Blue Nation had been planning this homecoming gig for several months with lots of attention to detail which all came off to the sold-out audience at The Crossing in Digbeth, Birmingham.
The band have been very busy in 2024 supporting bands such as Dom Martin as well as putting on their first headline tour - The Ordinary People tour. The band line-up was Neil Murdoch (Singer/Guitar), Luke Weston (BV / Bass), Nick Sharman (drums) & Oli Jefferson (Drums)
In November the band attended the film premiere at Millennium Point on the IMAX of the documentary BIRMINGHAM: A City Rooted in Talent. The band were both interviewed in it and it used their song ‘Echoes’ as an acoustic version to finish the film. As they commented ‘3 lads from Brum, on the big screen, singing a song we wrote in a tiny lockup. Dreams do come true. Birmingham is where we come back to, Birmingham is home.’
The film Showcases 60 years of talent straight out of Birmingham's creative melting pot. This film is a collective vision from two Brummie authors (D.G. Torrens and Martin Tracey) with a shared dream. It was the 2024 British Film Foundation winner for Best Documentary.
For all the Blue Nation images captured at the show - Image Gallery
Leicester’s Jersey Budd & Silverball kicked off the evening with Jersey’s passionate vocals and pulsating rhythms of his band including ‘Come To Me’ and his single which had worldwide playing ‘Easy Come Easy Go’
Blue Nation then started their show with a surreal video with The Who’s ‘Don’t Get Fooled Again’, before they took to the stage with wild applause.
The opening of the show was a powerful start medley of songs, including the title track of their latest album ‘Ordinary People’, where Neil showed his powerful vocals, supported by strong drums from Nick and bass from Luke.
So impressed with Blue Nation when they supported Dom Martin, on his Buried Alive tour, Fenton & Audrey from Dom Martin’s management team in the front along with the album producer.
The show had some spectacular lighting effects and the size of the stage allowed Neil to explore with interactions with Nick & Luke.
As Neil explained Dom Martin had encouraged the band and said ‘Don't change a f***ing thing'’.
The song ‘The Reason’ encapsulated the band’s solid blues rock anthem sound with heavy middle section followed by slower vocals section.
An early song ‘The Ranger’ was an early song, which MeMe Detroit and Neil’s sister Paula originally sang on, that was first played in 2018 at an early gig to a smallish audience and now filled the packed venue with its bass solo and heavy drums.
The band’s other drummer ‘Ollie’ Jefferson (who showed up at 8:30pm and surprised the band) replaced Nick for a few songs including ‘Gone’ and another
early song ‘Let Me Down Slowly’ , which was a slower more mellow number.
Nick now returned to drums and ‘Time is a Thief’ was played as a tribute to Becky and ‘Old Friends’ to celebrate a fan couples 10th anniversary, with its great strong vocals from Neil.
‘Run Straight Ahead’ from the latest album had a slow melodic start which gets heavier with great beat and vocals (and features Luke on Sitar on the album recording)
Neil is a ‘Back to the Future’ film fan and now brought out his red guitar on ‘Come Back Home’ and ‘Strangers’ with its great heavy blues rock beat which segued into the Beatles song ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’
The last number of the main set was ‘Good Times’ with mellow start and great harmonies before it kicks into a great heavy blues rock number with the audience dancing in time.
For the encore Neil played solo on acoustic guitar on a song he wrote ‘Best of Days’ when a young lad, which was a mellow song with its powerful passionate vocals.
Then he was joined by Luke on bass for ‘Sundown’ which was another slower but evocative number with great harmonies. With Nick now on drums and Luke on bass the last final songs were ‘Echoes’ with its video background of people no longer with us as well as a message about Mental Health and looking after yourself.
Definitely the last number was ‘Down by the River’ with its high tempo and strong vocals which finished to wild applause from a grateful audience that had been thoroughly entertained.
