Charlie Harper solo acoustic live at The Anvil, Bournemouth (25.10.2024) with The Mistakes.
The Anvil is a small venue – a few hundred fills the place – that sits in the small cluster that includes The Bear Cave and larger Old Fire Station just over the road. I did see The Mistakes here at the Anvil before, supporting The Professionals in 2019 (featured here in my 2019 blog ).
This evening starts with a few pints of Brewdog Black Heart, which I was pleased to find, in The Bear Cave opposite – Anvil shutters firmly down until doors open, indeed it looks quite intimidating when it’s closed.
(Out tonight with Poole mate Andy.)
A good combination this billing: Charlie Harper doing one of his solo sets with acoustic guitar, along with local punk band The Mistakes, from Poole, on first.
The Mistakes were guests at a UK Subs’ 100 Club gig in 2022, covered here along with my previous Subs gigs in an earlier UK Subs blog . It was around this time I bought the Mistakes’ Head Full of Damage CD (2021) and why it’s these songs that are most familiar for me. Charlie Harper guests on that album with vocals on one track and harmonica on another.
I will have to give their more recent album – A Good Hill To Die On – more of a go, not that much there is much of it to hear tonight. Just a couple of tracks – Heathens is a good’un ✊️
There is no hanging about once The Mistakes are unleashed, starting with Underdogs and then another, Brainstorm from their 2019 album, Upstarts and Heretics. It’s that album that provides two-thirds of the set.
Lead singer Ross is the only one afforded a bit of room to move about on this low, tight stage. Dark and sweaty down here but while busy it’s not rammed. I must have seen them five times altogether and it is live that I prefer to hear them. Their engine of sounds is perfect for a small venue.
The Mistakes are just back from playing some dates in Europe, I read on their Facebook page – Berlin, Stuttgart, Vienna get a mention.
Never Be Quiet, to get the air punching really going, is my favourite of the set but maybe it’s because of its familiarity. Form Square – the only song played from the CD I have, another cracker, before another anthemic one: Self Control from the 2019 album. This is what Friday nights are all about eh.
Charlie Harper has been at the merch stand – I bought some Charlie Harper Christmas cards – and is wandering and moving forward to take up his stage seat.
He couldn’t have started with anything better – Stranglehold. I remember hearing it in bed one morning in 1979, on the radio, aged 16. I got up and went and bought it down at Sunbury Record Scene. That was me fixed on the UK Subs. 45 years later here we both are.
Just Charlie and his acoustic guitar – a run of faves – CID, I Live in a Car and shortly after, Tomorrow’s Girls. This is quite a treat for us old boys.
A run of Charlie’s solo material and a few covers get us to the end of set that has us all transfixed on the master – lots of respect in the room.
Warhead to end the main set. Sing-a-long-a-Charlie. A bit of guitar support towards the end but it’s basically raw Charlie.
A few encores, of course, including a near Halloween special cover – I Walked With A Zombie, from the 1943 horror movie of the same name.
A very enjoyable night. £12. Keep rocking.
Gigs with Ivan 