On a cold autumn night we made our trek to the beautiful city of Basingstoke. The Anvil Theatre is a large modern theatre in the centre next to the Victory roundabout, named after a cough lozenge. This was too large a venue for the Incredible String Band but was nonetheless an excellent venue with good acoustics and wonderful Gales beer. 

Ducks on a Pond was still the opener. This sounds very different to the original and is even "rockier" than the version on the Bloomsbury 2000 CD. Mike is clearly enjoying his mouth organ breaks towards the end of the song. This was followed by 5000 Spirits' Chinese White. 

The Incredible String Band are looking to avoid taking the nostalgia trip and playing a set of "greatest hits" however much the audience would live to hear it. It's a fine line to draw but they appearing to be getting it right with a mix of String material, albeit sounding significantly different to the recorded versions, and newer tracks. Furthermore, the members of the band are equal even if Robin does act as MC, often telling short stories to introduce songs. While Bina does not have Likky's voice (and why should she), she is now developing in her own right particularly on the closing number Whether Near or Far. This is a Hindi love song from a 1940s Bollywood movie. This is very much Bina's song and she is well-supported by the remainder of the group. 

Heron's "spot" erupted on three occasions. The first of these featured Worlds They Rise and Fall newly introduced to the set. This also had a rare glimpse of Mike playing guitar standing. Apparently he has been playing Don't Kill It Carol on other tour nights but today the other solo items were Singing the Dolphin from Reputation and The Falling in Love. This is a new song featuring a crazy piano solo from Lawson Dando that suggests Mike is working on new material and could be recording again soon. Let's hope so. 

Clive's high spot is the crowd pleaser Big City Blues. This is becoming one of the most popular songs of the set and is one of the set's rockers. Clive was also featured on a "very difficult" banjo tune called Swannee Echoes and on a medley of tunes for the Northumbrian pipes on which he was accompanied by Robin Williamson on whistle. 

This is the first time that I have seen Robin with his Irish harp in a String Band setting. He played a couple of traditional songs. He also played a track from a forthcoming CD recorded with improvisational musicians called Facing West From California's Shores. His high point though was when the whole band played Strings in the Earth and Air. Robin explained as usual that it is a song written by Ivan Pawle of Dr Strangely Strange based on a poem by James Joyce. This is a track that is long overdue for CD release, ideally with this line-up.

Unfortunately there was only time for one encore, You Know What You Could Be, before the five took their collective bow and headed off towards Bury St Edmunds.

Tracks played included:

1. Ducks on a Pond

2. Chinese White

3. About Doorways and Weather

4. Worlds They Rise and Fall

5. Singing the Dolphin

6. The Storm is on the Ocean

7. Love Will Remain

8. Big City Blues

9. Maker of Islands

10. Eyes of Fate

11. Pipe and Whistle Tune

12. Swannee Echoes

13. Land of No Return

14. Residential Boy

15. Waltz of the New Moon

16. Irish Harp Tunes

17. Strings in the Earth and Air

18. Northumbrian Pipe Tunes

19. Facing West from California's Shore

20. The Falling in Love

21. Whether Near or Far

22. You Know What You Could Be

Martin Payne with help from the ISB mailing list