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HAPPY MONDAYS
+ Greenhouse
@ The Gov, Adelaide,
24th October 2023
(Live Review)

Review and photos by Colin Reid (@cdrimagery)

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Happy Monday, The Gov, Adelaide 2023 / Photo – @cdrimagery

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When Happy Mondays first formed, they wanted the band to be different, not to sound like anyone else, to be huge and to be remembered. As Tony Wilson, head of Factory Records the Mondays record label once said “Manchester kids have the best record collections” and it was that background that the band drew from to create a unique sound.

They didn’t sound like anyone else and that allowed them to become to bridge the gap between rave culture and the emerging acid house scene. They achieved their first 3 aims with a prolific run hit singles and albums and now almost 40 years on from their first release they are touring Australia as part of a Greatest Hits tour.  Clearly, they are remembered, because midweek The Gov is sold out and there is a joyous expectation of a good night ahead. 

A lot of the crowd is of a similar age to the band, that late 50s early 60s demographic but, pleasingly, there are plenty of younger fans too including many instances of fathers and sons dressed in Happy Mondays shirts and I’ll speak more of that later.

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Greenhouse, The Gov, Adelaide 2023 / Photo – @cdrimagery

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First up is Geelong band Greenhouse who are supporting the Mondays across all legs of their tour.  They are a band with an interesting history having been on the verge of mainstream record company courting in the late 1980s who then fell out of favour as a Nirvana led grunge explosion concurred the world.  They sound great and are a very good fit musically for this tour. A couple of the tracks ‘See-Saw’, which has survived from their 1980s incarnation and the track they closed their set with “It’s Finally Over” were absolute standouts.

The crowd is packed in front of the stage, the house lights dimmed and the band enter with Rowetta leading the proceedings dressed in a cape that was emblazoned with “MADCHESTER Rave On” the name of the bands 1989 ep. The crowd goes wild as guitarist Mark Day plays the opening notes of ‘Kinky Afro’.  Lead singer Shaun Ryder is in great form. The dark glasses are still there but the baseball cap is gone. He seems happy, the voice is strong and he is revealing in the company of Rowetta and the crowd warming, maracas shaking hype man Bez.  Throughout the set Shaun is laughing and joking with the other two and sharing anecdotes with the crowd.

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Happy Monday, The Gov, Adelaide 2023 / Photo – @cdrimagery

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The band are in great form.  The new bass player is introduced and Shaun briefly talks about the death of his brother Paul who had been an original member of the band.  All the hits is an apt name for the tour, they are all played and each one has the crowd going to higher levels. A twelve-song set list may not sound long but Mondays songs are anthemic dance numbers that go for a good 4 to 5+ minutes. Most of them have Bez conducting the crowd, let me tell you there is nothing like the mania of Bez and his smile is truly infectious.

The main set closes out with 3 huge singles. “Hallelujah”, “24 Hour Party People” and the monster hit “Step On”.  In between one of these Rowetta has gone into the crowd and fetches a kid in a Mondays tshirt who looks like he is around 10 or 12 years old. Bez hands him one of the maracas and the party atmosphere is gone up to maximum.  Fabulous thing to do, the kid absolutely loved it and crowd went nuts.

A short break is taken a they come back with a version of “Wrote for Luck” that seems to go on forever but is still over to soon. Great night, all the hits and more sent a mid-week sell out crowd home happy and thinking that this was one of the best Mondays gigs in memory.

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Happy Monday, The Gov, Adelaide 2023 / Photo – @cdrimagery

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Check out Colin Reid’s (@cdrimagery) full gallery of this show HERE

Check out Darren Chan’s (@darrenchanphotography) full gallery of the Melbourne show HERE

Check out Rob Mezzatesta’s (@robmezzphoto) full gallery of the Sydney show HERE

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Happy Monday, The Gov, Adelaide 2023 / Photo – @cdrimagery

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Follow HAPPY MONDAYS
 Instagram – Facebook 

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Happy Monday, The Gov, Adelaide 2023 / Photo – @cdrimagery

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Press Release 13th September 2023 (below) HERE

HAPPY MONDAYS (UK)

Australia & NZ Tour

Tix Selling Fast!

– SUPPORTS ADDED – 

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AMNPLIFY – DB