I wasn't actually planning on seeing the Mondays when my friends got tickets, but I saw them at V this year and I have to say I thought they were superb, so I bought tickets to see them on my return. It wasn't a choice I regretted, although it has to be said it was a bit of a strange evening.

The ticket said that it would go on until 2am, but I kind of assumed that would mean they'd be a DJ set for a couple of hours. And in any case, I really wanted to see The Sunshine Underground again. So I turned up at about 8.30. My friends weren't there, so I popped into the stalls. And it was almost completely empty. Which was a bit strange I have to say. Well, the Sunshine Underground came on at about 10ish I think. And the place wasn't really full then. But SU were up to their usual standards, with Craig the frontman giving it his all with his cowbells which are becoming somewhat of a trademark. But I do think they were let down by the traditional dodgy sound that the support bands have to put up with. But a great rip roaring set it was, with the band playing about 50/50 new and old stuff from Commercial breakdown.

Well, then there was a wait for about an hour for the Mondays to arrive. It's well known that Shaun Ryder doesn't like playing all the old favourites as he thinks it's just Karaoke, but they were there with Hallelujah, Step On and Kinky Afro all present and correct. There was also a sing along rendition of Reverend Black Grape. Bez did, well, what Bez does. And the crowd lapped it up. And then the set just kind of ended. There was an encore, but it wasn't exactly heart felt, and by this time (1 am) the venue was only half full anyway as a lot of people headed for the last tubes out of Brixton.

So was it fun? Hell yeah! But I've still got a strange nagging thought at the back of my mind it could have been just a little bit better. Maybe it was just me, but it actually did sound a bit like Karaoke from where I was standing. Could it be that Shaun Ryder talks a bit of sense?