The Saints ’73-’78 - Wollongong - November 29 2024

OK, let’s get this out of the way up front, I doubt there would have been anyone seeing this tour who didn’t wish Chris Bailey was out front, but that was never going to happen. If you’re here to grizzle please leave now. I was more than pleased to see these albums played live after so many decades. Mark Arm had impossibly big shoes to fill and I admire that he stayed true to the songs without trying to be Chris. He did a great job. As for the rest of the band - wow !!!

The set list consisted of 19 songs from across the 1973 to ’78 time period of the original line up of The Saints. I don’t make any apologises for my rather heavy selection of songs from “Prehistoric Sounds”. For me, it’s the best album to come out of the late 70s, and I would have been quite happy if they had just played that album in full. But I thought I should include at least a couple of other songs:

Swing for the Crime (00:16)
The Prisoner (04:44)
The Chameleon (09:55)
(I'm) Stranded (14:37)
Know Your Product (21:13)
All Times Through Paradise (24:40)
Nights in Venice (28:41)

The highlight of the night for me, was watching Ed zoned out with his guitar. It was his love of playing guitar which was the reason he never took on the role of vocalist with The Saints. That love was so very obvious throughout this performance. It was a brilliant night, and there were flashes there, when I truly felt like an 18 year old again, enjoying the best music of my life. Thanks to everyone who made this happen.