It's been a long time coming, but long-reformed Mod revivalists SECRET AFFAIR finally arrived in Manchester to showcase their brand-new fourth album 'Soho Dreams' - their first new material for thirty years.
Originally written and finished in 2006, plans for its release were scotched in favour of a singles compilation, but the record finally saw the light of day in September of this year.
A six-strong lineup took to the stage, with brand new alto saxophonist Stephen Wilcock and Hammond whiz kid Andy Fairclough outstanding alongside the veteran quartet, the duo providing the necessary youth in a blend with experience that proved to be the key to the success of tonight's performance.
A stomping version of 'Dance Master' did much to break the ice as the sextet wasted no time in gathering momentum. Wilcock then seized the initiative; his horn enriched with hefty reverb, before five numbers in, an electrifying cover of the Temptations' British issue Tamla Motown monster 'Get Ready' raised the roof in cataclysmic fashion.
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'Don't Look Down' kept the ball rolling superbly before the new record got an airing via the epic 'All The Rage'. Hammond driven, it eventually hit meltdown thanks to a crazed Dave Cairns guitar solo.
Ian Page briefly left the stage during a mental Fairclough Hammond 'acid-jazz' interlude that saw bassist Ed Pearson make the floor shake.
The 'Soho Dreams' showcasing continued with the smouldering, guitar-driven, made-for-scooter anthem 'Ride', before the band effortlessly rolled back the years with 1979 singles 'Time For Action' and 'Let Your Heart Dance', along with one of their most 'Mod'-ish offerings, 1980's Top 20 hit 'My World'.
Singalong dizzy audience enthusiasm was by now near-unanimous, with the undoubted success of material both new and old mirroring the blend of youth and experience onstage.
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