Spurious?

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Shepherd's Bush Empire, London - 20 December 1999 (Post-Morphis Tour)

Click below for Show Times:

Setlist:

Bliss
Gravity
Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble?
Follow
See The Star
Show Me Heaven
It's OK
Sanctify
Kiss Your Feet

I'm Not Ashamed
Heaven
Metamorphis
Blindfold
History Maker

Mezzanine Floor
Deeper
All The Way

After an almost successful attempt to blag our way backstage (where the security guards asked us if we were in the band!), the Goatee Bros (myself, Adam, and Gordon Goatee) had to settle for front-row mosh pit standing spaces. Still, it was better than Mike and Scooby, who mistakenly sat on Level 2 seating. Adrian was milling around in the crowd so it was a Spurious? infested gig.

Ruth opened for delirious? and put on an accomplished set, although their songs seemed dated ("go back to 1994" said one punter), but a surprise appearance of a trombone certainly caught the crowd's attention. They were sort of a cross between Feeder and Ben Folds Five with - bizarrely - a bit of Britney Spears thrown in. Although the lead singer's on stage antics resembled a puppet on drugs, their over-enthusiastic tunes set the tone for what would be an over-enthusiastic evening.

Delirious? came out and opened straight away with 'Bliss', the electronic influence causing Martin to buzz all over the place in a fit of frenzied excitement. As ever, much of the enjoyment of perhaps the greatest tune in the world ever was taken away by the frantic moshing which is synonymous with the song, but Stu G's middle 8 provided a bit of light relief when he sung, "it's the Christmas things that satisfy, keep my feet on the ground and my head in the sky." There was no respite as the band flowed into 'Gravity' with barely a pause for breath and the bouncy atmosphere was increased by some manic Stew Smith drumming and an on-form Martin belting out the lyrics that make us happy. Pausing for introductions, where Martin once again forgot himself, delirious? played the fans' favourite 'Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble?' which was undeniably awesome. Missing in the past few years from live performances, this scintillating song proved several goosebumpy moments as Martin belted out lines like "When the people rose to sing of Jesus Christ the risen one" and "Prepare the way of the risen Lord" and the audience joining him in devoted worship for the chorus "Open up the doors and let the music play." Selling out? Only in terms of tickets, for Shepherd's Bush Empire was packed to the rafters.

'Follow' was the next song to blast the audience, and the muted half-tones grew to full-blooded cries that culminated in a Stu G solo to surprise and shock. Martin went on the first of his two crowd-surfing trips, managing to stand upright supported by loyal fans (who were obviously enjoying the concert otherwise ol' Mart would have ended up on his bonce) and continuing to cry "I will follow", holding the mike out to the audience. Unfortunately I ended up holding the bottom of Martin's boot, so I got my hands a bit muddy, but when he came back into the crowd (possibly during History Maker, can't remember) he shook my hand twice so I managed to give him his mud back. He didn't seem to mind as he gave me a beaming smile while wiping his hand.

The familiar strobe/green light effect used with 'Follow' soothed the audience into submission, and delirious? took advantage of the mellow
atmosphere to thank us for "getting this to number 16" before inflicting 'See The Star' upon us. Thankfully it was played heavier than the studio version, which seemed to prepare the audience for the new song 'Show Me Heaven' which was heavy, and reminiscent of Heaven more than Bliss. I think that once they get it into the studio, delirious? will have produced their first Post-Morphis classic.

From the distant future of new songs to the near future of new singles; the harmonic 'It's OK' reached out into the crowd, the mirror-ball sending a chill down everyone's spine as Stu G's biting chords reminded the audience just why this was the next delirious? single. Martin looped back into 'I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever' which casts a new spin on It's OK's final line, "will you come to me...I will sing again." From one crowd-pleaser to another; 'Sanctify' shook up the audience with the hand-swaying sing-along antics of Martin before delirious? calmed things right down with an awesome rendition of 'Kiss Your Feet'. For once, Martin managed to hit all the high notes (and it was amusing hearing the thousands present attempt to follow his falsetto tones) and the atmosphere was helped by understated playing from the rest of the band who allowed Martin's vocals to speak to everyone present. Simply awesome.

The dual nature of delirious? was then shown as they moved from the bone-crushingly worshipful 'Kiss Your Feet' to the plain bone-crushing 'I'm Not Ashamed' as a delighted mosh pit moshed as Martin incited the crowd into a delirious rapture with his shout, "I'm not ashamed anymore....'cos I found Jesus!!". 'Heaven' proceeded to tear the audience into chunks of meaty flesh and the familiar strobe-madness technique was employed by Martin, whereby in between lines the strobes flash as Martin waves his arms around so we see him moving into impossible positions. The strobes ran over into 'Metamorphis' where Stew Smith's most emphatic drumming (in this post-Obsession era) was freeze-framed by the stuttering strobes as Jonson climbed on top of his amp and jumped off in time with the music - all the more impressive considering he hardly moves usually! Predictably, Martin removed his sleeves in the final verse ("cynical clothing will fall from me," referring to our new bodies in heaven) and went straight into the moody 'Blindfold.'

Stu G has always used this special thingy-ma-jig to make his guitar sing in 'Blindfold', but here he used it more than often as Martin went for a swig of water. The "glory, glory" bit once again encapsulated the audience as d: went for a big finish and looped back into the "glory, glory" section. 'History Maker' roused the crowd before the encore, and there was a nice long talky section where Martin asked the band for someone to give him "satisfaction" and, in the end, there was one man left - Stu G, who broke into the "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" solo over the History Maker chords: truly bizarre, and bizarrely true. The mosh-fest that followed saw Martin put on a sequinned jacket (complete with delirious? logo) and join the crowd with more crowd-surfing.

