Charlatans will rise again

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The Charlatans singer’s bowl cut did prompt much sniggering among the Forum audience. We couldn’t even blame illegal substances — Burgess has recently spoken of quitting drugs.

His sobriety has brought a new clarity to the music, though. After 19 years and recent signs of decline, The Charlatans are gloriously resurgent on their tenth album You Cross My Path. An initial, free download release, without the need of a record label, has also revived interest in the group.

"I will rise again!" bawled Burgess on the title track, which opened this show with a white-hot ferocity.

They played the entirety of the new record but, unusually, that was a cause for celebration. The spiky, New Order-ish single The Misbegotten proved to be one of the best songs they have written, while My Name is Despair had a droning intensity.

The momentum was maintained with a set that drew on their more groove-based back catalogue: Love Is The Key had a soulful swagger and You’re So Pretty, We’re So Pretty was laddish disco.

Of course, there was nostalgia, too, and the blokeish band seemed to enjoy 1990’ s The Only One I Know as much as the fans.

The encore of the baggy epic Sproston Green was even better, with Burgess urging the crowd to revel in the rhythms.

Given the amount of plastic glasses littering the floor, they clearly revelled in the beer, too. Perhaps The Charlatans should get a brewery to sponsor their next album.

The Charlatans
The Forum
9-17 Highgate Road, London, NW5 1JY