Review: The Streets at The Corn Exchange

Bus stops, bangers and banter, Neil Renton reviews The Street's 'A Grand Don't Come For Free' celebration at Edinburgh's Corn Exchange.

I can’t remember the last time I was so excited to see a bus stop.

It’s not any old bus stop, though, is it? It’s the very one that adorned the cover of A Grand Don't Come for Free, with Mike Skinner all alone in the dark, apprehensively leaning against the shelter. You’ve no idea if it’s the start of the night, the end of the evening, or somewhere in between.

It wasn’t just the cover that made it one of the most celebrated British albums of this century. Skinner, the genius rapper behind The Streets, curated a concept album in which the whole narrative is connected as a series of songs depicting the exploits of a hapless hero. It covers everything from losing a thousand pounds to falling in love, from lads’ holidays to football coupons, from emotional highs to chemical comedowns.

There’s never been anything quite like it, which makes it all the more remarkable that almost twenty years after its release it has finally made its stage debut. And stage is the operative word.

Skinner used the bus stop as the centrepiece of the performance. He was in it, sitting in it, patrolling its outskirts and delivering his lines in his usual deadpan style.

It felt more like an experience than a concert and it was all the better for it. Any doubts that the songs wouldn’t stand the test of time were quickly put to rest by Skinner and his fantastic band.

There’s never been a better representation of ecstasy than ‘Blinded by the Lights’, a track that made the Top Ten on release. ‘Dry Your Eyes’ still tugs at the heartstrings in a way few songs have since, while ‘Fit But You Know It’ had a crowd that was more respectful than rowdy giving it laldy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJD8mpcGykE

It never came across as a gimmick, either on record or in real life. Skinner is far too smart for that. Instead, the whole thing carries you along on a familiar tale you can’t help but be absorbed by.

The epic ‘Empty Cans’ brought proceedings to a close before the band returned for a greatest-hits encore. During which Skinner crowd-surfed, wore a baseball cap borrowed from an audience member, and pined for the onion bhajis patiently waiting backstage.

It wasn’t all banter and there were still tunes to come. ‘Utopia’ might be from his most recent output, but it stood Stone Island shoulder-to-shoulder with the classics. Garage staple ‘Let's Push Things Forward’ got everyone dancing, and while ‘Weak Become Heroes’ didn’t feature its more recent collaboration with Underworld, it still captivated.

Skinner disappeared to his Indian side dishes having pulled off a masterstroke in turning a well-loved album into a live spectacle.

And we went away home, waiting at a bus stop and wishing they were always as exhilarating as the one we’d just seen.