Review: Space

The night was opened with two excellent supporting bands – the first was Elwhaeko - an eclectic five-piece with a pleasant, feel-good sound that definitely put the audience in the mood for a great night.

The second band, Cuba Drive, a charismatic local group which included three brothers, had a sound that one can only describe as Elvis Presley meets Scouting For Girls, and continued the energy from the opening act, keeping the audience in high spirits ready for the headliners.

Space entered the stage to huge cheers and whoops, amidst the opening strains of 2001: A Space Odyssey. An epic entrance, fitting for a band of their cult following.

Frontman Tommy Scott bounced around, looking like Johnny Depp on a sugar-rush – his high energy and enthusiasm was infectious and had everybody bopping along from the off.

The crowd was then whipped up by the opening of their first number, Charlie M, from debut album Spiders – probably most recognisable due to having borrowed the spirited opening from Blue Swede’s Hooked On A Feeling.

Next followed funky numbers Drop Dead and ska-style number Money, both also from their debut album, continued the high-energy set.

Well-known tracks such as, Money, Avenging Angels, The Ballad of Tom Jones (minus Cerys Matthews, sadly) and Mister Psycho were interspersed by other lesser-known tracks from their numerous albums.

A number of their tracks that had featured (mostly bizarre) music videos back in the 90s had these projected onto the wall behind the band, presenting a chance to reminisce for the original fans of Space in the audience.

The show wound up with some of their most famous tracks, Female of the Species and Me and You Versus The World, and closed with A Little Biddy Help From Elvis and the classic final track Neighbourhood.

The band waved their way off stage, blowing kisses to those in the sold-out venue, and the cheers carried on even after the band were out of sight.

A fantastic gig, performed with the furore of men still very much in love with their music, in a venue very suited to their intimate energy.

If you enjoyed Space’s music in their 90s heyday, you won’t be disappointed by their performances more than 20 years after their debut album’s release.