Lightning Seeds play Rochdale

Ian Broudie, The Lightning Seeds

27 More Image(s) In Gallery

Ian Broudie brought his popular band, The Lightning Seeds, best known for the Three Lions theme tune for the Euro 96 football tournament, a collaboration with David Baddiel and Frank Skinner that reached number one in 1996 and 1998, to the Rochdale Feel Good Festival. Arguably the biggest band to play in Rochdale in recent years, though The Bluetones may dispute that.

The only other recognisable 'Seed' on stage with Broudie was Martyn Campbell, who returned to the line up in 2009 after a nine year break, though die hard Seed fans will of course have recognised Broudie's son Riley on guitar.

However, a constantly changing line up around Broudie has been the norm for the Lightening Seeds and the crowd packed into the Town Hall Square were certainly delighted and very vocal, though one local wag gave him a dubious welcome with a very audible “Scouse *******” as he entered stage – Broudie made light of it later in the set as he explained he is from Liverpool.

Performing a mix of older well known songs plus newer songs from their Four Winds album released in 2009, it has to be said that, though the majority of the audience were clearly enjoying what they were hearing, the performance wasn't vintage Lightning Seeds and could best be described as competent rather than anything like outstanding.

There were notable highlights during a short set of under an hour, particularly poignant was The Life of Riley, the song Broudie wrote about his son Riley before and after he was born with Riley now on stage with him, having joined the Seed's line up in 2009, playing guitar, but overall there was a nagging feeling at times that Broudie wasn’t over enamoured with playing Rochdale.

Supporting on the main stage earlier in the evening had been Herbaliser and The Travelling Band.

Herbaliser, a jazz rap band formed by Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba in London during the early 1990s, performed their intriguing fusion of jazz and hip hop whilst Manchester based The Travelling Band were back by popular acclaim, after performing at last year's festival, with their folk/country rock.