Then Jerico Tour – 1989

March 17th 1989 – Royal Centre, Nottingham

I still love my pop music, I just really enjoy it more with strong vocals and guitars. Mark Shaw was a case in point with Then Jerico. They were an amazingly musical band producing two spot on albums quickly, but I only really followed them for those first two albums “First (The Sound of Music)” and “The Big Area”….which had their biggest hit as its title. Shaw went solo and it wasn’t the same.

This was another coach trip and it looks like I only have the coach ticket left! I think three of us went, all Alliance and Leicester colleagues. It was a blast.

Nottingham Royal Centre was an old school venue, a proper concert hall where orchestras and plays performed. I’d never been here before, so was really looking forward to it. I’d heard that acoustically it was superb with a special roof and it was, the sound was great.

“Big Area” was the stunning first track from their second album and the one that hit the big time for them. I got into them hearing “The Motive” on the radio around 1987 and buying the first album with a gatefold sleeve.

Albums in those days were to be cherished, especially with gatefold sleeve (open like a book) and the lyrics printed inside to read and learn.

Mark Shaw was the ultimate showman, all the moves, the voice , the looks and ego to move a crowd. With a tight band too.

The band would split in 1990, fairly suddenly as success seemed to be following them. Mark Shaw went solo, which seemed like the ego caught up with him. I personally stopped following at that point.

Then Jerico were what I like to call an anthemic band, where their songs were generally very upbeat and danceable. The opened with “Helpless” which got everyone dancing straight away……no mean feat in an all seated venue and it sent the ushers into meltdown trying to get everyone to sit down.

They were good looking boys, so the audience was a mix of screaming girls and boys playing air guitar……the ushers would give up after song 3. It wasn’t dangerous just happy dancing, singing and clapping.

This was wall to wall dancing and a bit of dancing no the chairs (the ushers came back at this point….fair enough). Probably my favourite concert to this point in watching, really enjoyable.

Set List

• Helpless
• You Ought To Know
• Blessed Days
• The Hitcher
• Where You Lie
• Sugar Box
• What Does It Take?
• Reeling
• The Motive
• The Big Area
• Encore: Muscle Deep