Each delirious? gig would be incomplete without the customary encore, and delirious? did not disappoint as they came back on to play 'Mezzanine Floor' where a tired Martin had trouble hitting the high notes (which, as someone said, seems to be a feature of the song). 'Deeper' did not disappoint as the crowd belted out the lyrics and the band rocked with their own infectious brand of chunky powerpop. The last delirious? song of the millennium was 'All The Way', and its flawless performance reminded the crowd that delirious? aren't backing down and that the new millennium is a springboard for the band. A happy and tired delirious? thanked a happy and tired crowd, and then we went out separate ways as the fans stumbled into the cold December day to find their way home again.

Adam "The Goatee Boy" Kirkman

Liverpool L2, Liverpool - 18 December 1999 (Post-Morphis Tour)

Click below for a larger setlist:

In the bleak mid-winter... delirious arrived at L2, a cosy, intimate venue and a 10 O'clock curfew! The audience were "up for it" big time and seemed far more d:friendly than the Sheffield gig - I think this was reflected in the band and support act. Having said that, there seemed to be a younger audience and far more people who were not familiar with d:.

Ruth were stacks better, and the lead singer's pineapple didn't break this time! By the time D:came on about 8.30ish things were getting pretty hot and sweaty! I nearly backed out, as they launched into Gravity the words "Heaven is calling me" seemed a little too close for comfort as I got jostled and pushed - nearly a near death experience!! To cool things down large fans around the room were started up which prompted a "Did you Liverpool girls bring your hair dryers?" joke from Martin. Things settled down and it turned out to be one of the best gigs ever (and I know we said that last week but this one was better than Sheffield......and Martin said it was too!)

The sound was better - I think this was down to acoustics at the venue - it being a cool and trendy nightclub rather than a sterile student union place. That and a combination of a weeks gigging with d: seemed to help Ruth too and they were received with enthusiasm. The band were totally chilled and really really chatty! Martin talked about what they'd been doing in the last year - Glastonbury, Soul Survivor and America: he said we're loads louder than American audiences! Apparently they saw the Corrs at Glastonbury from only a few feet away from the side of centre stage - Stu G mentioned meeting "Drummer Corr" which prompted a flurry of "corr!" jokes and comments, "Hard Corr" said Martin. Martin asked Jon if he wanted to add anything and he didn't so Martin said "Oh yeah, Jon celebrated his first wedding anniversary" - Jon said it was his second and Martin was like "is it really? Two years?" then he made a joke about being really close to Jon! He said they'd had more babies this year, looked at Tim and said, "It keeps us busy in the mornings!" Then realised what he'd just said sounded a bit dodgy and laughed!

The upshot of all the extra talkie bits was that they dropped Blindfold (though this was crossed out from the set list early on) and Mezzanine Floor from the encore. Apart from that the songs were the same as Sheffield except for the chorus of 'I could sing of your love forever' at the end of It's OK. During History Maker they had a section where Martin got the band to play a bit quietly on their own - he was saying to Stew "Give me more!", and Stew would drum normally (other than a silly "ting" on the cymbal!) and so on round all the band - finally Stu G played a bit if 'We wish you a merry Christmas' before launching back into the History Maker chorus!

Martin went out into the audience again a few times and highlights were Show Me Heaven and Kiss Your Feet. Show Me Heaven was totally brilliant! Martin said that they had to finish early because there was some disco thing on and then he said something about disco being a word from youth culture! It was totally brilliant and I don't think I've ever heard them all talk as much on stage as they did. Jon jumped off his amp at one point and Tim got up on his stool thing and jumped off it - unfortunately I think a lot of people missed it because I think he deserved a big cheer - and Tim's jump was one of my favourite moments!!!!

On the way home down the M6 we spotted the D: tour bus and all waved frantically out the windows and beeped the car horn. We were rewarded with Stew Smith (we think) waving and the driver waving and flashing his lights! A friend stood by the sound console - which wasn't the comfiest place - but she said she enjoyed standing there as she got to see all the communication between band and sound person - including when the sound person made fish faces at Stu G putting him off and making him laugh!

Linda & Chris Sharp

Norwich Waterfront, Norwich - 16 December 1999 (Post-Morphis Tour)

See the signed setlist here and a signed ticket here.

Setlist:

There is a light
Bliss
Gravity
Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble?
Follow
See The Star
Show Me Heaven
It's OK
Sanctify
Kiss Your Feet

I'm Not Ashamed
Heaven
Metamorphis
Blindfold
History Maker

Mezzanine Floor
Deeper
All The Way

After a month of glandular fever, a bad cold and a four hour journey in a battered old Volvo I was just about ready to drop when I turned up at The Waterfront in Norwich. It's the smallest venue I've ever seen the boys play in, with only room for a few hundred people. Needless to say, the gig was a sell out and I was planning on sitting down throughout the whole show. Ruth opened while I took some coats to the cloakroom, and when I returned they were playing 'I get around' by the Beach Boys. I pushed forwards through the crowds to find my friends, and they played several more tunes which got me hooked. With funky bass and piano and widdly guitar, they seemed to be playing in the style of Ben Folds Five meets Blur meets Bon Jovi. Well, whatever they sounded like, I liked it, and decided I wasn't so tired after all.

But on to the real stuff. After the obligatory pause to change almost everything on the stage the boys walked on and started their set. Stu G was wearing trousers for a change - which we discovered later was due to the fact that his parents, parents-in-law and sister were all at the gig, apparently for the first time. Stew had his sleeveless top and mohican haircut, Jon and Tim looked quite normal, and Martin was wearing a red top with zippy sleeves.

The set started with 'There is a light', followed by Bliss and then Gravity, just to get us all going. In the small venue it was a relief not to be crushed even though we were right at the front just in front of Martin, although everyone was enjoying a good mosh. The next song to be played was 'a bit of an oldie' - Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble, played the old way and not mezzed up a bit, as far as I could tell. Martin even tried to play mandolinny parts on his guitar, which brought a smile to Tim's face.

