MARC VALENTINE
Reading Facebar - 31 May 2024
The Last Great Dreamers frontman is back to promote his second solo album, the excellent Basement Sparks. The album has already seen Marc fulfil his dream of playing the US and the critical praise for his latest release means he is on a roll when he arrives on stage at the Facebar. It may be thirty years since his former band released their debut, but Marc’s solo material shows that he has lost none of that ability to write catchy hook laden power pop. Opening with the uplifting ‘Last Train Tonight’, the ever-affable Marc and his band are on top form. It doesn’t take long for the crowd to find themselves singing along to the very hummable choruses that heavily feature in Marc’s material. Both solo albums are well represented with ‘Break My Heart Anyway’ and the glam rock stomp of ‘Skeleton Key’ being highlights. The Shirelles’ ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow’ becomes a gloriously shiny glam singalong whilst guitarist Richard Davies gets to sing a raucous ‘Born to Lose’. On the strength of tonight, Marc should be considered a national treasure and his infectious tunes getting serious radio airplay.
Words/Photo: Ian Ladlow