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Looking at the Miserable Rich’s website, the first thing that strikes you is that this is a band that plays a lot of gigs. Including, apparently, two previous appearances in this very room – how they’ve managed to pass me by I do not know. And what a wondrous band I’ve been missing out on: from the introductory whine of stringed instruments being brought to order to the final, unforgettable, encore the Brighton sextet kept the Saturday night Deaf Institute crowd completely spellbound.

The setlist leaned heavily on last year’s “Miss You” LP, a chamber pop concept album about ghostly goings on – but don’t let that lazy description put you off: what in lesser hands could have been fey and indulgent is here full-blooded, captivating and shot through with an irresistible black humour.

Singer James de Malplaquet makes for a captivating host; between keening vocals and stage patter to elucidate the ghostly thread holding the new songs together, he even managed to sweet talk the audience into buying him a single malt to soothe his ailing larynx. It certainly seemed to do the trick as he effortlessly led the band through a set that kept the entire audience entirely rapt.

After 15 perfectly poised songs, we probably couldn’t have reasonably asked for any more but the band saw fit to circumvent the curfew they’d already broken by unplugging their instruments and playing the final two numbers of the night unamplified in the centre of the room. I’ve no doubt whatsoever that this is a trick they regularly pull out of the bag rather than the impromptu gesture it ostensibly was but it was still absolutely magical. An unforgettable end to an exceptional gig.

What a fabulous band. And they’re back in town in a few weeks, too.

Special thanks to Howard, the band and all at the Deaf Institute for facilitating this recording and, of course, much respect to Hey Manchester for another memorable night.

Stream “Ghost of a Dog>Tramps”:

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Download complete show in mp3 format (click here)

Download complete show in FLAC format (click here)

Setlist:

Imperial Lines
Laid Up In Lavender
Honesty
On a Certain Night
The Lighthouse
Let Me Fade
Telephone
Chestnut Sunday
Heaven’s Sake
Ghost Of A Dog>Tramps
Under Glass
Pillion
Ringing The Changes
Fear of the Dark
True Love
Monkey
Hungover

If you download and enjoy this music we would fully expect you to support the band by buying their records and attending their gigs. The Miserable Rich’s official website is here and their releases can be purchased from record shops of quality and distinction such as Piccadilly Records.