“Another Day In… Cannock” - Face Value live at The Tackeroo Cannock Saturday 15th March 2008. Review by Alan Hewitt. Photos by Sue Heather.

Well, it has been a busy time for several of the tribute bands recently and for yours truly too managing to catch so many of them “in the act” so to speak! This was my first Face Value gig of 2008 and another new venue for both me and the band too.

Face Value have gradually been changing their set list recently and I was promised a more “Genesis orientated” evening’s entertainment tonight. They certainly lived up to it opening the show with the same opening salvo as Genesis themselves had done. Behind The Lines and Turn It On Again were both performed impeccably and it was great to hear Will’s guitar playing on the latter growing in confidence. The set was certainly to prove to be a demanding one on John’s voice not surprising really when No Son Of Mine and Land Of Confusion followed. The former gave everyone a chance to shine and in particular Tony’s keyboard playing really hit the spot.

A passing nod to Mr Collins’ solo career next in the shape of I Wish It Would Rain Down which it certainly was doing outside the venue I can tell you! Then back to more vintage Genesis with Home By The Sea and Second Home By The Sea and the evergreen Follow You Follow Me. Once again, Will took the latter by storm while Tony John and Wrex played their hearts out during the former. No rest for the wicked though, as the glorious trio of Another Day In Paradise, In The Air Tonight and Mama concluded the first set in tremendous style.

A brief and well deserved break and then back to the show with Abacab threatening to bring down the roof. Tony, Wrex and Will tore their way through this marvellous slice of Rock-a-la-Genesis while John delivered an equally impassioned vocal. Throwing It All Away gave me a chance for a pee break (sorry folks, too much info but I really do DETEST that song!). No Face Value show would be complete really without You Can’t Hurry Love, Two Hearts and Sussudio and they were served up piping hot tonight and the audience really which had been enthusiastic all night really got into their stride.

The emphasis was on the Genesis side of things tonight and Domino really took the place by storm. The band have nailed this one down tight and accompanied by an impeccable lighting performance by “Dr Dave” this was classic Face Value. Easing things down a notch, the band gave us a wonderful performance of the classic Carpet Crawlers before the closing trio which really put everyone through their paces with a magnificent performance of Afterglow followed by the equally dramatic Tonight, Tonight, Tonight and Invisible Touch which got everyone in full participation mode.

The band then took their well deserved bows but no one doubted that an encore or two would be forthcoming and we were not disappointed when I Know What I Like was announced complete with our now obligatory “trip down Memory Lane” audience singalong which the crowd seemed to enjoy enormously before the evening’s entertainment ended with Take Me Home giving everyone one final chance to get up and dance/ sing or whatever took their fancy! The band got an enthusiastic and thoroughly deserved applause which must have been pleasing especially to John who had been struggling with a sore throat all evening - trooper that he was, though he soldiered on and gave a magnificent performance as did the rest of the band at yet another entertaining evening. It was great to see some familiar faces in the crowd too - we almost had our own mini Genesis Convention and with the band already re-booked for a further three gigs at this venue next year on the strength of tonight’s performance there will be many more great nights out at the Tackeroo to come - well played, lads!