With two new members... Am suprised they got pass the Mank guards for the gig... must have some not so dodgy stealth gear or really good gear as the case may be....
The La's, Manchester Ritz
Jun 16 2005
By Ian Leonard, Daily Post
FIFTEEN years ago The La's seemed destined for greatness.
After releasing a handful of memorable singles, including the brilliant There She Goes, and crafting a perfect 1960s-inspired debut album, the Liverpudlian group looked set to conquer the music world.
Everyone loved them - scallies, students and even old rock-ers, who were all drawn to their infectious melodies.
But then the band disappeared under a cloud of rumour and suspicion.
It was reported that lead singer Lee Mavers walked out because he hadn't wanted their record label to release the album until he was happy with the sound.
Other stories suggested he had succumbed to drug addiction or fled Liverpool because he was wanted by gangsters.
After playing support to Oasis in 1995, the band went missing once again.
Founding member and bass player John Power went on to form new band Cast and The La's were presumed dead.
Manchester seemed a strange place to witness the rebirth of the Scouse favourites.
But with so many fans making the journey down the M62 the atmosphere was more like a hometown gig.
And with The La's contemporaries from the Madchester era, such as The Stone Roses,
Happy Mondays and The Charlatans, going on to achieve success they didn't have to feel like strangers.
With Mavers reunited with Power, and joined in the new line-up by Jay Lewis and Nick Miniski, expectations were high.
But could The La's still deliver? As the first chords of Son of Gun echoed around the theatre, any reservations about their ability to play live soon vanished.
Maver's voice seemed unaffected by his 10-year absence and the band's sound was tight and powerful.
As they went through old favourites, it was difficult to pick out the highlights. It hardly mattered that there was no new material and the only complaint was the shortening of their epic song, Looking Glass.
With the band reportedly working on new material, hopefully The La's are back for good.
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