After See the Star Martin introduced a new song, 'Show me heaven' - a nice heavy rocking song, which even included a much needed widdly solo from Stu G. At last! But Martin didn't seem too sure of the words yet, so he had someone from the audience hold them up for him. Several times during the evening Martin ventured of the stage, to either walk on people's hands and shoulders, hang from the lighting rig or just wander around in the audience. Well, after the size of some of the stages d: have played on, they probably thought the whole venue was the stage. The atmosphere of the gig was much more intimate and friendly than other recent shows I've been too, which made it far more enjoyable for me.

As the evening progressed, Tim Jupp got more animated and really seemed to be enjoying himself more than usual, and he almost banged his head on the lights above him as he jumped around during History Maker - one the highlights of the evening for me, it being one of my favourite songs, due to the fabulous Stu G mosh fest guitar part at the end. Another highlight was when they played I'm Not Ashamed - all the way through and completed un-mezzed, except for a brilliant heavy bass intro. As expected, at the end of Metamorphis Martin removed his zippy sleeves, put a stocking on his head, played blindfold and then took it off again. Of course, no d:gig would be complete without an audience led rendition of Deeper, which was followed by All The Way - perhaps because of the line '...Find My Way Home Again', which could be a problem when you're completely moshed out after one of the best gigs you've been to for a very long time.

After collecting my coat from the cloakroom I came back downstairs to find the boys had emerged to chat to the remaining fans, at which point I did the best to embarrass myself by standing right next to Jon and saying to my friends 'Shall I get this ticket signed? No, can't be bothered. Actually, I'll get Stu G to sign it 'cos he's such a good guitarist', then noticed who was next to me and took my foot back out of my mouth, and asked him to sign it anyway. Then when I went to get Stu G's autograph I noticed his dad was next to him, so I got him to sign it too. Just for the novelty value.

And then I went home and slept, happy in the knowledge that there would always be a piece of my heart devoted to it. Or something.

James Ots

Cambridge Corn Exchange, Cambridge - 13th December 1999 (Post-Morphis Tour)

See The Signed Setlist here.

There is a light
Bliss
Gravity
Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble?
Follow
See The Star
Show Me Heaven
It's OK
Sanctify
Kiss Your Feet

I'm Not Ashamed
Heaven
Metamorphis
Blindfold
History Maker

Mezzanine Floor
Deeper
All The Way

Tonight D: were supported by a band called Ruth. They ROCK! (What doyou want from me at this time of night - literature??) Loud and heavy, just the way we like it. Yes. They did seem to have a ghost playing the keyboard for the first few tracks though... The Corn Exchange wasn't as full as it could have been - not as full as it was as for the pre-Mezzanine tour (25th Feb) - but maybe that's expected in a University town a week and a half after the end of term... Still an enthusiastic crowd though.

The D: boys launched their set with 'There is a light' - ambient chord intro much like the L&ITC in-betweens. Then they launched straight into Bliss and Gravity, prompting much jumping in the audience. See The Star they played much heavier than the single. Martin told us how the band had done a lot of touring in the US, and that they were working on the new album; they played one of their new songs "Show Me Heaven" which promises great things if the rest of the new album is going to be as good as this track. Superb catchy guitar riffs - I didn't catch many of the lyrics though.

It's OK, Sanctify and Kiss Your Feet were a slow but, as always, very powerful and passionate mid-section - followed by Not Ashamed, probably the track where the most of the crowd were joining in and worshipping God. Heaven and Metamorphis were, again, big crowd-pleasers. Martin was clearly pushing himself to the limit tonight - he was looking really tired towards the end of the gig (he always misses a lot of the high notes and tonight was no exception, but for the first verse of Mezzanine Floor he started singing in completely the wrong key!) I don't think, as a group, they were playing quite at their best, but they certainly had energy tonight and that's what counts.

And Stewart's had a haircut!

Andrew Collier

Sheffield Octagon, Sheffield - 11th December 1999 (Post-Morphis Tour)

Set list:

There is a light
Bliss
Gravity
Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble?
Follow
See The Star
Show Me Heaven
It's OK
Sanctify
Kiss Your Feet

I'm Not Ashamed
Heaven
Metamorphis
Blindfold
History Maker

Mezzanine Floor
Deeper
All The Way

I'm still buzzing from one of the most staggering d:gigs I've ever been to. It looks like Delirious? have moved off the "Mezzanine Floor" and the lift has shot up to the top floor! It felt, to me, like they are past all that sold out stuff and are just going for it regardless of what anyone says! It was well worth the wait and Delirious? seem happy to be back in England!!

Stew definitely has a mohican, but it's small and dark. Stu G is ginger again while Martin is sort of spiky but shorter than the old spiky look and blonde! Tim looked the same but I have never seen Tim rock as much as he did tonight! Martin did this kind of sleeve thing in Metamorphis where his special delirious? top had detachable sleeves so he could remove them in Metamorphis ("..my cynical clothing will fall from me..") in a manner similar to the Mezzamorphis tour. They did a brand new song called "Show Me Heaven". It was really cool - and in my opinion a lot heavier than d:'s usual (in musical terms) and a sort of a Bliss-Heaven mix but, in my opinion, better and heavier with such a cool solo by Stu G! Certainly mezzamorphissy but taking it on a level. I thought the gig got off to a bit of a slow start, but maybe that was the crowd to a degree that made me feel like this. They started with "There Is A Light" (from Live 'n' In The Can) followed by "Bliss" and then a smattering of older Cutting Edge stuff, such as all of "Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble?", a power-house version of "I'm Not Ashamed" and the crowd-pleaser "Sanctify".

