Concert Reviews

Venue: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
Author: Dave Wood
Date: 22 Dec 2000

The annual Delirious? Christmas show is always a spectacular event, but this years one surpassed anything ever seen at a d:gig. Starting with a sequence of songs straight from the recent Glo tour setlist, Gods Romance, Deeper and God You Are My God, Mount Delirious? erupted.

Martin was dressed in his usual white flower patterned shirt and trousers, Stu G in his familiar green and gold outfit, Tim in leather trousers and summer style shirt, Jon is day-Glo orange trousers and a tatty top, and Stew Smee in a powerful pair of pink trousers- which drew the comment "Theres a lot of energy in those pink trousers" from Martin.

Did You Feel The Mountains was next, and in introducing it Martin commented that it was a song they love to hear the crowd singing to. The sell-out audience duly complied. Hang On To You started in a mellow atmosphere of yellow lights but burst into an excited chorus of blue search beams and strobe effects. The song Follow saw Martin walking across the out-stretched hands of the crowd, who then joined in a chorus of My Glorious, ending with a lengthened call of "send Your Glory".

As Tim's Rhodes piano was brought onto the stage, many in the audience would have been forgiven for expecting one of the usual "quieter" d: songs. But this was 3 days before Christmas and Delirious? had a few surprises in store. With Tim and Martin center stage, Martin began an incredibly emotional and heart-felt version of the 80's Wham classic "Last Christmas" even managing to hit the higher notes George Michael style. Just as the crowd had begun to join in, chaos hit the stage Delirious? style. First Stu G appeared back on stage dressed as Santa, throwing sweets to the good boys and girls in the first few rows. Next, Jon and Stew turned up dressed as a pantomime horse. The audience loved it.

Continuing the show, Martin led Intimate Stranger from the Rhodes, before a quick succession of Awaken The Dawn, Gravity and Heaven worked up a frenzy in the mosh-pit. Stu still with his Santa's beard on (the most hair anyone has seen on Mr G for a very long time) and Jon still in his back-end-of-a-horse trousers only made the whole sequence even more hilarious, before Delirious? left the stage.

Returning for the en-chore Bliss continued to entertain, History Maker was accompanied by a trail of red-lights across the back of the stage and Investigate shone brightly with glitter ball and a sea of red and white light. The band left the stage once more, but this still wasn't the end. Returning for a memorable finale, each wearing Santa hats and Martin wearing a night shirt, dressing gown and clutching a bottle of champagne, Delirious? gave the crowd their rendition of "So Here it is Merry Christmas...". Half-way through the song, the heaven's opened and tiny "snow" flakes floated from the venue's huge ceiling. The evening had been full of surprises from start till finish... a 10 out of 10 performance if ever there was one.