The tour has been split (ah, double Lush pun) into two distinct
sections - the UK and US legs. The UK part of the tour
was, it turned out, simply to promote the new album,
'Lovelife'. The songs were very much of the new era,
with a couple of 'Split' songs chucked in for good
measure, but nothing earlier. The only exception (someone
correct me if I'm wrong here) seems to have been the 'home
gig' in Camden, where there was a much wider variety of
songs on offer, as well as a longer set.
The US/Canada part of the tour (the bit known as the 'Shaving the
Pavement' tour) was much more of a 4AD extravaganza, with
new bands that the label is trying to break in support,
and a selection of songs harking right back to the early
days of Lush.
Another of the good things about the 'Shaving the Pavement' tour is that you
were given a little exclusive cassette of the bands you were about to see
(or had just seen); a doggy-bag of music, if you will. Also, the
merchandise was much better in the US than it had been in the UK; the
only available t-shirts on the UK leg had been very small tight things
with 'Single Girl' or 'Ladykiller' in standard Lush Helvetica on the
front, and the new Lush logo on the back. On the US leg the choice
was wider (as were the t-shirts) - I ended up with a blue shirt
with lovelife and the new logo on the front, and the US dates on the back.
Very nifty, if I do say so myself.
Also, in the US there have been deviations from the tour;
the Buzzfest in Texas and the KROQ Weenie Roast
are good examples of Lush playing 'festival' type events.
The second North American tour saw some interesting support bands,
but a perhaps tired Lush, who apparently weren't happy with another
few months touring the states. Nevertheless, the performances were
electric as ever, but the crowds did seem somewhat.. umm.. staid.
I don't know, but at Pomona there just didn't seem to be any dancing.
Okay, serious moshing is not a Lush thing, but it must have been
quite strange for the band to play to a big crowd of statues.
I admit - I found it odd, perhaps because in the UK every gig is
a moshing gig. Probably even, like, a Cocteau Twins gig would be :)
A happy medium would be just great - I'm not top keen on having
my head ripped off by crowdsurfers' stupid friggin' keychains,
but I do like a bit of a pogo, a bit of a crush. Ho hum.
The European dates, of course, never happened, so that was it.
The end of an era.