Martin seemed a bit out of tune on the older stuff nearer the beginning and also at the start of Mezzanine Floor, but I'm getting used to that as a "feature" now - and that's my only little moan other than the fact that we didn't get "In Pursuit Of Happiness". The MAJOR thing that struck me was how much d: seemed to enjoy themselves and they just exuded confidence - I think this is what I meant about them getting off the "Mezzanine Floor" and I think they are still on their way up to the next floor though. I've never seen Jon look so happy and smile so much and he and Stew seemed to be "bouncing" (metaphorically) off one another with smiles for most of the night...Tim was hopping around like Zebedee! As they started History Maker, you could tell Martin was just really getting off on seeing everyone worship - with my fist in the air singing as loud as I could I am sure that Martin looked me straight in the eye and winked, so I gave a big grin and the thumbs up which prompted one of those smiles that my wife goes gooey about, and then I wasn't at all surprised when he leaped down from stage and then on into the crowd and he stood then attempted to walk on peoples shoulders. Unfortunately he wobbled, so everyone proceeded to pass him around over their heads until Martin's head took a dive for the floor but everyone managed to get under him and lift him back up in just in time so he could get back to the stage.

They mentioned they had just shot a new video for It's OK. Jon used his new Ashdown "King" combo...which was a real monster...I don't think I've seen him use it before and boy could I feel that bass resonating in my chest! The venue was pretty small and there was a bit of jostling crowdwise and one person fainted about half way through! I thought that the crowd responded really well to the new song and I think it is major time heavier than usual. Favourite song tonight - apart from History Maker as ever - was See the Star (it's like meeting an old friend). You know what's so weird as I listened to STS I remembered being at Liverpool on the Pre-Morphis tour and D: saying this is our new single and when I heard it tonight it just made me think how far we have all come in this year D: wise and it feels so good to be a fan of the best band in the world!

Chris & Linda Sharp

The Venue, Chichester - Thursday 9th July 1999

So, a two hour train journey to Maidenhead to meet up with Scooby and Gordon, followed by a two hour drive to Chichester for a delirious? gig, coupled with the facts that I was in Maidenhead at 6:30 when I needed to be back in Sutton at 8:35 for school and a 360km round trip journey awaited me, was it worth it? The simple answer is yes.

After a hilarious car journey which involved the Badger Initiation (something we should all a-spire to), we arrived with a little while to go. Striding purposely from the car park with a 6 foot fluffy question mark and two sets of fake ginger goatees, we were met with a hushed sense of awe from the crowd. Ok, the crowd were all inside and we arrived to some shifty looks, but delirious? were hanging round having a chat with anyone who wanted to. They looked pleased to see us (Jon later said it was always nice to see some friendly, familiar faces) and we had a chat for a while. Wanting to catch Fruit in action (a quality band supporting d:) we waved our goodbyes and settled in for a good evening. Fruit seemed pretty good, but the band that stole the show was River Deep. The classic caterwauling, the stupid beats and the 'yo yo in the house' style-music went down well with the crowd (they were a local band) but the Spurious? crew amused themselves by attempting to balance the question mark on their foot. Scooby held the record at just over 4 seconds.

Then, the moment we were waiting for; delirious? took to the stage. Starting off with a snippet from 'Love Falls Down', the band quickly moved into 'Bliss' (my favourite song) which totally rocked and was one of the few songs where the whole crowd got animated. They switched into 'Promise' without respite, and then went straight into 'Gravity' which also had a lot of crowd participation. Stopping for a minute, Martin welcomed everyone and introduced the band (but forgot himself again!), but that didn't matter as the band quickly slipped into 'Follow', which used half-hearted strobes with blue and green lights, and was fantastic. They then performed the souped-up 'Louder Than The Radio' and moved on through 'Mezzanine Floor' (which, for the first time live that I've heard it, sounded pretty good) before the jangly-happy 'Love Falls Down'.

The mellow secton started with the hauntingly melodic 'It's OK', where Martin cleverly and spontaneously linked the last line "I will sing again" to that Cutting Edge classic, 'I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever', which was met with the most fervent cheers from the crowd. It seemed that most were there for a 'traditional' worship concert, for it was noticeable that the crowd flagged towards the end (and so did the band). They then moved into 'Beautiful Sun', complete with the Christmas-tree style lighting cord, and the mirror ball (used so effectively in 'It's OK') shone with warm, yellow light. Martin then calmed things down and talked about how sometimes the band get caught up in wanting a Top 10 hit or something, but really it's not about that' it's about God and he used the example that pictures of children from Kosovo (it was a charity gig for Kosovo) really humbled him. Trying depsreately to introduce the next song cleverly, he simply said, "The next song has got nothing to do with that."

And it didn't, really: 'Deeper' broke through the seriousness of the moment and had the crown bouncing to the classic chunky powerpop tune. The next song, 'Heaven' did have something to do with Kosovo ("Heaven is my home / And there'll be no refugees") and d: returned to the excellent strobe technique that made the song. They then played 'See The Star' (my least favourite tune), but went on to the classic 'I'm Not Ashamed' which had the re-instatement of the lyric "I'm not ashamed anymore as I've found Jesus!" (as opposed to the Mezza tour's 'mezzamorphissy'), and then the moody 'Blindfold' broke out and Stu G's biting chords lifted the song into pure worship, but the crowd didn't catch on to the 'Glory, glory' bit - but Sccoby, Gordon and I were screaming 'glory, glory in the highest' right at the front, totally caught up in the moment of the song.

D: then went off for a well-earned break, but (shock horror) they came back for an encore (hmm, that's never happened before). They came back with the rock-tastic song 'Metamorphis' which was met well, but I loved it and made a complete fool of myself. The band finished with 'History Maker', with a small talky bit, which roused the crowd into a final farewell. Although the set-list (see left) said 'Kiss Your Feet', the band didn't get round to playing it.

