Randy Savages – It’s A Sellout​!​.​.​. Live At The 100 Club (Self Released)

Randy Savages – It’s A Sellout​!​.​.​. Live At The 100 Club (Self Released)

A good old fashioned live EP dust up.  Get your elbow pads on and find your spot in the pit because the fearsome foursome are taking the stage for a shit or bust romp through their five track special delivery.  No fucking about these roughhouse hooligans are ‘Guilty Of Nuthin’ and as they strap on those guitars its four to the floor and lets kick up some dust.  No nonsense powerpoppin hard rockin tunes.  Its a buzz and a pocket full of catchy tunes is exactly what the doctor ordered the only gutter here is its restricted to five numbers when a whole live album would have satisfied my dancin shoes.

‘Doghouse’ is addictive and catchy as an STI and I’ve heard a rumour that this is just to wet the whistle before 2020 and that long-awaited long-player hits the death decks. ‘Better At Your Age’ has got a lovely thick bass thump and a melody that once upon a time a young Wellar might have penned. If you happened to walk in early to a venue and these guys were on stage dishing up this racket you’d be delighted. and as the beer flowed and the likes of the boogie-woogie, good-time rocker ‘Misanthropic Boogie’ kicked in you’d get a second wind and sail into the thick of it.  It might only be Rock and Roll but boy do I like it.  Loud and a lot of fun its what a good time should be.  Nothing too serious except the rock n roll.  It sounds like they’re channelling the spirit of Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds and a bit of Motorhead for good measure especially on the final fling of ‘Intercontinental’ again plenty of Rock but with just enough Roll squeezed in for good measure.  A great bit of good time Rock and Roll so what are you waiting for?  Get on it ya fools and it’ll give the band enough of a kick up the rear to get that long-player out but until then this will do very nicely the Rock and Roll bastards  Be loud be Proud! Lets Rock!

 

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Author: Dom Daley

The Professor and the Madman – Live at the 100 Club (Self Release)

The Professor and the Madman – Live at the 100 Club (Self Release)

The Professor and the Madman aren’t household names in the Punk Rock, Power Pop fraternity, although they should be. Not just because former Damned drummer Rat Scabies has played on all three of the band’s studio albums or for the latest “Disintegrate Me”.  Rat’s bass playing former colleague Paul Gray lends his considerable talent to it, but because the mainstays of Alfie Agnew and Sean Elliot have just as much Punk cred, having been in the likes of D.I. and The Adolescents and exuded more DIY ethos than both Wickes and B&Q combined.

The birth of this live album deserves a whole section dedicated it itself; publishing approval, Art(?) Work(??) copyright issues, Pressing problems and almost the final nail in the coffin PledgeMusic that had the band putting their hands in their own pockets to fulfill the orders, but enough of the back story let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of The Professor and the Mad Man live at the 100 Club album.

The album was recorded just over a year ago at, obviously, the legendary 100 Club in Oxford Street where Messers Gray and Scabies would be playing together live, something that they hadn’t done since July 1992 when the Damned were either departing or reforming. The twelve tracks that make up this 50 minute album span the bands 3 album career to date with “Peace Bombs” from the “Elixir II – Election” album leading straight into a cover of US Power Pop band 20/20’s “Nuclear Boy” and then “Nightmare” that had me thinking that the band have arranged the setlist as some sort of post-apocalyptic concept. It’s almost as if this live album should’ve been a studio one, no doubt to thanks to various Streaming Services it can be. Even the cover of Eddie and the Hot Rods “Quit This Town”, that features a guest appearance from former Hot Rods guitarist Graeme Douglas, lends weight to this. Either that or this is The Professor and the Mad Man’s stab at their own version of The Monkees “Head” soundtrack done live; brilliantly off the rails but bang on the money. The production is super well balanced; you can hear everybody and everything, no one is too loud or understated. The only thing missing is the crowd appreciation and reaction between songs, until “Quit This Town”, where it springs into life, before mysteriously receding into the background; I was at the gig and remember the crowd to have been on the lively, boisterous side with a lot more stories and antidotes between songs (Adam Ant) and I’m sure “Electroconvulsive Therapy” was the penultimate track and not, as on the CD, the last. Maybe that’s why it fades out?

Overall, it’s a great snapshot of something special that at the time was billed as “For One Night Only”. However, with Alfie, Sean, Paul and Rat working on new material I hope to see “A Welcome Return” sometime next year.

