Terrorvision (w/ The Middlenight Men) Bring a Bradford Party to London’s Iconic Electric Ballroom [Show Review]

When Terrorvision announced their TV30 by Request mini tour, 90s kids the length and breadth of the UK reached for their phones to arrange a babysitter whilst simultaneously heading online to book tickets for one of these highly anticipated shows. Each show held a special significance for both the band and the fans: Nottingham Rock City, a world-renowned venue that was instrumental in the rise of Terrorvision, Bradford’s St Georges Hall, a gig on the bands home turf and the birthplace of some of Brit rocks most influential tunes, and of course London’s iconic Electric Ballroom where Terrorvision fans from all over the globe congregate for nights of good old fashioned rock n’ roll!

Being a Saturday night, good vibes were high across London, and simply exiting Camden Towns tube station put all visitors to this special part of London into high spirits, whatever their plans may be. For Terrorvision fans, though, this was the start of a night to remember and return to simpler days.

Given it was a Saturday night, it was an early start for Terrorvision’s support, The Middlenight Men, as well as the main act themselves as, following this evening’s show, a long night of clubbing would commence at the Electric Ballroom. The Middlenight Men pulled an impressive crowd with the venue already heaving. Even if punters were there to get a good vantage point for Terrorvision, this worked in favour of a band that has garnered positive reviews from Terrorvision themselves as well as other artists like The Wildhearts.

Just before 8:00 pm, Terrorvision took to the stage, blasting into the ever-popular “Discotheque Wreck.” If The Middlenight Men hadn’t quite got the crowd’s pulses racing (which they had and then some), this track came close to inducing cardiac arrests! This was followed by a barrage of popular hits, with the crowd losing their collective shit as soon as the Mexican-inspired beat of “Tequila” kicked in, with every attendee singing at the top of their lungs: “Tequila, it makes me happy” almost drowning out Tony Wright’s vocals. The party atmosphere didn’t let up as “Alice What’s The Matter” instigated a venue-wide dance party.

Terrorvision slowed things down after the intensity of the first six songs with “Some People Say,” the group’s original ballad track that ensured that pockets of fans were swaying arm in arm, singing along with glee. This marked the start of the midpoint of the show and also the opportunity for the collective to get in some of their lesser-known yet still popular tunes such as “III Wishes,” Celebrity Hit List,” and “Don’t Shoot My Dog.”

When Terrorvision delivered “Pretend Best Friend,” you’d think that after sixteen tracks of fun-filled, nostalgia-inducing rock, the audience would be a little shattered. Well, even if this was the case, the lightning-fast lyrics delivered by Wright ensured that even the most aching of feet could not take a break. Throughout the show, Terrorvision kept interaction with the audience to a minimum, ensuring that the night was crammed with as many hits as possible, but when the interactions did come, the band remained humbled by the reception they received. One interaction, Wright announced, “This is one for those of you that have lighters” (or something along those lines) as the band delivered their second slow-paced tune of the evening with “Middleman.” The chilled-out atmosphere was short-lived, though, as directly after this tune, the entire crowd exploded into song as “Oblivion” was played loud and proud. I have experienced this before, but it is always a pleasure to be part of an entire venue chanting along with: “Ooh wop bop ba doo wop. Bop ba doo wop. Bop ba doo”.

Possibly the most surprising part of the evening was when Terrorvision played “Josephine,” a story about a young man who transitioned into a woman. This tune was released in 1998, so it has to be said the song has aged extremely well and also demonstrates the band’s forward and open thinking about gender equality. I did not expect to come to a gig on a Saturday night to face philosophical thinking, but stranger things have happened!

Despite the fact a club night was fast approaching, and the venue needed to prepare, Terrorvision still managed to squeeze in an additional two songs for an encore with “This Drinking Will Kill Me” and a tune the audience was desperate to hear, a tail of the whales and the dolphins: “Perseverance.”

As Terrorvision took their final bows after an astonishing 24-song setlist, Carley Simon’s “Nobody Does it Better” was played out; this was very apt because, as any Terrorvision fan will tell you, nobody does do it better!

Terrorvision’s Tony Wright took time out to talk to V13 about these shows and what could be in store for the band. Read the interview here.

Terrorvision Setlist:

1. Discotheque Wreck
2. New Policy One
3. Stop the Bus
4. American TV
5. Tequila
6. Alice What’s the Matter
7. Some People Say
8. Jason
9. Fists of Fury
10. III Wishes
11. Celebrity Hit List
12. Problem Solved
13. Easy
14. If I Was You
15. Bad Actress
16. Don’t Shoot My Dog
17. Pretend Best Friend
18. My House
19. Middleman
20. Oblivion
21. Josephine
22. D’Ya Wanna Go Faster
23. This Drinking Will Kill Me
24. Perseverance