A brief chat with the band afterwards revealed that they haven't produced any 'Gravity' singles yet, that Tim had new glasses,'The Happy Song' may make a suprise appearance in the future, that it was Martin's ide for the word 'I' to have 15 syllables in 'Bliss' (at which point I thanked him profusely for the greatest musical moment ever) and one very cool thing happened that Spurious? might tell you about later.

The journey back was met with much frivolity; Gordon revealed he watched Miami 7 (and was promptly threatened with expulsion from the car), and we didn't get lost once. We also had a suprise encounter with a real-life badger. However, we were unable to visit the beach, but were left full and satisfied with an excellent concert and our chat with d: proved just how humble they are. They may be 'rock stars' but they ain't arrogant; as Mike puts it, 'God smiles on them', but as I put it, they are God's band.

Adam Kirkman

Cambridge Corn Exchange - Thursday 25th 1999

It's lunchtime, I've got that severe 'lack of sleep' feeling, and I'm still buzzing from the night before. This can mean only one thing - today's the day after a Delirious gig.

It was an extremely diverse set - from the old (Find me in the River, I'm Not Ashamed), to the new (including the new single See The Star). The night also showed the wide range of Delirious music, from the quiet (All the Way), through the sing-a-longs (All I Want Is You) to the 'in yer face' (Heaven). Click on the setlist (fresh from next to Jon Thatcher's feet!) to get the full list of songs played.

I've seen Delirious a few times now (although not as many as some that go to 2 gigs in the same tour, Mr Editor! :) ), and there is one thing that puts their gigs on a different level to others that I've been to, such as Embrace and Blur.

I first noticed this when I saw them at Brixton last May - it was the best gig I think I've ever been to, but I couldn't work out quite why. Was it the fantastic Stu G guitar solos? Was it Martin's ability to sing the rousing 'Come Like You Promise', and then bring it right down to 'Lord You Have My Heart'? Was it the hilarious 'shadow boxing behind a white screen' gag?

Well last night, I think I worked out what it is that makes Delirious gigs unique. It's the fact that God smiles on them. That's the only way I can think of describing it. On the surface, the gigs are a lot different these days to the times when the band led the worship at Cutting Edge events; I went to the gig last night to enjoy a good night out, but I found that in the middle of it, I was singing the songs to the One above. So in fact, very little has changed - God's still in the middle of it all, and that's what sets Delirious gigs apart from the rest of the crowd.

Mike Roberts

Soul Survivor 'B' - Tuesday 18th August 1998

Delirious last played at Soul Survivor in 1996 where they were guest worship leaders. I remember that event distinctly as it was the first time I heard them ‘in the flesh’ and it was also the place I originally heard White Ribbon Day. This was to be the start of their ventures into the mainstream, and at the time none of us knew how the wide world was going to react.

Here, two years later, they were not leading worship, just playing a gig. This alone says how much the band’s aims have changed and how far they have moved from the days of ‘Cutting Edge’. The set included a few of the typical d: tour tunes, a vamped up Did you feel the Mountains Tremble?, and most interestingly, a good collection of new songs, some of which had never been played before (apparently). It is on these new songs that I want to concentrate as they seem to be pointing to a turning point in the short history of the band.

During the first song we all had a pleasant surprise - Stu G sang solo for a couple of lines! Could this be a victory for the mailing list? ;) The second new song was what will possibly be the title track of the new album : Mezzanine Floor. This song was a total shock and seemed to be a cross between Obsession, King or Cripple and (this was the surprising bit) Radiohead’s Paranoid Android. Martin explained that the title of the song described how he felt about where Delirious (and in fact the UK Christian scene) are at the moment. We’re on a journey and cannot go back to where we were, but we haven’t yet reached the next stage - we’re all in between floors.

Next followed an new acoustic number performed by Martin solo. And what did we have here? Traces of Thom Yorke in the singing style? In fact, all four of the new songs suggest that:

1.The next album’s going to be a cracker!
2.If the d: boys were distinctly U2 like in the past they have certainly brought their style right up to date, with Radiohead influences a-plenty. This could possibly be a result of the recent American travelling.

The other new song was Heaven, heard on the May tour. Again, this sounds like one of the most powerful d: tunes yet. The only thing that worries me is whether Martin’s larynx will stand the pounding he gives it during this song.

I was extremely impressed with all of the new songs - I must admit I wasn’t so enthusiastic after the Brixton gig but the boys have definitely worked hard between then and now.

The gig’s description in the Soul Survivor programme included the following line : ‘Go to the gig if you DON’T like wandering around an empty campsite.’ Certainly at the beginning of the night the pavilion was packed, but the audience thinned out quite markedly towards the end. This could be because the gig started at 10:45 pm and everyone was starting to get tired (yeah - right!). I think the actual reason could be that Delirious have changed style in quite a big way with the new songs. There is a new seriousness in the sound, and not everyone is going to like the change (although personally I welcome it.)

I don’t think we’re going to be able to call Delirious ‘chunky power-poppers’ for much longer. They now rock, and the fan-base is bound to change. If this means that the Delirious message is going to reach a whole bunch of new people this cannot be a bad thing, even if some people don’t like the new style.

All in all, I enjoyed the gig thoroughly - it wasn’t just stuff I had heard before. The new album should be out around new year time and I for one can’t wait!

Mike Roberts

Cuyahoga Falls, OH -November 14, 1998

This was my second time seeing Delirious; the first time being Cornerstone 98'. They put on a rock concert which was moved by the Spirit into an amazing worship service.

