Terry Chambers and EXTC Celebrate XTC Songbook at The Cincinnati Show
Halfway through his group’s first set, EXTC guitarist Steve Tilling eagerly waved his arms around her head as her long, curly hair danced around her shoulders.
“Come on, then! the smiling leader told the already delighted audience at Cincinnati’s Ludlow Garage on April 1. Beans!”
The British alternative band – fronted from behind by ex-XTC drummer Terry Chambers (Former TC . . . understood?) and featuring songs from the prolific career of these colorful post-punk/alt-pop pioneers – had recently toured North America on a whirlwind spring tour of small theaters and nightclub. So they stopped here on April Fool’s Night to play a generous, inspired set of classic XTC songs, as well as a couple. And, as the Brits often say, it all “tumbled down”.
As the inventive drummer who fueled XTC through five studio albums and more than ten years in the early 80s, Chambers was clearly in command again with this vast repertoire. Delved into XTC’s past, he and his happy foursome delved into a pair of kinetic songs from the band’s ’70s New-Wave era, then two more grungy tracks from the early ’80s album. Black Sea. Quickly moving beyond their time in XTC and into that band’s more melodic mid-’80s studio period, EXTC then opened the lid on XTC’s pop songwriting paintbox.
XTC bassist Molding received special attention in the opening set with a four-song mini-sampler of his sly romantic touches and clever lyrical turns. And the public looked at it with enthusiasm. Of these, two dated from 1985 Lark (more would come later), a surprise late-career 2017 solo song about the afterlife, and, in particular, a lovely rendition of his 1983 Mime track “Wonderland”. This rather mellow tune – Chambers’ last XTC recording, in fact – was originally based on electronics, but got a reboot as an airy, Hendrix-esque love song, complete with guitar flourishes. trippy, open-chord guitarist Tilling and second ax Steve Hampton. .
Shortly after those psych/folk/pop entries, more power-pop tracks from XTC guitarist Andy Partridge returned to great response, keeping pace with more casting melodies through the end of the set and into in the second. Songs spanning the 80s, such as “No Thugs in Our House,” “Mayor of Simpleton,” and “Respectable Street,” all evoked the spirit of ‘St. Andy.’ So much so, in fact, that if you had closed your eyes, you could almost smell the “Talented Mr. Partridge” lurking in the room. (Fwiw, he’s also the one who gave the band its clever name.) But Molding’s aura remained just as bright with songs like “Ball and Chain”, “Standing in for Joe”, “Grass” and “The Meeting Place”. have brilliant moments in the show.
Despite a not-quite-sold-out venue at this compact, cinema-like club that – believe it or not – was once an Uno pizzeria, the energy was pouring out of the band long before the first set was over. And it was a two-way flow, as the band never needed to encourage the audience to spill “the beans.” Dancers popped up all around the stage and in the aisles, especially to close in on set 1, 1992’s “The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead.” Notel. The vibe only dwindled during the mid-show break, then the mosh pit returned to action after the two-guitar version of XTC’s 1987 stealth B-side “Dear God” began. set 2.
Looking longer and more varied, the second set ping-ponged around XTC’s back catalog to the delight of the crowd. Again, songs from Lark ranked right next to others from Oranges and lemons, Drums and wires and Black Sea. “Earn Enough for Us,” “King for a Day,” and “Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me)” were just some of the outrageous rockers fans were hearing. Two other must-have songs – a catchy, extended, sung version of the jaunty, Black Sea the anti-war anthem “General and Majors”, and XTC’s groovy debut single from 1979, “Making Plans for Nigel” – capped the set.
With Chambers’ ever-accurate drum lines pounding through the end, the encore of three era-hopping songs brought it all home: “Senses Working Overtime” and “Stupidly Happy,” plus a memory of over the time when it all started for XTC (Sure!), “Life begins at the jump.” All combined, the dual guitar attack of the two Steves, the finely tuned rhythm section of Chambers and bassist Matt Hughes, and Tilling’s playful vocal impressions of the two Moldings and Partridge gave the songs all the wit, grit and growl of when this duo fronted the band.
At the end of the evening, under the roars of a completely transcended public, the group leaves the stage, mission accomplished! So all in all a good time been had by “those jumping boys and girls”, okay. And then many of them headed to the merchandise counter to meet the group, with lots of good cheer and ringing ears all around.
By mid-April, EXTC’s North American tour had already wrapped up and dusted off, and the band returned home for a small run of UK dates in May. Steve Tilling just posted on the band’s EXTC Facebook page how much fun the band had on the NA tour and how happy he was with the warm reception he received from the fans. And at the end, he just said, “Do you mind if we do it again?”
More information on EXTC Tour dates can be found here: https://www.extc.co.uk/tour/