Author: Armitage Smith

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Giuda, Thee Dagger Debs – The 100 Club, Sat 4th May 2019

Giuda, Thee Dagger Debs – The 100 Club, Sat 4th May 2019

 

In support of their fourth album, Giuda returned to rock London. Having seen them twice before, I knew that this was going to be an unmissable gig. Last time around, they had White Trash and Cyanide Pills on the bill; one of the best line ups I’ve ever seen. Tonight, it’s the turn of Suicide Generation to open proceedings. You can’t fault their energy, though their set seems blighted by guitar/amp issues, and they are a little light on tunes, but they reminded me of the great Ray Zell’s Marionette, so I warmed to them.

 

Thee Dagger Debs were more to my tastes. Indeed, so fine was their performance that I bought their vinyl album at the end of the night, and risked it on a packed tube train. To some, ‘pub rock’ may be faint praise, but they recognise its value; there’s a whiff of good, old Canvey about them. More rhythm than solos, punchy bass lines, and tunes to get the feet moving, I hope to see them again soon.

 

So, what can be said about Giuda that hasn’t been said before? After tonight’s show, I’m running out of superlatives. You are guaranteed a great night out at a Giuda gig. While their records are fabulous, they are even better live. From the first chord, they are in control. Tenderer embodies the joy of their music, a frontman immersed in every song, urging the crowd on. And the choruses keep on coming, new songs like ‘Space Walk’ and ‘Overdrive’ fitting seamlessly into older classics.

 

As ever, they keep the gaps between songs to a minimum. If like me, you’re singing along, you barely have time to catch your breath before the next chorus hits. And, most of us were singing; it’s a celebratory atmosphere. We’re all here to forget the world and have a good time, and Giuda are built to deliver. I can’t give you a set list, as my feet were moving all night. This is music to lose yourself in. We danced, we sang, we smiled. Some of the most important things in life. What more do you want? Tonight belongs to Giuda. They were glorious. Thank you.

Author: Martin Chamarette

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Review Of Giuda album ‘E.V.A’ Here

 

 

The Luke Haines Power Trio, The 100 Club, 28th November

The Luke Haines Power Trio, The 100 Club, 28th November

Whether you’re familiar with The Auteurs or his vast body of solo material, Luke Haines is certainly a challenge to categorise. The 90s enfant terrible/arsehole (according to his two autobiographies, ‘Bad Vibes’ and ‘Post Everything’); an accidental pop star with Black Box Recorder; a more laid back broadcaster on his current Tuesday slot on Boogaloo Radio, spinning ‘righteous’ tunes.

 

One thing’s for sure, though; he commits fully to his own peculiar vision. With tonight being a rare live performance, promising ‘After Murder Park’ and ‘Baader Meinhof’ in full, it’s pleasing to find The 100 Club full. In black, velvet jacket, fedora and violet shirt, he takes to the stage with a rhythm section apparently poached from Gaz Coombes. And it needs to be a fine rhythm section when undertaking the grooves of ‘Baader Meinhof’. As a trio, shorn of the tablas, the album as a live spectacle is sleazier, Haines clearly relishing a return to electric guitar. “The feedback I don’t mind, but I’ve gotta be slightly in tune”. For what is, essentially, a cult album to a fictional film, there are a lot of people here who know all the words. ‘Meet Me At The Airport’ and ‘There’s Gonna Be An Accident’ are stand-out songs tonight.

 

And so, to The Auteurs’ darkest moment. For me, ‘After Murder Park’ is the album that ‘Dog, Man, Star’ threatened to be; bleak, haunting and beautiful. I love them both, but when heard live, these songs have the edge. The only major change being when Haines forgets the running order, so ‘Married To A Lazy Lover’ is a song late. But, what a song. The three-piece brings out the garage rock elements of some songs; obviously, minus the cello, it’s going to sound different. And it highlights what a strong set of songs these are.

 

Haines is in a jovial mood, recounting how Steve Albini disliked ‘Land Lovers’; “it sounds like The Police!”. He introduces ‘Unsolved Child Murder’ as akin to if Bowie were playing ‘Low’, and was announcing the “hit single”. As Haines has said before, to make music expecting success would be to miss the point. He is rightly proud of these songs.

 

Obligatory encore time brings ‘Lou Reed, Lou Reed’ and ‘Cerne Abbas Man’ from ‘New York In The 70s’, before a clattering run through ‘Lenny Valentino’. Given that it’s about five years since Haines’ last electric gig, he may not be in a rush to return, but I hope it’s reminded him of how good it can feel. Righteous indeed.

Author: Martin Chamarette