Songs like "Obsession", "Sanctify", and "Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble?" just ushered in a sprirt of reverent worship which just enveloped the entire room. They also got the crowd dancing like King David to songs like "I've Found Jesus", "The Happy Song", and"Revival Town". It was a roller coaster ride of emotions from unbridled euphoria to focused reverence. It was a full house and everyone seemed to have a wonderful time.

They played a newer song called "Heaven" which is an awesome display of power from "Pop's Best Kept Secret."

My favorite moment of the show was when the crowd sang the refrain to "What A Friend I've Found." The feeling at that moment cannot be described! They played a lenghthy, diverse, and compelling set and they left the crowd either in awe or in rapture.

I am anxious to hear them again next time they hit Cleveland, Ohio. I so admire their uncompromisingly direct lyrics and their overall focus on God and not their fame. It is bands like these who show how dull lukewarmness is, as well as unbiblical. Living sold-out and on fire is the lifestyle they embody and thousands are getting the message all over the world.

THANKS DELIRIOUS!!!!!!!!!

Ryan Collins

Date: October 1998
Venue: National Youth Workers Convention in Denver, Colorado
Reviewer: Phillip McClure

I just returned from the National Youth Workers Convention in Denver, Colorado. It is an annual event for those who minister to students throughout the U.S. and is put on by an organization known as Youth Specialties (youthspecialties.com). It helps to meet the needs of about 8-10,000 youth workers - paid and volunteer and from all types of Christian churches. The event is held twice each fall, one in each of the two 'halves' of the country. Many speakers and seminar leaders come as well as numerous bands of different styles. We were graced with Deliriou5? this year as part of the Convention.
This was my fifth time to the NYWC and the in-house worship band is great each year, BUT... I worshiped in such an awesome way with Deliriou5?. They had two time slots. The first was during an evening 'main session' in which there is drama, video clips, recognition of fellow youth workers' efforts, a speaker and one or two musical performers/groups. They saved the best for last and the guys did about a 45 minute set. It was intended as a 'concert' setting and they rocked quite well. However, the worship they invoked in people was terrific. Most of the set was from King of Fools. My personal favorite of the night was Deeper. The song was brought to us dead on, then they improvised, worshiped and just kind of 'hung' in the song for quite a while, ending with a
powerful refrain of the chorus a few times more. There were also some moments when they encouraged us to sing a new song to the Lord and to dance before Him.
The second set they had was the next morning and it was slated as a time to lead in worship specifically. They brought several of the 'classics' to us including "I Could Sing..." which had a masked intro that kept us hanging and wondering until Martin sang the very first words. It was a fun way into a great song and a time of worship.
I may not be the best reviewer because I got so caught up in the experience that I haven't given many details, but... I thought it would be worth sharing with someone else who appreciates some people God is using on both sides of the Pond.

Date: June 26th 1998
Venue: Toronto, Canada
Reviewer: Laurence Roberts Jr.

Deliriou5? opened up for Jars of Clay. A rather silly way of doing it, since most people were actually there to see Delirou5?! The show was fantastic. Completely sold out, (not sure how many people were there, but well over 4000 people, I'm sure.). In their normal fashion, Deliriou5? rocked the house down. Everyone was singing along (in harmony at that!). The boys were on the mark, once again. I don't think I've ever heard a bad live tune from them! They certainly gave Jars of Clay something to worry about. In fact, Jars came out and watched them perform for the first little bit. (Jars of Clay did a fine job, though.) It was a beautiful blend of hard hitting tunes and tender ballads - all worshipful. The experience was soul reviving. I was able to meet with the band before the show (both bands, actually). They were very gracious and friendly.

Venue: Exeter University
Reviewer: G. Bushell

The Deleriou5 concert at Exeter University last year on their D:Tour was brilliant. The use of on stage televisions and back video screen to broadcast live digital pictures of the crowd taken by the band from the stage engaged the fans totally. The music was LOUD, Vibrant and superbly mixed. The live version of Deeper, with back projected video - their No.20 hit, ignored completely by Radio One and other such contempary stations - clearly showed that this band would be in the main stream but for small minded producers who would give any band given air time if they incline towards sex, drugs, the occult etc. but not one that aligns its self with Christianity. Long may they rock on.

Venue: Creation Christian Music Festival in Pennsylvania
Reviewer: Mike Well, I saw deleriou5? this summer at the Creation Christian Music Festival in Pennsylvania where they were the first act of the 4 day festival. We were told that it was their first major American show. What a privelage! In a word, AWESOME!! It was obvious that they were on fire for Jesus and preaching the Gospel. They were so honest with the audience, we felt as if we were in a small group Bible study rather than in a mass of over 60,000. They're coming to Pennsylvania again in Nov. and I'm really hoping to go see them again. I also hope to see them back at Creation again next year. It only took hearing one song to make me a deleriou5? fan and every additional song makes me more and more of a fan!

Venue: Kingdom Bound at Darien Lake, NY
Reviewer: Laurianna Murray

I finally got a chance to see them when I went to Kingdom Bound at Darien Lake, NY. It is a 4 day Christian Music Festival. I am impressed!!! They played the smaller Park Stage 1st which is generally for the more alternative and lesser known bands. It has a much more friendly and atmosphere then the big stage. I loved their sound! And any band who can get a ton of teenagers doing the Pogo up and down with hands raised singing "I am not ashamed of the Gospel!!" is alright with me. I am a youth leader in my church and along with our youth pastor tend to be weary of new bands jumping on the "Christian bandwagon." It was immediately obvious that this is not the case with these guys.

When they played the main stage there was a larger audience, (People go in early to get "good" seats for the BIG show that evening.) They played the 5 O'clock spot and rocked! Even Mom's and Dad's were getting into the worship and having a great time.

