The Blow Monkeys & The Christians, Edinburgh, Queen’s Hall Tuesday 14th October 2025

Both bands were signed to major labels and enjoyed the peak of their commercial success in the latter half of the 80s into the early 90s, so it was no surprise that the audience was, by and large, of a vintage similar to my own. For the first time of my own visits to the venue, the auditorium was seated which made for a comfortable experience albeit there’s often more energy when the crowd is standing. 

Getting to the performances; first up were the Christians who played a tight set featuring their best known tracks along with a cover or two. Starting with “Forgotten Town” the set featured four of their first five hits from their eponymous debut album including a slightly more up-tempo rendition of “Born Again” which briefly morphed into Al Green’s “Take Me To The River”. 

Only “Greenbank Drive” featured from their 1990 chart topper “Colours” but with only an hour on stage and such a long career, the set did not suffer as a result. This was another of the tracks delivered with a twist as it transitioned briefly into The Temptations classic “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” complete with that legendary bassline.  

As the set drew towards a crescendo, we were treated to a stunning rendition of Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues” before ending on their most successful release, their cover of The Isley Brothers “Harvest For The World”.

Every element of the performance was on point, from the musicianship to the vocal harmonies (especially evident during the acapella “Happy In Hell”). Frontman Garry Christian’s banter with the audience was also particularly witty while they made a point of getting the crowd to their feet during a couple of the tracks which added an extra layer of engagement and energy which the seating arrangement may otherwise have stifled. 

A thirty-minute intermission, and a solitary beer from the bar followed before The Blow Monkeys took to the stage, right on schedule at 9pm. Their set was energetic from the off, starting with “Celebrate” from their 1987 album “She Was Only The Grocer’s Daughter”. Like much of the music at the time, the lyrics focused their attention on the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher and anticipated the day when she no longer held that post. This was followed by a couple of tracks from their new album, the title track “Birdsong” and “Long Lost Child”. 

The big 80s hits followed, “It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way”, “Choice”, “Out With Her”, “Digging Your Scene” and “You Don’t Own Me” from the movie soundtrack to “Dirty Dancing”. These were delightfully interrupted by more recent material including “Not The Only Game In Town” and the seriously funky “Said Too Much”. The rousing version of “Wait” transformed Robert’s uplifting 1989 house duet (with Kym Mazelle) into a raw funky groove punctuated by the guitars, bass and bounding keys before the set closed in mellow style with 2017s “The Wild River”.

There were a couple of tracks during the performance that I did not manage to identify. This will most likely lead me to investigate a few of their albums from 2008 onwards which until now I have neglected, starting with “Birdsong” which I picked up after the show.

It’s notable that the original 1981 line up persists with Robert Howard, Mick Anker, Neville Henry and Crispin Taylor all on stage. For those who remember the big budget, polished production of their 1980s albums, the live performance represents a significant departure from that sound but does not compromise the essence of any of their older tunes. In fact, I would expect many people who preferred edgier music back in the day to be pleasantly surprised were they to find themselves at a Blow Monkeys gig.

Based on the evening’s experience, I will be keen to catch each of these bands again in the future. I would be particularly keen to see each of them perform slightly longer sets (with or without intermission), as there were many tracks they were never going to be able to get into their sixty-minute sets that I would love to hear again. Thanks to everyone involved for an enjoyable evening, including the security team at the venue who helped Craig (our photographer), find the best vantage points.