Here is my review of both shows, again I'm literary genius but  here goes....

9th July 2002

I had nervous anticipation at this gig, as there had already been reviews that Glasgow wasn’t good but Sheffield was great, so there was one of three things it could be, bad, great or okay. We hadn’t seen a n okay gig in the UK yet, was this to be it. Well, NO.

To start off  with - I would put this gig up there with NYC which was a great show and more so for me because it was new and I didn’t know what was going to be played. Whereas in London I had a pretty good idea but am always open to the possibility of other songs!!

We got the pleasure or displeasure (depending on your view) of an intro, which was by Krautrock. Sharp blue lazer light flashes accompanied it into the audience, which only heightened the anticipation but being a touch too long, that eased. No doubt some last minute 'psych up' or fine tuning the look. Either way it didn’t matter because as soon as the group took stage, you knew this would be good. Opening with Pure and leading into a punchy vibrant Jigsaw Feeling , it wasn't good, it was GREAT! For me that song alone set the tone for this gig. Every person was into what they were playing and singing as if to make it special. Sioux dressed in black suit, and choker.  Jacket off early on to reveal sparkly bra and added accessory from bra to belt – lace or net? I couldn’t really tell what it was. Severin in black pinned stripped suit, Budgie in tight fitting top and shorts (looking like something from the Tour de France – but when your that fit, you can wear anything!!), Knox in his standard long coat with pink / red tinges in his hair.

Metal Postcard followed in the same pace and urgency as did We Hunger (great version and nice to hear a different song in there). Arabian Knights is the only one in the whole show where I felt that the vocal didn’t quite do it justice. (It isn’t even worth its mention, and is only being so just because ‘the voice’ has been criticised a lot on this tour and in some cases justified, but then maybe not – if the reports are to be believed, who CAN sing well with flu??!!), musically it was as lovely and as perfect as always. Christine, Lullaby and Lands End, ditto the last statement, all enjoyable and done to their best. Kiss Them for me , again, I’ve heard this one being described as a low point, however, I tend to disagree. It is a difficult song to do live, but in this stripped down version I think it still works well – or at least it did here in London and NYC (maybe I’m biased?!?). The start of tonight’s version was different to the US and I thought Sioux handled most of the notes rather well – a far cry from some versions that emitted from Sioux lips back in ’95 (that shadow of a bleak tour seems long gone). Security was crap as always although not bad enough to warrant Sioux kicking anyone or hitting them with a mic stand (pity!!) but enough for Severin to say 'Fuck off ' to one as he passed and for Sioux to pull on their shirts. Great versions of Cites in Dust, Icon, Night Shift, Voodoo Dolly , in which Sioux characteristically rolls and writhes thus dislodging her earpiece (it only seems to constrict her movements and keeps her feet mostly on the ground – you can tell there’s a bouncing, skipping, jumping, dancing Sioux in there dying to get out to do all those familiar movements, but as soon as she gives way to it – that damn thing falls off and brings her down to earth again) and then…gone…it seemed all too quick. How could all of those songs have passed by?

Back for Trust in Me (nice to hear but I don’t think it was a great version) Spellbound, again Sioux wanted to jump, dance and hold arms high but IT fell again leading to a longer intro while she arranged herself.

Another encore in the form of Blue Jay Way (The Beatles), in which we saw Sioux kick her mic stand (and in the direction of my ex which was personally very amusing for me – perhaps she was as bored of his head as I am!!) and her grab on the same security guards shirt again pulling him down again from the ledge where he was pointing at a person in the crowd Monitor, always a superb wall of sound and screams. The final encore saw eX girl complete in frogs heads join Sioux and co. for Peek A Boo (silver dollar) which was SO much fun. eX Girl did little choreographed movements and sang on the chorus. Everyone looked like they were having fun.

10th July 2002

Just to start off it was nice to see that the all members of the Banshees were at the side of the stage watching eX-Girl play their set and clapping after the songs.

Now the gig.....

Take everything I said for the last nights show and double it, maybe even treble it and you get an idea of what the show was like. If last nights show was great then this was…FUCKING AWESOME ….ahem… and I don’t use those words lightly!! This was bigger, louder, faster. The sound was great, the lights amazing and Sioux and the boys were well up for it.

Was it because it was being filmed professionally? Was it because there were friends of the group there tonight? Well, I only know of the ones near me being Pam Hogg (who videoed parts of the show), Don Letts (who videoed fans coming into the venue) and Severin's daughter,  who he often looked up and smiled to and Budgie waved as they went off for the first encore. We had the same intro but shorter and the whole sound was louder from start to finish. Sioux in silver suit this time, with shirt and sparkly bra. Severin and Knox, their usual outfit and Budgie in a tight black and white spider effect top. The songs? Oh yes, mostly the same except: Red Light, Happy House, Israel, I could be Again, instead of Arabian Knights, We Hunger and Trust in Me,  and better in every way. Pure, Jigsaw Feeling, Metal Postcard the latter followed Sioux saying the words in German…. Red light was good to hear and one my bf wanted to hear. Severin on bass for it and not keyboard and slightly different other touches through the song – the stage a wash of red. Followed by Happy House and plenty of thumbing the nose from Sioux as well as strong well-delivered vocals on all songs even Israel, which has seemed such a problem vocally on this tour and in ’95 – not here. Lots of crowd surfing going on and Sioux even touched the hand of two people who reached the stage, as they were being taken away. Nice to hear I could be again, I enjoyed it in NYC, and here to. Nightshift had the white light flashes and guitar screech that was missing from yesterdays show and Voodoo Dolly saw Sioux rolling back and forth and collapsing each time into her monitors on her shouting ‘she’. Sioux jumped around more tonight seemingly a little less unhindered by her earpiece (maybe it was secured better to her diamante belt).

Israel and Spellbound shook the place for the first encore as did Monitor in the second encore to which Severin’s little girl mimed air guitar throughout the whole song! Very cute I must say (and that’s coming from someone who’s not keen on kids!!)

The next encore, Sioux introduced eX-Girl as being the best support group they've ever had and went into Peek A Boo (Silver Dollar) which was again very funny and better than the night before, but then everything was. This WAS the perfect gig and to borrow Martin Percival's comment ‘It was THE gig of the tour’.  For all of those that missed it, at least (hopefully) you'll get to see it on film.

Great gigs with great lighting and sound. Recordings of this tour haven’t done the group justice and generally don’t anyway and I think if anyone who hasn’t seen the group this time round (but has heard this stuff) keeps this in mind, maybe one day, if (and no doubt when) they play again you’ll be more than pleasantly surprised.