Raising the tone

Playing a show dedicated to one particular album has become something of a craze amongst bands of certain vintage, whether it be Teenage Fanclub touring their seminal Bandwagonesque record, or even Gomez, who this year toured their much-loved but often forgotten Bring it On.

The Bluetones, currently recording their sixth full length album, are the latest to jump onto this bandwagon. Their army of hardcore fans are being treated to a full rendition of their debut, 1996’s Expecting to Fly. With their close harmonies and chiming guitars, the Hounslow-based four-piece tend towards the poppier end of the spectrum of guitar bands who exploded onto the scene in the mid-1990s. Nonetheless, they remain one of the few groups from that time who haven’t quit or descended into self-parody.

“When the idea to do the Expecting to Fly tour first came about, I have to admit that I wasn’t that crazy about it,” says guitarist Adam Devlin. “For me, it seemed like we were looking to the past a little bit too much. But as soon as we started rehearsals I began to really enjoy it, and the first lot of gigs went well. There are a couple of songs on it which we hadn’t played for ten years or so before this tour.”

Despite diminished commercial success since the turn of the century, the band still has a loyal following. For Devlin, enjoyment is the key to the Bluetones’ longevity. “I think that more than anything, we’re still going because we still want to make music. If it had been important for us to always be an NME band then we’d probably have jacked it in about ten years ago – but that has never been the case.”

Thursday’s show at the Picture House provides an opportunity for fans, old and new, to witness a band clearly content with what they do. Whilst he has enjoyed revisiting the past, Devlin is still looking to the future: “Those days were a very giddy and wonderful time, but now we’ve all got young children and we don’t work every hour that God sends. I guess we’re part time rock stars but that suits our purpose. We’re still a very happy band.”