The Cornishman
Alright on the Fairy Light Night

GENE Loves Jezebel. Good job that wasn't entirely true or their bassist Julianne Regan might never have left them to form the 'vaguely gothic' All About Eve.

Since forming in 1984, AAE have meandered through folk, stomped on the occasional over-drive box (or the 'goth pedal' more like) and written some pretty sublime pop.

All of which looked like being consigned to recorded format only until recently when the group suddenly reformed to support The Mission on their sellout tour last year.

So here we suddenly have them, dusted off (that's not fair, I admit), re-energised and back with their own national tour. And by the time they get to The Acorn, they've actually got a new album to promote - Fairy Night Lights - a live greatest hits pretty much I gather. All recorded in the 'unplugged' fashion which again on Saturday evening is the modus operandi for singer Julianne Regan, guitarist Marty Wilson-Piper (also of The Church) and guitar/bass player Andy Cousin (also Lucy Nation/ex Mission).

So how does a band sound after an absence longer than it took some musical
genres to form, explode and implode. Pretty good actually. I'll admit now - probably to the huge disdain of many in the capacity crowd (quite a few of which traveled down) that I'm not that familiar with most of their back catalogue.
Not that it stopped me from enjoying the gig which eventually had me slightly dewy eyed for a genre of music I (quite seemingly unfashionably)listened to a lot of, albeit it not All About Eve.

Five years ago I saw The Mission when, even at the height of Britpop, their power and majesty remained intact.

Then, as now, All About Eve prove themselves capable of the same feat. Rather than losing any of their relevance, the gig just proves great bands don't have to date or fade away - they can grow with their fan base.
Just ask anyone who was there. And, no, nobody looked like they'd just walked out of Sisters of Mercy video.