Shed Seven to bring their popular live show to Cambridge next week

The Corn Exchange will be welcoming the seasoned indie rockers on Monday (December 9).

Making a name for themselves during the Britpop explosion in the mid-1990s, Shed Seven have not only weathered the storm of life in a rock ‘n’ roll band – breaking up in 2003 and then getting back together again in 2007 – but now seem more popular than ever.

This writer witnessed this intense popularity, bordering on hysteria, first hand at the Brixton Academy in 2017 when the Sheds, who have known each other since school, came on after Cast.

The subject of the fans’ devotion to the band came up in conversation with lead singer Rick Witter, speaking to the Cambridge Independent from Aberdeen where the group were about to do a soundcheck.

“This is gig number six off a list of 23, I believe,” says Rick, 47, “so it’s still early days but it seems to be going okay so far. There are a lot of people singing along and loving their evening, which is nice.”

It seems that Shed Seven are more popular now than ever. “Yeah, I’d agree with that,” says Rick.

“It’s a strange one... but it’s quite satisfying in that what we wrote so long ago kind of still means something to people. They seem to come down and just sing every word back.

“And there are occasions more and more these days where people of our age and slightly older are coming to see us, but they’re bringing their teenage children and the teenage children look like they’re having a great time – it’s not like they’re being dragged along for a lack of babysitters.

"So because of that, I can just see us continuing and continuing because there’s a whole new generation of people there.”

What is the reason for the band’s ongoing success? “I think we wrote a good body of work that’s stood the test of time,” says Rick.

“I also think that people know that they’re spending their hardearned money, but they’re coming and getting something good for it.

"We are thankful to people for coming to see us. There’s nothing better than playing your last song and seeing everybody just having an absolutely great time and leaving the venue still singing – it’s a great feeling.”

At the Brixton gig, a rather drunk crowd member gave Rick a plastic centurion’s helmet, which he subsequently put on.

“I remember that,” he says. “It used to be bras, now it’s centurions’ helmets –what’s gone so badly wrong?”

Cambridge fans should be in for a treat when Shed Seven roll into the Corn Exchange early next week.

“They’ll be a mixture of old classic hits and we’re playing a few songs off the most recent album [2017’s Instant Pleasures],” says Rick, “so hopefully that should please everybody.

"We’ll put on a bit of a show and hopefully, if everyone’s in the right frame of mind, it should be a great night.”

Shed Seven will be appearing at the Corn Exchange on Monday, December 9 at 7.30pm.

Tickets: £31.50. Support comes from The Twang.

Box office: cornex.co.uk