Shed Seven '30th Anniversary' Tour

Shed Seven:

Back in October Shed Seven became the 20th artist to have two UK number one albums in the same year. This is obviously an outstanding feat regardless of timing, but it's made even more impressive given the fact this year marks the 30th anniversary of the band's debut release. Such longevity is hard to come by at the best of times, let alone keeping such a high quality over that time.

It is this 30th anniversary which Shed Seven find themselves celebrating on their UK tour, which stopped at Cambridge Corn Exchange last night. They're greeted by a capacity crowd many of whom have been with the band from those early Britpop days. A significant portion of the crowd is however made up of newer fans, a number of which wouldn't have been born when 'Change Give' was released back in 1994, yet still sang every word of the set back like their lives depended on it. This speaks volumes to just how universal Shed Seven's music is, proving exactly why after 30 years they are still able to headline these venues.

One such fan was 13-year-old Theo, who became somewhat of a cult hero on the night. After a blistering start to the set which featured huge hits like 'Speakeasy' and 'Devil In Your Shoes', we arrived at 'Ocean Pie'. Before starting the track, lead singer Rick Witter went over to Theo's side of the stage to introduce him to the crowd, before dedicating the track to the young fan. This led into one of the songs of the night, as the band smashed their way though the powerful song. Theo's night would get even better as later in the set he was gifted a maraca from Witter whilst the whole crowd chanted his name.

This was just one example of how genuine a person Witter remains despite the gargantuan success of Shed Seven, with another following soon after. Rick began delivering a series of shoutouts for different audience members, before turning to "Mr. Spanner is the Nuts". This fan was recovering from a recent stroke and had written to the band asking for 'She Left Me on Friday' to be put back in the setlist. Whilst other artists may have dismissed such requests, or replaced another song to not add time to the show, Shed Seven happily obliged. The band had only previously played the song in the last year, but with only one short one run through during soundcheck under their belt, they seamlessly mastered their way through the track. Given the rapturous response the song received from the audience, it was clear that it was not just Mr. Spanner, but instead all in attendance who appreciated that performance

Whilst there can be no doubt that the band had turned up in fine voice, I was pleasantly surprised to see the crowd had brought theirs too. Midweek Cambridge crowds can sometimes take a little effort to get going, but you only had to spend 30 seconds listening to 'On Standby' to know that wouldn't be the case tonight. After guiding those in attendance through the first couple of lines, Witter handed lead vocals to his adoring audience, who harmoniously screamed back every word creating a blissful cacophony. This received a stamp of approval from the lead man, who stated "Cambridge you are naughty" before ripping into the chorus.

A duo of offerings from the bands first 2024 album 'A Matter of Time' were intertwined amongst some 90's classics to close out the main set. 'Talk of the Town' and 'Let's Go Dancing' have immediately climbed to being two of the group's best songs, and the fact they didn't feel out of place amongst some of Shed Seven's biggest releases proves that tenfold. However, it was a riotous version of 'Getting Better' which closed an absolutely stellar set.

After a quick joke around the concept of encores, Shed Seven emerged back on stage to play the powerhouse anthems that are 'Disco Down' and 'Chasing Rainbows`. The quintet bounce off one another like it is second nature, but what was perhaps most impressive was how flawlessly they added the crowd as a genuine sixth member. The singalong to 'Chasing Rainbows' is one of the loudest I have heard from a Corn Exchange crowd, and the band adjusted perfectly to make it sound like that loud crowd voice had been part of the timeless classic from the get-go. It was the perfect end to a night of musical excellence.

If the two number albums in the space of a year isn't enough to prove why Shed Seven are still one of the UK's most important bands, then this tour certainly is. Every member plays his role to perfection, with the sole focus being on audience enjoyment. As a frontman Rick Witter is as enigmatic as they come, and pairing that with the slick riffs of Paul Banks, the driving basslines of Tom Gladwin, and the sensational additions of Tim Wills and Rob Maxfield, it can only be a recipe for success