Danny and the Champions of the World live in Gosforth 2025: review & videos
Gosforth Civic Theatre proved to be a fantastic setting for Danny and The Champions of The World live. Despite being seated, it was intimate enough for real connection and the clear lighting and rich sound made it both a joy to experience live and ideal for capturing for posterity.
With a ‘greatest hits’ set spanning their career, the Champs delivered a performance full of energy, depth, and warmth. Danny George Wilson was in his element, the band was on top form and, thanks to the layered sound of their latest album, even the newest songs resonated strongly. Now, with videos of every track, you can experience it all for yourself!
Danny and the Champions of the World live in Gosforth at Gosforth Civic Theatre on March 22, 2025
1. Talking A Good Game 2. Kicking Tyres
On tour, you’re never quite sure how familiar the audience will be with the band, especially in the towns that aren’t routinely included on the standard circuit. Some will be there just because it’s something to do, or through trusting a promoter with a reputation for curating excellent entertainment (Jumpin’ Hot Club, in this case).
At Gosforth Civic Theatre, the groups congregating at the café tables closest to the venue door gave an early sign of dedication. Still, it was the good-natured heckle “Where’s your hat, Paul?” that really sealed the deal that there were true Champs fans in the room. He peered out into the dark, grinned, and muttered “lost it” as the band chuckled (perhaps having assured him that no-one would notice).
Until recently, the Champs tended to be one of those bands that it helped to see live to really ‘get.’ Much like Marvelous 3, Skinny Lister and Less Than Jake, there was a level of intensity and identity that didn’t quite translate to record.
Since Thomas Collison’s meticulous work on producing the latest album, You Are Not A Stranger Here, things have changed. This has fed back into the live show too. Although it hit with more enveloping immediacy in the intimate rock club the night before in Glasgow, Collison’s layering of samples from the record (everything from crickets to his world-renowned opera singing sister) contributes considerable texture to the live sound.
3. I’m In Love
One of the most satisfying parts of the latest live iteration is seeing Danny George Wilson getting lost in contemplation. He clearly loves how his most personal songs have been brought to life, and marvels at the rare talents of his bandmates.
“Is it Saturday? What have you been up to?”
Danny George Wilson
4. These Days
After three new songs, the Champs transported us way back to the self-titled 2008 album for the beloved classic These Days.
Next up, Wilson explained that he’d bought a felt cowboy hat at a charity shop, but he absolutely would not be wearing it for this show. Bassist Joe Bennett had other ideas.
“Lushy’s lost his hat, I’ve bought a hat I won’t wear!”
Danny George Wilson
5. Future Past
The skill of the band shone through on the new song, Future Past. Pedal steel player Henry (the man) is clearly missed on this tour, but guitarist Paul Lush has stepped up to incorporate the prominent parts into his own repertoire so that there was no missing sound.
6. Waiting For The Right Time & 7. Hearts and Arrows
The long-standing fans were thrilled by the next pairing of Waiting For The Right Time segued straight into the heartland rocker Hearts and Arrows.
8. Thinking About My Friend
Judging from the way the band creased up in the background, we’ve got to suspect that the magnitude of the story “We wrote this a few years back when we were living in a shack in a Swedish forest” is growing daily, like the bears referred to in the song; a tall tale in the truest sense.
9. Never In The Moment
There are two absolutely stand out Champs songs written or co-written by Paul Lush. Wilson swung his guitar behind his back to take on the first with the raw emotion and passion it deserves.
10. Consider Me
As an exquisite treat for the fans, the second masterful Lushy (and Wilson) song (often identified as people’s favourite, mine included) was delivered straight away.
11. (Never Stop Building) That Old Space Rocket and 12. Stay True
Here was a really interesting song choice, given that ‘Space Rocket‘ is a barnstormer that often closes the set to leave fans buzzing on the way home. The ability to casually drop it in two thirds of the way through set speaks to the range of songs they have to choose from.
It was served with a Stay True chaser, delighting the old guard.
13. Robot Cries
Back to the recent past, the band delivered their latest single, Robot Cries. Bennet had fun with the prominent bass line.
14. Clear Water
Next up, a song that’s already a Champs crowd pleaser, but one that Wilson reckons would have been a proper hit if released in 1976 and showcased on Pebble Mill [at One]. Better than Loose Women, he controversially stated, before admitting he’d never seen either of them.
15. Sooner or Later
Singer-songwriter support Annie Dressner joined the band for the rousing singalong Sooner or Later. The singalongability makes it an instant Champs classic.