Venue: Kingdom Bound at Darien Lake in NY
Reviewer: Nicole

Recently, a few friends and I attended Kingdom Bound at Darien Lake in NY, where Delirio5? performed twice. They were so good... we saw them both times. They sent a good message to Christian teens while playing it cool and not being dorky at the same time. I had never heard of them before, and although I don't regularly listen to christian music, I bought the King Of Fools CD. It's awesome. It's the only CD I own that I can never be sick of... never have to skip a song (they're all awesome)... and who could stop looking at Jon? What a hottie! He waved to me... I'm not dillusional, really, he did. We got their autographs and pictures with them, it was so great. Not to mention that Martin looks really cute in a multi-colored jester hat when he sings "King Of Fools"... my favorite song on the CD. I love Deliriou5?

Date: July 25th and 27th 1998
Venue: Anaheim Vineyard Church, and The Roxy, California
Reviewer: Kelvin Kuan

Absolutely incredible! That's the simplest way to describe the gigs that Deliriou5 had in California.... I drove all the way from Oklahoma (which was 22 hours) and it was worth it... absolutely absolute! I have been listening to their stuff for almost 2 years now and when I found out that they were playing in California, I just had to go! (since I don't think there will be a US tour for still sometime and Oklahoma isn't exactly a happening spot.... it's a good thing I am graduating soon and I don't have to be here in Oklahoma any longer...) I went to two out of the three places that they played at in California. One was at the Anaheim Vineyard Church and the other was at "The Roxy" along Sunset Blvd. Both venues were absolutely packed out... I preferred their song selection and overall bond with the crowd at the Vineyard Church compared with The Roxy... but then again, The Roxy was their last night and they might have been tired considering that the temperature in California at the moment is unbelieveably HOT plus all the driving around that they did the past two days (for the other gigs.... making three nights of playing in a row) The Roxy was slightly special, though, because they were big wigs in the music industry that night (people from Virgin and Capitol Records were there).... but the d:fans did them proud.... the overwhelming applause and cheering echoed throughout the entire concert... and I was there right in front at the edge of the stage.... not to forget that Martin "crashed" on me and the guy next to me during his "King of Fools" segment... it was on purpose of course (if you saw any of the King of Fools concerts that they played when Martin wears that Jester's hat...) Most songs were from the d:tour album with a new song called "Heaven" which will probably be on the new album coming out in UK later this year and let me just tell you in advance that it is going to be a rocking album (like you didn't already know)... "Heaven" combines heavy rock with an incredibly ballady chorus similar to all their stuff that we love so much... I heard that they will be playing again in California later this year around in October.... and maybe I will drive down again! (there were so many friends that I made just waiting for the concert to start) If any of you out there have not been to a Deliriou5 concert, you need to go.... there is something powerful in their music.... it's not just good lyrics and catchy tunes.... there is something more to it.... there is a feeling of a Divine mandate upon their music and it pulls you into it....

Date: Tuesday 5th May, 1998
Venue: Labatts Manchester Apollo
Reviewer: Ian Everett And so we arrive at the Manchester Apollo on a rainy May evening. The 5 piece from the famous (?) musical town of Littlehampton are making the last few adjustments to their set and we're queuing outside in the rain. Now that's what I call rock 'n' roll kids! Once past the oh-so friendly security and we're into a rapidly filling venue. The opening act "Blueberry" were a bit sparse with only Cathy Burton their female vocalist making an appearance. But, shattering my pre-conceptions she possessed the kind of voice that can silence a crowded room. She certainly had the audience captivated for most of her short acoustic set. Blueberry are more than likely not destined for stardom but were appreciated none the less. Delirious? describe their music as 'Powerpop' and they may have invented a new genre. There is definitely a nod to REM, an acknowledgement to Radiohead and a great big 'Hi' to U2, but without the trite clich�s that have entered into the latter's recent work. The pregnant silence that met the opening chords of "Louder Than The Radio" changed to a polite roar (most of the audience looked as if this was their first gig) when the band appeared from the wings. The set fluidly moved between old favourites and new material in their 2 hour set. The gritty "Promise" and the sun-kissed "Deeper" gaining the greatest audience participation, with "Obsession" stopping the heart and bringing it to the throat. When lead singer Martin Smith started "Lord You Have My Heart" the audience took over and claimed it as their own. As the final harmonies died away, I heard someone comment "Ever heard a song that made you cry?" Enough said. Have you ever been to a gig and the music's great, but you get fed up with staring at the object of your attentions' trout like expression/inane smiles? Same here, but visuals that ranged from a cartoon of the band to videos of the singles kept the eyes from wandering. As the multitude poured out into a damp Manchester night, a smug smile crept onto my lips. A religious experience? I think so.

Date: Monday 4th May, 1998
Venue: Glasgow Barrowlands
Reviewer: Andrew Marriott

They say if you wait 5 minutes in the lobby of the Paris Ritz hotel, you'll see someone you recognise. At the Barrowlands last night, it took about 5 seconds before you saw another face that you knew. Delirious' first gig in Scotland was THE place to be. It took Martin a song and a half before he admitted it was going to be quite a night.

To start us off, we were entertained by Cathy Burton of blueberry, who did a great 4 song solo acoustic set whilst "Martin does his hair and Stu does his beard" (her words, not mine) and she coped well with a crowd eager for the main attraction.

