defeated. This also gives Holly the chance to show off David’s new denim case made out of old jeans. The angle may be deceiving but there are times when David’s left arm appears close to the fan he strategically attaches to the drum set, but who am I to doubt the ingenuity of a man who designed the denim case.
We are also told the story behind the Strongbow can, no longer Holly’s go to choice of cider since it reduced from 5% to 4%, but after drinking a can of Aldi’s Taurus cider last night which had a best before date of October 2022 and did not go down well she has reverted to Strongbow tonight with a best before date of July 2022. This has been stored by David and he is hopeful that the three years extra that it’s been in the can has made up the missing 1% in strength. This is the true rock ‘n’ roll star lifestyle which I highly doubt the Gallagher brothers lived on their stadium tour this year. As I have pointed out in previous reviews, these gigs are far more than just a music extravaganza. You can tell the band love what they do and it’s definitely not for the money.
The potluck choice of the night is down to the audience vote/who shouts the loudest and actually saves ‘I Am Moron’ from the obscurity of being the only album not to have a song on the setlist, as ‘This Decision’ narrowly wins the vote and even though it wasn’t my personal choice, it turned out to be a damn good selection of a song. Unusually for me, one of my personal highlights of the set is the slower ‘Nothing/ Everything’ which is the longest song they have ever written, and Holly has previously described as being both uplifting and tragic. Listening to the lyrics my emotions are heightened but it’s not long before I return to Planet Egg with a rendition of ‘F*ck It’ though I had unfortunately left my Lockdown edition of the scarf in the car. I’m hoping that Santa will bring me a Manchester City F*ck It scarf for Christmas so I can wave it at Holly who happens to support the team that is not mentioned in my house nor this review.
I could harp on about a few of my favourites that were missing from tonight’s setlist, but that would make me a “Dickhead” and, in any case, it was far outweighed by the experience of hearing this trip through the annals of the Eggz back catalogue. I for one will miss The Lovely Eggs as they take a hiatus from playing live, but after eleven nights of headbanging Holly will probably need the break more than most to rest those neck muscles.
The Lovely Eggs:
Holly Ross – vocals and guitar
David Blackwell – drums
The Lovely Eggs setlist:
‘Minibus’ (from 2011 ‘Cob Dominos’ album)
‘Introducing Bullshit’ (from 2025 ‘Bin Juice’ album)
‘People Are Twats’ (from 2011 ‘Cob Dominos’ album)
‘Magic Onion’ (from 2015 ‘This Is Our Nowhere’ album)
‘I Shouldn’t Have Said That’ (from 2018 ‘This Is Eggland’ album)
‘Don’t Look At Me (I Don’t Like It)’ (from 2011 ‘Cob Dominos’ album)
‘Have You Ever Heard A Digital Accordion?’ (from 2008 ‘Have You Ever Heard The Lovely Eggs’ EP & from 2009 ‘If You Were Fruit’ album)
‘Mohammed Ali And All His Friends’ (from 2011 ‘Cob Dominos’ album)
‘I’m A Journalist’ (from 2012 ‘Wildlife’ album)
‘Scooters Got Itchy’ (from 2012 ‘Wildlife’ album)
‘Big Sea’ (from 2018 ‘This Is Eggland’ album)
‘Oh The Stars’ (from 2009 ‘If You Were Fruit’ album)
‘This Decision’ (from 2020 ‘I Am Moron’ album)
‘The Grind’ (from 2025 ‘Bin Juice’ album)
‘I Just Want Someone To Fall In Love With’ (from 2012 ‘Wildlife’ album)
‘Nothing/Everything’ (from 2024 ‘Eggsistentialism’ album)
‘People TV’ (from 2024 ‘Eggsistentialism’ album)
‘F*ck It’ (from 2011 ‘Cob Dominos’ album)
‘Wiggy Giggy’ (from 2018 ‘This Is Eggland’ album)
‘Meeting Friends At Night’ (from 2024 ‘Eggsistentialism’ album)
