The Moshville Times - Therapy? – Bannermans, Edinburgh (12th October 2017)

Back in 2014 Andy Cairns was here at Bannermans on his fantastic acoustic solo tour, fast forward to today and he is back with Therapy? and guess what? It is an all-acoustic show as well called the “Wood & Wire” tour. The band, Andy Cairns (guitar, vocals), Michael McKeegan (bass) and Neil Cooper (drums) are playing to a jam-packed, sold-out show tonight featuring no support band but we get two sets from Therapy?.

The full-on angry electric set is turned on its head tonight as the acoustic sets brings out a whole different side to the band who have moved on since the early 90s and are not quite the same angry men that they once were. The band kick off with a quality version of “Trigger Inside” and the night just keeps getting better with the likes of “Living in the Shadow of a Terrible Thing” which was one of the highlights for me tonight. We have a very happy band on stage, truly glad to be up there playing to a packed audience loving every note and story coming from Andy and the boys.

It is so satisfying to see a band loving every minute, laughing and interacting with themselves and the audience, the story of Andy’s blue/black hair and beard dye before “Evil Elvis” had us all in stitches. The stories kept coming between songs, anything from being on speed, sleeping outside on a high balcony at a friend’s and almost falling off in their sleep, to their early days of sleeping in a friend’s in Edinburgh’s Dundas Street when playing at The Venue, sadly long gone.

We have some perfect renditions tonight of their whole back catalogue from “Accelerator” to “Still Hurts” and all in between, the boys end the first half of the night with “Gone” from Nurse before having a short break.

The second set of the evening starts off with “Meat Abstract”, and also includes a tribute to Grant Hart with a stunning version of “Diane” from Hüsker Dü. Another couple of highlights for me in the second half include “Idiot Cousin” and a simply sublime version of “Potato Junkie”, the audience are in fine singalong form tonight. The set ends with a 4 song killer, ending with “Nowhere”, “Knives”, we even sing guitar parts for the band on “Screamager” before we end with “Die Laughing”. And laugh we did, all night thanks to the band’s infectious humor.

I was mesmerised tonight by a band truly on fire, watching Neil on drums as he moved his brushes about the tiny kit all night. The band have two dates left on this short acoustic tour, you need to go see them – just amazing live, you will leave contented and with a big smile guaranteed. They have said they will be back with the full electric band next time, I for one cannot wait.

Photos by Coops Gig Photography