Darwin's Radio

Woughton Centre
Milton Keynes

26 February 2006
So, we heard that Darwin's Radio were doing a gig at the Woughton Centre in Milton Keynes. That was interesting as I hadn't been there for about 15 years. Then I heard it was a lunchtime gig (how enterprising, a lunchtime showing) and that it was free too. We had to go. So it was back onto the M1 again and into the urban sprawl that is Milton Keynes. After taking several straight roads down, several straight roads across, a couple back up, another across and one down we were there, to be met by proggin' celebrity Steve "Huge" Hughes, drummer for Big Big Train, amongst others. There was just time for a quick pint, a chat with band members Sean Spears and Dec Burke, and a couple of roast potatoes from the bar, before the band started up with Erase... Rewind and then Stronger form their forthcoming Eyes Of The World album. Despite Sean and keyboarder Mark Westworth both having been in arch twiddlies Grey Lady Down simultaneously at the same time, the bands sound is not like the widdly-widdley progsters I had half expected. It seems the influence of former Spirit Of Rush man Dec has some great bearing on the sound, because they drive in the more technical groove.
To prove this, the band launched into a more than competent cover of Rush's The Sprirt of Radio before playing Pictures from their own Pictures EP (reviewed elsewhere).  Dec's guitar playing is top notch and I'm sure he can easily outplay most of the top prog guitarists around today. He's not alone there, and bass player Sean and keys man Mark are remarkably able too. At this point it should be noted that new drummer Tim Churchman (also from Spirit of Rush) only had four practise session with the band. It did show in places, but he did well nevertheless. New song Widows to Your Soul was next. The crowd was lapping this prog feast up. I saw grown men sitting in chairs, nursing pints of Mild, afraid of missing anything. I saw children watching enraptured, and joining in, in the only way they knew. Running around and sliding on the floor. But still...
The band played on by covering Solitary Shell by Dream Theater, then playing their own Lapse of Sensation and Eccentric Orbits before easing into another cover, this time Hemel Hempstead's own Porcupine Tree's Blackest Eyes got the Darwin's Radio treatment, and they treated it well, like a sick puppy, which it so obviously isn't. They finished their set off with The Vast Within and a final cover (we thought) of Rush's Xanadu and left the stage to great applause.
At this point I needed a cappuccino so headed off to the bar for one. As I sat down, I was verbally assaulted by some brain dead Manc, who accused me of "blocking my view of the fucking TV". Can you believe that there were people there, more concerned about a bunch of over-paid misfits playing in Wales for a Mickey-Mouse cup? I gave the misguided one a piece of my mind, then ran off.
Luckily, the band had gone down so well, the mismanagement insisted that they play for another 15 minutes, so they unpreparedly stumbled back on stage to cover Led Zeppelin's Rock and Roll, and another Rush cover, this time Subdivisions! Finally they had to play Stronger again before the crowd allowed them off stage, exhausted.
There was just time for another quick chat with the band, before the lure on roast beef, potatoes and Yorkshire Pud forced me back onto the road.

With the right breaks and backing, Darwin's Radio will be big. Everyone should go and see them at the earliest opportunity.

Which just so happens to be at The Fleece in Bristol on Thursday the 23rd March! The band will be supporting Credo and Crimson Sky (who have already been played on one of our podcasts, so check them out there)