The best gig Lily Fontaine has ever been to: “So special”
Going up to London in your late teenage years was an inevitably exciting experience. Hopping in a car, train or in my case, a bus to head to the capital to see some of the country’s best bands felt bigger than anything.
Now, as a gig-going pensioner, I have seen more than I can remember in London. Some of the more recent ones have blended into one collective memory, whereas there are moments in my earlier years that will forever stand out. DIY nights in Camden’s Dingwalls, or embracing the chaos of the Windmill in Brixton.
But one gig sits above them all. During the roaring hot 2016 summer, I made my way up to the iconic Alexandra Palace to watch The Last Shadow Puppets. It was a venue befitting of the sort of opulent drama the band liked to display, and within that feeling, I wondered how this show might differ from the rest.
Because I had just seen them at Glastonbury, a fortnight prior and felt somewhat let down by their on-stage disassociation, but as I crammed into the centre of this Ally Pally crowd, the growing tension in the atmosphere told me this would be wildly different.
As they walked on, through the rainfall of flower petals, I saw a man who I was sure I recognised but was certain didn’t belong in the original line-up. He almost crept through the shadows to avoid being noticed before picking up a guitar and standing front and centre of the stage. I knew exactly who this was, and exactly what song they were about to play.
It turns out that one week earlier, the band treated fans in Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl to this very same treat. In that crowd was a future star who would have been equally as affected by this as me, but better equipped to let it inspire her own musical journey. It was English Teacher’s Lily Fontaine, who now recalls that night as the best gig she’s ever been to.
“The Last Shadow Puppets at Castlefield Bowl in Manchester,” she defiantly answered when asked about her favourite gig. The reason why? Well a large part was down to that same surprise I experienced. The inclusion of this mystery man and the performance of one of his best ever songs.
She continued, “They brought Johnny Marr on stage as a surprise to cover ‘Last Night I Dreamt Somebody Loved Me’ by The Smiths and ‘Totally Wired’ by The Fall. So special.”
While the band’s cover of The Fall was indeed special, the show was stolen by their opener with Marr. It was the perfect song through which the two worlds could collide and, rather painfully, gave us a glimpse into what a Smiths reunion could look like were we ever treated to one.
That opener allowed Miles Kane and Alex Turner to follow up with a truly triumphant set that put all of their Glastonbury woes to bed. While I never had the talent to translate my inspiration into something Fontaine’s own music, I equally felt that seismic impact from such a special show, which lives long in my London gig going memory.
