Shows/1990-06-26
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Links:
Setlist: (incomplete and possibly out of order)
They Might Be Giants
Irish Centre in Birmingham, UK
June 26, 1990
Fan Recaps and Comments:
A review of the show by Helen F. Halls
Walsall Observer, Jul. 5, 1990:
TWO men, a metronome and an accordion − sounds about as exciting as watching your mother roll pastry, right? WRONG!
The two Johns are toddlers let loose in a musical playpen, gleefully swapping song styles as often as they do instruments. Blink or nip to the toilet and you've probably missed six songs, three changes of instrument and a cute Bostonian 'Hi'. They romp through the set with Ramonesian dexterity − the inevitable Birdhouse... and Istanbul veer past, pulling old gems like She was a Hotel Detective along the ride.
John Linnell wrestles with an unidentifiable brass instrument as big as his pert self for Lie Still, Little Bottle while John Flansburgh cabaret-croons, plays two horns at once and comes on like Fred Flintstone's brother. The NME's accusation that the Giants are "afraid to rock" is rubbished by Flansburgh's frazzled guitar posing during The Famous Polka − even Linnell wields an accordion as if it's on fire. The Giants' DIY lunacy makes mockery of overloaded, stadium-style shows. I forgive the USA every awful Eagles album for these boys. Best gig of the century.
