Pop Boy Does Maximo Park

Readers of my LJ may remember me saying that Maximo Park's 'A Certain Trigger' was the greatest album of 2005, and they the greatest band, long before anyone else paid any attention. So imagine my excitement when they hit Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall last Sunday, their first gig in Britain after touring Europe.

And my thoughts remain. In a year when I've seen Kaiser Chiefs, Ordinary Boys, Franz Ferdinand, Goldfrapp and Scissor Sisters live at V Festival and Girls Aloud 'live', Maximo Park are also the greatest live band I've seen all year.

They were supported by Field Music, who I'd not heard of, but they were very good. The front man was a drummer, which was unusual I thought. The music was nice indie pop that I could dance to, but no-one else was hyper/drunk enough to dance with me. I'll have to buy their debut album after Christmas though. Clor followed them. I think (I'm not sure who came on first). They were alright. They did 'Love & Pain' and 'Good Stuff' which I knew. I think they made an anti-Girls Aloud joke, so they are stupid arses. But they did give out posters and stickers so you know, I'll let them off for being generally quite rubbish.

Then, the DJ (hedging his bets) played 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor' just before La Park came on to get everyone dancing. Then it happened. I would try to tell you the setlist, but I'm not really sure. I think they played 'Graffiti' and 'Apply Some Pressure' twice but I might've just imagined that. They did play every album track plus 'Fear Of Falling' (a favourite of mine) and 'A-19' in which Paul Smith unleashed his liquid hips. These came early on, as did 'Signal & Sign', 'Postcard Of A Painting' and 'Graffiti' and 'Apply Some Pressure' (the first times round). Then mid-way through 'All Over The Shop' me and my chum, Ashmeena glanced at one another and decided that that was the moment and we pushed forward from the sides. From then on I remember hearing and dancing to 'The Coast Is Always Changing', 'Limassol', 'Going Missing', 'I Want You To Stay' and rareties 'Wastleland' and 'Don't Leave Me' (or something) in a sweaty clamour. I was right in the centre of it and by the end ('Apply Some Pressure' (again), 'Graffiti' (again) , 'Kiss You Better' and 'Once, A Glimpse') and was about two people from the front resting my arm on someone's shoulder, squeezed between two people's shoulders with an elbow in my back. Oh bliss! But despite various "Throw us your tie!!!" shouts from me and my neighbours at the end of the show, Paul was a spoilt sport and took it with him. However, as criticisms go, that's honestly about it. Even the elbow in the back thing is tolerable when it comes part-and-parcel with that atmosphere.

Of course, my memory of the setlist should be taken with a pinch of salt, as I already think I'm wrong, and it was all a big blur of musical excellence. The encore however, saw them do 'The Night I Lost My Head' and 'Acrobat' which is beautiful, although the mutterings heard on the record are unhearable mumblings when done live.

Take the best record of the year, add lots of very sweaty people dancing and jumping around and what you get sounds so much more lively, fuelled and unique than anything else released by anyone this year. 'Apply Some Pressure' done live is just, wow! Also, get the badges, because I did and I am ace.

If you get chance, go. You will not regret it.