Specials - 3oth Anniversary Reunion Tour first night - Newcastle Academy

The entire gig, from start to finish, was completely exhilarating, a real celebration of a mighty band.

Loads of fat old skinheads - boys and girls - all getting dressed up again in their old gear - braces, pork pie hats, the lot; the crowd singing "Moonstomp" - yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeaaaaah! - before the band had even come on, generating a spine-tingling atmosphere; everyone boozed up, but friendly in the mosh - proper pushing about and then catching our breath between songs, 'cause we ain't getting any younger!; I lost my shoe during "Too much too young", found it again and rather than try and put it back on I just waved it around my head during "The skinhead symphony"...

Highlights for me were "Too much too young" and "Gangsters", of course, but also a mighty "Do Nothing" and "Message...". "Little Bitch" was frenzied, and the dubby bits on "Man at C&A" and "Stereotype" were excellent. Much skanking took place.

The band seemed genuinely stunned and awed by the crowd's reaction. Terry Hall said it was "a f--king privilege" to play for us "and I mean that", so I'm guessing they were as ecstatic as we were.

Only bum note: finding out Terry Hall is a United fan.

In other words, straight in to my Top 10 gigs ever - Top 5 for my mate Guy [see below]! Probably just outside for me - what with Pixies at Manchester international in April 1989 at #1, closely followed by The Four Brothers at Leeds Irish Centre - weirdly, also in 1989 - a close 2nd - those two exist way out on a plane all of their own, like a portal opened up in space and time to produce a higher dimension of gig; then, getting very close but still of this planet, there is the Hold Steady at #3 and 4, The Smiths' last ever gig at Brixton Academy at #5, Ice Cube at Bratfud Uni, and CUD [not sure which one exactly as they were all great in 89-91]!

My mate Guy who came with me had this to say: "I reckon I was a bit hasty with my '“top 5' rating last night. I’ve seen better bands and better musicians, and I’ve been more blown away by sound, staging, lights etc etc, but it terms of pure enjoyment last night is right up there challenging for top spot! I had a permanent smile all through the gig, and it hasn’t worn off this morning. Best fun I’ve had at a gig in years, possibly ever. The crowd was jumping from start to finish, and nobody wanted to leave, even when the lights came on… We caught a Specials special on the radio on the way home, just to round off a great night (btw Graham – I sent a text to the station after I dropped you off, and she read it out as I was on my way home!)

If you don't believe us, you can read a splendid, evocative review of the night from The Grauniad here. And, given the wonders of YouTube, you can see much of the gig here!

Liam rides his bike without stabilisers!

It's a defining moment for any parent: the first time your child rides their bike without stabilisers. And, yesterday, April 19th 2009 at the age of 5 and three-quarters, Liam did it.

We had expected him to take to it, as he had been completely without fear on his tricycle aged 2 - see the report at the end here - but we were also fearful of him falling off the instant we let go the saddle, and being traumatised, primarily by a sense of failure (he can be quite hard on himself when things don't go according to plan).

We had a few practices in the back garden (2-3 minutes tops), then moved to the park on Park House Road for the showdown with destiny!

And, of course, Liam being Liam, as soon as we let go he was off! The first film below is, literally, only his 2nd ever try - a creditable effort, the unorthodox 'controlled stop' technique notwithstanding!

As you can see in the later film (below), he had become so blase about the whole thing he could admonish his own father for not keeping up!

Also, out of nowhere, spontaneously, and not - we hope - driven by our seething ambitions for the boy (which amount to him being happy whatever he wants to do), he said, "I want to make you proud!"

Which we both were, of course.