Fields Of The Nephilim + The Membranes in London, U.K. on 17 December 2022.
A trip to Shepherd’s Bush Emprire in London for a special show by Fields of the Nephilim, performing their album ‘The Nephilim’ in its entirety, for the last of 3 nights in a row. The SBE has become quite a regular venue for goth bands over the past few years, replacing the iconic Astoria on Charing Cross Rd, now sadly demolished in the name of progress.
It was my intention to go to all 3 of these gigs (Edinburgh, Manchester and London), but circumstances meant that I could only attend the London one in the end.
Support this evening is provided by The Membranes, fronted by music journalist Jon Robb. I had never seen them before this year, but this is the 2nd time I have caught them live recently. They supported The Stranglers in London a few weeks back and impressed me then. I also really enjoyed their set this evening and Jon is a very entertaining and extravagant front man. I will definitely try to catch them again some time.
Many Fields of the Nephilm fans consider that ‘The Nephilim’ (the “brown album’) is the best album released by the band. I personally fall into the other camp that believes that ‘Elizium’ is their best, and even the best ever album release by any band in the history of music. 🙂 . However, ‘The Nephilim’ also has a special place in my heart, and it does include a track that is, in my opinion one of the greatest songs ever released, namely ‘Last Exit For The Lost’.
So, I came to this gig full of high expectation, and thankfully I was definitely not disappointed. The current FOTN lineup is, for me one of the best since the original band disintegrated in the 90s. Original bassist Tony Pettitt is, of course essential for any version of the Nephs to have any real credibility, and the band never really worked for me without him. Gav King (of Conflict) has become a solid ‘member’ of the band, comfortably reproducing the intricate guitar work of the original members. Second guitarist Adam Leach (of Adam And the Ants) has managed to slot in to the lineup well, replacing the sadly missed Tom Edwards who passed away in 2017. Finally, drummer Lee Newell provides a solid foundation for the band’s sound, even if he perhaps lacks some of the subtlety of original drummer Nod in my view.
It was nice to see sooty putting in an appliance in the audience this evening. 🙂
All-in-all, a fantastic evening in good company, hearing the album in its entirety. Maybe not quite the same high for me as when they played Elizium (almost) in its entirety in 2016. Still, a brilliant dose of goth nostalgia.
