Venue: The Astoria, London               Date: 4th July, 2002

Many people attending this gig had waited a long time to actually see it - over nine months in fact, as it was postponed from last October due to the terrorist attacks and consequent concerns over the safety of air travel. The long wait, plus the fact that the gig had gone from being in support of her last album ('Batchelor #2') to a new, not yet released effort ('Lost In Space') meant that The Astoria was a sell-out, although thankfully it didn't seem unpleasantly packed.

For those not in the know, Aimee is a Canadian singer-songwriter who found fame in the mid-eighties with the band Til Tuesday.  After their demise in the late 80s, there followed a long period of silence before Aimee reappeared with the outstanding 'Whatever' in 1993, which met with both critical and (some) commercial acclaim. However, record company problems meant that after the release of 'I'm With Stupid' in 1995 (a somewhat darker record) there was a prolonged gap before legal disputes were finally resolved, and 2000 saw a burst of activity with both 'Batchelor #2' and the soundtrack to the film 'Magnolia' being released.

Style-wise, the best comparisons are probably the likes of Suzanne Vega and Paula Cole, although Aimee has a very distinctive voice - some might call it bittersweet (capable of conveying both warmth and emotion and utter disdain almost within the same phrase), and an individual song-writing style which sets her apart.  Rush fans who own 'Hold Your Fire' will also have heard Aimee as she guests on 'Time Stand Still'.

Following a support set from London-based Alt-country band Grand Drive (which I missed most of, so can't really comment on), there was a long gap of almost three quarters of an hour before the lights dimmed and a backing tape started up...

Aimee eventually appeared to huge cheers from the (predominantly male) crowd - well, she is a good looking girl!  With her straight blonde hair, slightly elvish looks and some eye-catching stripey trousers, Aimee easily takes centre stage; a situation which her more than capable support band seemed happy with.

Matters kick off with a faithful cover of 'One' (by Nilssen), which is perfectly suited to Aimee's voice. The long wait was also worth it as the sound was crystal clear, allowing all the instruments and (most importantly) Aimee's voice to shine through with maximum clarity. Playing acoustic guitar rather than bass (her first instrument), she commented after this song that she and the band were a little nervous and surprised at the very positive crowd reaction.  However the crowd were with her every step of the way, and there was a noticeable lightening-up of both approach and interaction with the crowd as the gig progressed, which really added to the enjoyment of the occasion.

Set-wise, this gig really couldn't be faulted; tracks were taken from all her solo albums in fairly even proportions, with a good balance between more up-tempo pop-rock tracks such as 'Choice In The Matter' and 'Should've Known', caustic efforts such as the 'I'm With Stupid' track 'Long Shot' (the first line "You fucked it up!" tells you about Aimee's lyrical stance on this one!), and stripped down ballads such as 'Save Me' and the very apt '4th of July', which really allowed her wonderful voice to shine.  A couple of new tracks from 'Lost In Space' are also aired and, although it's always difficult to make judgements based on one listen, these songs suggest that her muse is still as strong as it always was.

Towards the end of the show Aimee and co are clearly full of confidence and in the mood for requests from the audience, which leads to the highlights of this gig.  First up is a run-through of the off-beat ballad 'Jacob Marley's Chain' - Aimee seems concerned that the band won't be able to follow this one due to "some bizarre chord changes", but this didn't seem to phase them and the rendition was practically flawless.

Topping even this though was an encore of '(The Other End Of The) Telescope', the only 'Til Tuesday' track aired - one that was co-written with Elvis Costello.  Again this didn't appear to have been rehearsed, and it was interesting to watch the guitarist who kept his eye pinned on Aimee's guitar to see where she was placing her hand for each chord! However, once again the song sounded great, and the audience were clearly appreciative of hearing a track which certainly isn't a regular in Aimee Mann's setlist.

The band finally left to loud cheers and applause; they were clearly overwhelmed with the reception they got, and they deserved it - a great gig.

Tom