16. Henry The Van and 17. Every Beat Of My Heart
The setlist had recently evolved, following an impassioned plea from a fan in Glasgow whispering in Wilson’s ear that she absolutely had to hear Henry The Van, please. Although Wilson plays it in solo shows, it wasn’t in the band’s recent repertoire. Yet they all caught on immediately and it went down a storm with the Scots.
By the next night, they gussied it up by starting off as a duet between Wilson and Lush with the remaining band members joining over time. This gave time for Andy the lighting guy to fetch the vaunted cowboy hat so Bennett could place it gently on Wilson’s head, catching him unawares.
Piling straight into Every Beat Of My Heart showcased the stamina and precision of Steve Brookes drumming; he barely had a moment to rest all night.
Despite being a rarefied seated venue, a couple got up to dance on the ‘front row,’ and a crowd in the tiered seating were out there living their best lives.
If this has whetted your appetite to see Danny and The Champions of the World live for yourself, head to their website for tour dates and ticket links, including for Ramblin’ Roots Revue and Red Rooster Festival 2025. Their hit album, You Are Not A Stranger Here, is out now.
Danny and The Champions of the World live in Gosforth: Setlist
Here’s the written setlist so you compare how it changed from the plan to the final set. Much like the night before in Glasgow, Restless Feet was dropped. At least this time, Henry The Van was planned rather than requested, so there was no repeat of the half-joking, half-exasperated overheard exclamation: “We didn’t get Restless Feet. That’s your fault!”
Talking A Good Game
Kicking Tyres
I’m In Love
These Days
Future Past
Waiting For The Right Time
Hearts and Arrows
Thinking About My Friend
Never In The Moment
Consider Me
(Never Stop Building) That Old Space Rocket
Stay True
Robot Cries
Clear Water
Sooner or Later
Henry The Van
Every Beat Of My Heart
The other main difference compared to Glasgow was that my Dad wasn’t there so there was no-one to say “well, that was better than I expected.” I think we can all see where I got my review skills from.
To be fair, he’s been listening to Danny and The Champs and Grand Drive for over a decade so his expectations were high to begin with. Plus, he’s Northern, so that counts as effusive from him.
Annie Dressner live in Gosforth
Annie Dressner is joining the Champs for the majority of the tour, hand-picked by Danny George Wilson who is a big fan of her songwriting. She endeared herself to the crowd before she’d even played a song by talking while tuning about how she can’t talk while tuning.
She opened with I’ve Always Been Like This, sharing confessional lyrics like “I think I am missing a part of myself/and I don’t understand it.”
Next up was Nyack, a song that did justice to the clear sound in the room. However, Dressner said “I feel like the song doesn’t do justice to the town, but I’ll never go back.”
Well, there was that one close call. She had decided that she’d go if she was ever within a 45 minute drive away. Once she was 49 minutes away so that didn’t quite make the cut. “Sorry, Nyack,” she quipped.
“I think it’s day ten. I think it’s Saturday.”
Annie Dressner
Next up was Lofted Houses, a plaintive piece about growing up and musing about having children compared to now being grown up with children.
It’s taken from the album I Thought It Would Be Easier “because life is harder than I thought it would be.” Look out for that record, it has a striking album cover.
Renowned singer-songwriter and friend Kathryn Williams joined Dressner on stage.
Fits of giggles soon subsided ready for a serious song about sexual harassment and misogyny in the music industry. The Thrill Of It has been played by multiple BBC Radio 6 Music DJs, including Marc Riley who described it as “to these ears, perfect pop music. I adore that.”
The symbol of the song has become a bottle of milk, a nod to promotional shots of Dressner drinking milk sitting on the floor of a supermarket. She previously explained to the Glasgow crowd that it was chosen as imagery “that both looked cool and made me look like an asshole.” Now she has milk-related merch. There is a sticker – free with mailing list sign up – and a pin badge – free with merch purchase; “unless you only buy a badge, in which case you can’t [have two!]” It would be great if the badge became a Hunger Games style symbol of recognition and resistance.
Following Dance We Do, Dressner taught the Gosforth crowd to sing the chorus of 18 Years, including the line “maybe she was right the whole time.”
Finally, Dressner played Black and White, a song inspired by seeing a poster for an ex-boyfriend running for mayor then going for pizza. It led to the searing admission: “You don’t want me to think of you in such a light that you think I do/but I don’t think that I ever completely stopped loving you.”
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