A 1 minute countdown accompanied by the skirl of the pipes lead us bouncing into "Louder than the Radio" and "History Maker", and we bounced and sang and swayed on from there.
The crowd were in good voice, to the extent that for "History Maker" and "All the Way" Martin needn't have been there, and when he announced "Lord you have my Heart" an instant choir was formed, which allowed him a well earned rest on the couch, and that was only half way through the set !
The lighting was great, from the ubiquitous mirrorballs, and a green fog worthy of the X-files to the headache inducing strobes during "Heaven", one of the 2 new songs they played, the other being "See the Star". "Heaven" showed a more rocky side to the boys, and is to be the next single. At least, that's how the person next to me translated what Martin said.
The Video screen was put to good use, allowing (most) people to see the boys during the couch session, giving us a heartbeat monitor for the drums during "Obsession", and showing the videos for "Deeper" and "Promise". We watched various faces sing along to "August 30th", and "Revival Town" came complete with an excellent cartoon of the band. Martin even let us see up his nose, thanks to a minicam in "King of Fools".
What made the concert really great were the little touches - Stu's tartan hat, Martin taking someone's camera and getting a photo of the crowd, and the rounds of applause for Benjamin, every time he came and changed guitars. The only complaint I heard was that they didn't sing "King or Cripple".
Delirous? We certainly were.

Date: Thursday 24th April, 1997
Venue: The Junction, Cambridge
Reviewer: John Penton Not being used to writing reviews I don't really know where to start, so I will start at the beginning. Supporting Delirious? were local Christian band Chimera. They opened with a wide variety of tunes and a clear message about God's great salvation plan. Full marks for great use of a wide variety of intruments, from tin whistle and recorder to a (more usual) fretless bass. They are recording this summer and will be at Greenbelt. Look out! Of course the show really belonged to Delirious? (people know their songs well), but more than that, to God. Having never really been to many secular popular music concerts, I can't say for sure, but I am convinced that they just don't compare. There is a real difference when there are 750 people (data from John Hall) all (OK, most of them) singing God's praise, to the point where Martin Smith (lead) didn't have to sing. I could really FEEL God's presence there and I believe the angels were dancing along in heaven. But the evening wasn't composed entirely of loud praises to God, or even quieter, gentler worship (hearing everybody sing (in harmony): 'Lord You Have My Heart' was moving). The band always have a message to bring and do it well, in their lyrics. Wherever you're at you can get something from their words, and I certainly left inspired and encouraged.

Date: Spring, 1997
Venue: Victoria, BC
Reviewer: Peter Davyduck , from Langley BC. (Canada) It was the first time i really had a good chance to listen to them because its a little hard to get their stuff here and when we do it's outrageously expensive. Anywho, the day started off great..i got to help set up the staging and sound gear and then....meet the band. What guys, they are among the coolest musicians i've met. So laid back and down to earth and i got to talk a little about Fugazi with Jon(i'm a bass player too) so that was great fun. The day could have ended there and i would have been a very happy camper BUT...then the fun really began. There was no opening band in Victoria however the night before in Langley the Chris Janzen Band opened for them, but from what we were about to encounter, Deliriou5? did not need an opening band,right away the guys got down to business and the capacity crowd (750-800 [nice and intimate]) were on their feet and there was no stopping! An endless wave of pogo-ing and great user-friendly moshing ensued. I was right in front of Stu's amp for most of the night and yes, my ears still do ring a bit hahaha. There weren't too many songs i was framiliar with but the ones that really stood out for me were Deeper,King or Cripple, and the Lord's Prayer. It was hilarious when Martin put on the jester's hat during King of Fools and went crazy on stage, the audience just errupted! They closed out the night with the Lord's Prayer and What a Friend I've found (can't remember what the encore was, damn) but it was a concert that was fully comparable to when i saw Pearl Jam and i'm also sure that even Bono would have had a blast.Bottom line..........GREAT FOR THE SOUL!!!!!!!!!!! SO BE IT!!!!!!!!

Date: End of June, 1997
Venue: Wembley, London
Reviewer: Steph Corke I was privileged enough to be at the absolutely massive Wembley concert - Champion of the World. Delirious were the main reason for going. Matt Redman and Noel Richards were bonus'. As me and my mates wandered round the hallowed turf it was obvious from the huge amounts of Deliriou5? t-shirts I was not the only one who thought that. As soon as they were announced a huge roar went up and as they charged onto the stage we all knew something special was going to happen. We weren't wrong. For the next twenty minutes or so the 50,000 people in the stadium experienced Deliriou5? at their best. With 'Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble' as my personal highlight. Also Deeper went down really well, it was just amazing seeing the whole of the pitch jumping up and down and praising God. It was awesome! I also managed to get to the Littlehampton beach concert which about 9 or 10.000 other people attended. That was pretty amazing too, and what was better was it was pure Deliriou5? and no interuptions. Once again the famous 'Trembling Mounatins' and 'Deeper' went down a storm with the bass on 'Obsession' making the huge speakers vibrate. For anyone who hasn't yet been to a concert I really recommend you go to one as soon as you possibly can, I promise you, you won't regret it.

Date: June 1997
Venue: Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship, Toronto, Canada
Reviewer: Tim Cosby , Rockford, Michigan They led worship for some of the conference sessions that week, and it was incredible. Most of the 4,000 people there had not heard Delirious, but as they began to play, their music was so anointed, people began to flock to the front to join the 300 or so teens and 20-somethings in worship. They re-defined worship for that audience that week. It was truly a Delirious experience. They also performed a separate conference at a local hotel on Friday night for about 500 people. That was the true Delirious experience! I got to talk with all the members of the group. They were very accessible and quite blown away by the nature of the response they were receiving. They are a humble group and I think God is going to use them in the U.S. to reach this generation for Christ. We've been doing their music at our church for about 2 1/2 years. Our people love it, especially the students. We've used some of their songs for the Grand Rapids Festival, the largest volunteer arts festival in the U.S. I can't begin to describe the effect that their music has on this next generation. When we did "Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble," we had about 2,000 people within 500 feet of us that just stopped what they were doing and were sort of "mesmerized." It was cool. Of course, we had about 300 of our congregation down front singing to the top of their lungs with hands raised and dancing in the aisles. That probably looked weird to most of the onlookers.