The drummers’ union will be up in arms, but how could a percussionist ever write songs? Keeping the guitarist and singer in time is, surely, the most important function. So, no surprise that in Husker Du’s long career, all the good tunes were written by guitarist Bob Mould. 
Those stirring soaring melodies, always just going where you didn’t expect - never predictable, unlike - a controversial and divisive opinion on Huskers circles - Grant Hart’s more straight ahead tunes.
So while Mould went on to front Sugar - all-Mould penned tunes and a mighty live act - and while he’s toured in an acoustic lineup since and given us the best from his solo albums - surely tonight was the ideal scenario short of a tension-fueled Huskers full reunion - Saint Bob and full band, playing a selection of Sugar and Mould-penned Du tunes.
Taking up residence at the front in the ABC2 - sadly, not its larger cousin - we can see the setlist and a small clamour starts up as we try to figure out the upside-down scrawl, picking up words like “Hoover” or “Celebrated” , and many others we can’t quite read… or recognise.
Because Mould’s post-Sugar career has been varied, with forays into electronica, and recently, back to basics with the District Line album. Which has received at best mixed reviews, and which he’ll focus on tonight to an extent. Well, we weren’t expecting a greatest Hits set - were we?
Still, from the first chords - of the roadie’s tuning up of that blue Stratocaster - we can hear that it’s Mould all over And despite the years, he’s still lithe and lively as he takes stage to a hero’s welcome, and opener ‘The Act We Act’ sees him bounding around stage with the energy of a teenager.
However, perhaps due to the frontman’s legendary tinnitus, the volumes are excessive and the drums attempt to cancel out the bass, and the keyboards are inaudible, making the lineup to all intents a 3-piece, Huskers (or Sugar) style. There’s one track ‘See a Little Light’ from ‘Workbook’, that introspective semi-acoustic album, and even ‘Hoover Dam’ - a melodic break in Sugar’s catalogue before the noise onslaught that was Beaster - is submerged in way too much guitar. The vocals are muffled for sure, which may be due to the monstrous poffle that caps Mould’s mike - changed several times, it’s unclear whether he it’s spittle or simply the absorption of flying sweat. The band motor through ‘Could You Be The One’ and other albums including the more recent ones such as ‘Circles’ and ‘Paralyzed’ cherry-picked from Body of Song - well as far as we can tell, as well as at lest one exceptionally long tune complete with guitar wig-out. Encore is ‘If I Can’t Change Your mind’, the one concession to pop conformity but as ever, with a vocal line changed from the recorded version to sound more Huskers-like. There’s another onslaught of noise during which the drummer exacts revenge for my earlier comments and leaves my ears still ringing from it next day - it may well be ‘Chartered Trips’ from Zen Arcade, but who can say for sure? One final encore of ‘Makes No Sense At All’ is just about recognisable. Yes, Mould has still got it, but if he continues at these volumes he’ll lose his long-term fans to more than just deafness.
more Bob Mould photos on Flickr
//Stuart McHugh