Saturday, August 29, 1998
Edinburgh, Scotland
Flux Festival
Queen's Hall

by Sandra and Mike Murkaster-Cascade

Okay- away we go:

For me Edinburgh started on Friday night at 10:30pm when we got up to watch Edinburgh Nights on TV- It's not the same as being there but it's great to see your favourite band on TV.

After the show I got ready for work and left home at midnight:-( leaving Sandra to store up some sleep. With help from my friend Alan I finished work at 8am and got home to get ready. We left for the airport @ 11:30 to give us time to park & find where we were going. Sandra was quite worried about flying for the first time and kept saying "I can't believe I'm doing this" but we did:-) The flight took off @ 2:25pm (a little late) but got to Edinburgh on time at 3:40. After collecting our suitcase we 1st of all arranged accommodation for the Sunday night through a booking agent at the airport. Then it took over 40 mins to sort out our car hire- because we don't have a credit card they have to do lots of checks including phoning up 2 people who know you to ask for a desciption! I'd reserved the car earlier in the week so I was warned of this & had arranged for a couple of people (my mum/step father & my friend Graeme's parents) to be in to take the phone calls. That done we headed into Edinburgh in our Peugeot 306. We found the hotel (with a little help from a traffic warden) only to find that despite stating it had to be a double room when booking that they only had a twin:-( .With no time to arrange somewhere else (Edinburgh was packed with it being the end of the festival) we unpacked & started getting ready to go to the gig- we were already missing the cats so I phoned the airline to see if there was any chance of changing our flight home from Monday to Sunday but again because of the festival everything was fully booked. With no time to get anything to eat we drove straight down to the venue. At the door we went to the side to check if we were on the guest-list as Siouxsie had promised on Thursday night- we were:-)

The review:

The Edinburgh Queens Hall was sold out for the last night of the Flux Festival & the first time The Creatures have played live in Scotland. The venue was a lovely place- I don't know if it was previously a church or public meeting house- it had a stone floor and around the back of the main auditorium was narrow old fashioned benched seating. There was also an upstairs gallery which was also seated. We made our way straight to the front & managed to claim our place against the barrier just to the right side of Budgie's tom-toms. Siouxsie & Budgie arrived on stage and began the set with Thumb- Siouxsie was wearing her PVC trousers, her patterned slightly see- through PVC top, PVC gloves and to start with a leather jacket. Budgie was in his fishnet top with leggings & his schoolgirl hockey skirt (which he later told us he'd bought in a charity shop). Right at the start of the show Sioux told the bouncers off for being too heavy- they allowed people to take photos as long as flash wasn't used but lots of people still took the occasional shot with flash. We did.

We can't remember the set-list in order because the show just took us on a tidal wave ride of ecstasy! It was more exhilarating than taking speed & watching shooting stars at 3am! They were in amazing form and treated us to a far wider range of songs than at the Garage gigs. Backed by Susan & another chap on guitar/bass they played (including the encores but not in order) Thumb, 2nd Floor, Exterminating Angel (the way they've been playing it in the USA), Turn It On, Sad Cunt, I Was Me, Take Mine, Prettiest Thing, Disconnected, Miss The Girl, B-side Ourselves, Pinned Down, Venus in Furs, Pluto Drive, Venus Sands, Tattoo & I think they also did But Not Them. Two encores were played but they were under a curfew to finish as a comedian was performing later that night:-(! That was a shame as Siouxsie & Budgie looked like they wanted to carry on. 

Rumour has it they will be playing the same set-list in London next week as the roadie wouldn't let the set-lists be given out. Do everything you can to get there- this was one of the most breathtaking gigs of all time!

* We *** DESPERATELY*** want a tape of this gig* Please help if you can:-) e-mail- sa+mj@murkaster.demon.co.uk.

by Andrew Allan

I have been a follower of the Banshees since 1981 and must have seen them live around 30 times in Scotland, England and a lot of Europe.  This concert was the best ever.  Doors opened at 8.00pm and thought we would have to wait until 10.00 before they came on stage. it was not to be, they arrived on stage at 8.30pm - don't ask about the set list as i was too overcome to care, although they did amongst others 2nd floor, pinned down, venus sands, and one of my all time favourites - Pluto Drive.  They played until 10.00pm and sioux said that there was a curfew at that time as some fuckwit of a comedian was coming on after them.

Siouxsie and Budgie were in great spirits, and they really did appear to be enjoying themselves!!  unlike the last few years of the Banshees where i got the impression that they were just going through the motions.

The show had sold out weeks ago, and had a wry laugh that the gig was in the Queens Hall - how apt, lots of queens and dykes it was like a big party!!

Sioux made some reference to the guy that used to stand to the right of her before they did Venus in Furs, and wondered what he was doing now.  I took this to mean Steve, but what do i know??  A guy behind the bar was telling us that they were doing an interview with MTV after the concert.

I have seen the Creatures twice, once in London a couple of months ago and this one which was by far the best. can't wait for the new album. and hope they do some more Scottish dates when it is finally released. Last night her voice was so powerful, and Budgie, what can i say, apart from being such a shag (what a pity that he is heterosexual!!)he was really enjoying himself and his performance on stage was amazing.