On a cold, dark night we huddled into the O2 Academy Islington, getting there just in time to watch Milburn. I was sad to miss the support act, but my sense of direction meant we needed to jump on a bus from the other side. In all fairness, it had been a long day of driving: Aylesbury to Ripley, back to Aylesbury, then on to Islington. I'm putting it down to that.
Milburn did not disappoint, playing the cult classics from Well Well Well to celebrate 20 years of the album. Joe was on form with some great wit, noting that the moshpit had burned out by song four and hoping the older crowd were at least recording the workout on Strava.
It was a great vibe. The people who wanted to jump around got their zoomies in, and I got to nod my head, shout the lyrics back at the band and enjoy a wholesome atmosphere for a band we all have a lot of love for.
I can't help thinking about what might have been. Back in the day, these guys really were on the cusp of something global, and you know what? It's the world's loss, and selfishly we get to keep them. I've followed Milburn through every iteration since, from The Book Club to Dead Sons, and they have talent to spare.
With a catalogue like theirs, from Well Well Well to These Are the Facts, plus a bit of playful defamation of songs they dislike, it was good fun all evening. Then they played Thin Lizzy's The Boys Are Back in Town, and it was amazingly cheesy and brilliant at the same time.
I had expected Roll Out the Barrel to really kick things off, but it turned out to be Milburn's answer to The Rifles' Rock the Boat: one man and a guitar, with a crowd happy to carry every word.
It was a great evening and I'm glad I made the trip. Thank you, Milburn. Long may it continue.