Live Review: Shed Seven bring Maximum High tour to sold-out Roadmender

And on the evidence of Shed Seven’s headline gig on Thursday, they’re doing that and having an absolute blast at the same time.

The indie rockers are currently packing out venues across the country, playing their sophomore album A Maximum High in full.

The record, originally released in 1996, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and like many bands who have clocked up decades in the industry, are playing the album in full.

It’s not unfair to say Shed Seven were never the trendiest of the Britpop torchbearers.

However, their back catalogue is filled with gold selling records and in 2024 they topped the UK Albums Chart for the first time.

They’re set to release a new album in January and while their Roadmender set did feature one new track, the hundreds packed inside were there to roll back the years and got to see a band who in all likelihood sounded as good as they ever have.

It’s genuinely refreshing to see a band so obviously loving every minute of what they’re doing.

Shed Seven are fronted by Rick Witter, a man who - by his own admission - is someone who enjoys shaking his hips and he dutifully spends the entire set dancing around the Roadmender stage.

Given the nature of the night, there’s not much surprise in how the set unfolds with the band – augmented by a brass trio - kick off proceedings with the upbeat rock of Getting Better.

Witter is a frontman who likes to chat and ahead of lead single Where Have You Been Tonight? he pauses to (somewhat) jokingly berate two fans on the barrier for talking.

He’s also quick to explain how relatively easy they found navigating what’s usually the notoriously challenging second album.

Going for Gold is another of the album’s big singles and marked a bit of a shift in the tone of proceedings, with a slightly slower pacing following a breakneck opening, while On Standby further showcased the band’s songwriting prowess with its Smiths-esque guitar lines.

There’s more chat about the ‘end of the first side’ of the album with a fan far younger than the record they’re playing.

A couple of times during the night, Witter apologies for his voice not being 100 per cent but honestly you wouldn’t know it, especially with the hundreds singing along to the likes of Bully Boy.

In Parallel Lines, Shed Seven have a genuine album closer. A song which could only come at the end of a record and marked a triumphant end to the first part of the night.

After a brief pause, Shed Seven returned to the Roadmender stage for a quick run through of some of their other biggest hits and new song The Centre Of My Everything before they inevitably closed proceedings with Chasing Rainbows.

Referencing the longevity of The Rolling Stones’ career, Witter joked that ‘health permitting’ the band would be back in 2056 to do it all again.

Looking a little nearer into the future, Witter said: “We’ve got a lot going on, I pity people who hate Shed Seven” – which, on the evidence of their return to Northampton, it’s genuinely hard to do.

Shed Seven played:

Getting Better

Magic Streets

Where Have You Been Tonight?

Going for Gold

On Standby

Out by My Side

Lies

This Day Was Ours

Ladyman

Falling From the Sky

Bully Boy

Parallel Lines

Encore:

She Left Me on Friday / Room in My House

Talk of the Town

The Centre of My Everything

Disco Down

Chasing Rainbows