China Crisis in Lyme Regis

China Crisis live at The Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis, Dorset (20.11.2025)

As time goes on with my blogs there is increasingly the chance of repetition.  Tonight’s gig is another old favourite from the 80s but the novelty is the charming Marine Theatre, on the edge of Lyme Regis harbour and right in the middle of the small town.

I won’t go over my previous China Crisis notes – here in another of my China Crisis blogs. My only other visits to the Marine Theatre have been to see Los Paciminos (a Paul Young band) and earlier this year, The Magic Numbers. That blog gives a bit more detail on the venue and location.

No support band tonight but a China Crisis two part set, the second half featuring the older, better known tracks. This is a well-honed approach that works. From the off, frontman and main vocalist, Gary Daly, outlines how the evening works. This includes explaining that we would all get up from our seats for the last few songs ‘so it feels like we’ve been to a gig’ – this is what happens later, on cue.

Tonight, the venue is unreserved seating but with the twist of filling the surrounding space with standing guests. I mean filling – it is packed and Gary notes it. It’s a sell out and makes for a lovely, busy feel.

It’s a four piece band with Eddie and Gary playing with Eric Animan on saxophone and a keyboardist, Jack Hymers – both have toured with the band in recent years. The sax is a most welcome addition where it’s used. Eric also plays some other electronic wind instruments which couldn’t identify!

Daly hams up the ageing nature of the audience, which here seems even older, and even jokes about either him or Eddie having to perform on their own when the other one pops their clogs. Humorous, irreverent and yet politely put by a realist.

A few sound problems with Eddie’s monitor eventually leads to it blowing – very rock’n’roll – and it’s switched off in favour of a rear amp, after some open conversations with their sound man at the mixing desk.

At the break between sets I go to get some more drinks in and am surprised to see Eddie Lundon pushing up next to me at the bar to get a few in. How times have changed he reflected – what with all the riders and backstage antics of yesteryear. We let him in to get something.

The big songs are naturally most appreciated: the likes of African and White; Black Man Ray and King in a Catholic Style. All their material is packed with great tunes – synth pop tunes that make for such a relaxed evening. This is a 40th anniversary tour celebrating their third LP, Flaunt the Imperfection, but only four or five additional tracks to the latter two of the singles noted above.

There’s the ‘whoppadoahhh’ singalong for Arizona Sky to get the lungs working and endorphins flowing, conducted carefully by Daly: “Not too loud. No one has paid to see you. It says China Crisis on the ticket”.

Eddie is referred to by Gary a few times as ‘the Chinese looking one’ and it is he that was the singer for one of their big early singles, Wishful Thinking which Eddie performs tonight. When that early video was out, I remember thinking Eddie was the lead singer for ages.

As assured, Gary gets the crowd who can stand, to stand, for the last few songs. These include Tragedy and Mystery and Christian.

Rather than hide from the threat of obtrusive phone waving, Gary solicits it by asking everyone to get their phones out with torches on – he wants to show mock rivals Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark that they have wild concerts as well.

Gary takes his own photos to promote the good time – participation is enthusiastic, once a lot of people had fiddled quizzically with their mobiles.

Daly mentions their love of performing live in this sort of community based hub, recognising the importance of keeping them going and people coming out – which he appreciates, while hinting that maybe there isn’t much else in Lyme – hence the sell-out crowd ‘even though half of you haven’t heard of us’. He is funny. The whole evening is full of smiles.

China Crisis pitch their gigs just right. I can’t imagine not going to see them as long as we all keep going – they seem willing.