Altered Images at Pheonix Arts Centre, Exeter (19.9.2026) with Moya Silk supporting; including sound check.
John Peel’s early 80s darlings, Altered Images, are out on tour to celebrate their first LP, Happy Birthday, now 45 years old.
I was there in the beginning – I have that first LP, and the title single from it, with me this evening, for signing, along with the follow up, Pinky Blue (which a friend gave to me more recently as part of a vinyl box), and perhaps my favourite, the single Dead Pop Stars.
Yes, tonight’s a bit different. I have a ticket for the sound check and a chance to meet Clare Grogan and get some stuff signed. I’m here with gig buddy Dave and we did bump into Clare in December 2024 at a Bluebells London gig at the 229. I have seen them play once before though and that was in more recent years – March 2022 Southampton. There was also a briefer Let’s Rock The 80s appearance I went to.
A few songs and a bit of chat and then a chance to get some bits and bobs signed while meeting an 80s icon.
Bit of a break and back in the Pheonix Arts Centre bar for a bit before support act Moya Silk takes the stage. The room is still filling and we are perched on row one of the glass fronted balcony which gives a really good overview of the stage and the square shaped venue.
Moya Silk (Jaz Pearce) is local to Exeter. A solo, quite dark and yet melodic performance.
The Happy Birthday LP forms the first section of the set. As Clare Grogan said in the soundcheck, although the title track is very poppy the rest of the album is quite punky and not an easy one to perform these days.
It was produced by Steve Severin of Siouxsie and the Banshees and the distinct echoing metallic guitar sound translates to many of the songs on the LP.
The band is comprised of touring musicians with lead singer, Clare. It’s been that way for a while now out on the road.
From our balcony perch I recorded a few songs saved here in my YouTube channel: Beckoning Strings and Insects. Insects was the last song from the Happy Birthday section before a costume change for Clare and a return for a variety of later material. She dedicated that last one to John Peel.
The second part started with the joyous, or is it sad, I Could Be Happy. There is the title track from the 2022 album Mascara Streakz and room also for Dead Pop Stars, an edgy classic, yet one that itself died after release due to its unfortunate timing…so close to John Lennon’s murder (although it was written before that).
It’s a really good set with that mix of the first album in full and the varied secondbpart – good sound and a charming performance. It finishes with the best off the lesser know third LP, Bite: Don’t Talk To Me About Love – that did well in the charts.
The soundcheck opportunity was a good one. The extra ticket price (£79 in case you’re wondering) for that, is not something everyone wants to do but as a one off chance to meet someone who helped define 80s youth culture for so many, I was happy. LPs and singles signed, I wandered back to my hotel. That’s 50 gigs for me this year. Right, who’s next.
