UK Subs – The Globe, Cardiff. 15.12.24.

UK Subs – The Globe, Cardiff. 15.12.24.

I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be than in The Globe Cardiff on a Sunday night just before Christmas to witness my umpteenth UK Subs show and as it turned out the final show to feature Stephen Straughan on guitar who bowed out on the morning after this final show of 2024.

Shame that because I thought Stephen was a great fit for the Subs and the last seven years might have flown by but he’s been a big integral part of the sound in his time and always a beaming smile to Charlies left, he will be missed but this is the UK Subs after all. anyway, the clock is ticking towards ten PM and Charlie leads the troops onto the stage for a blistering hour and some. It’s a set of classic Subs with the odd one or two deep cuts thrown in for good measure.

Having not long read Alvin’s third and final episode of his autobiography it certainly gave new insight into the band over recent years and much respect for the magnificently talented four stringer who delivers the solid thick rhythm this band thrives on and drives the songs onwards and upwards. I know it’s a cliche to say it but fuck me how does Charlie find the motivation to keep getting up and delivering the goods time after time at his age. He should have his trotters up enjoying doing a crossword or two and eating a mince pie in front of the TV at this time of year not sleeping around the UK in a van plying his trade to men and women who also should know better but continue to throw themselves around on a beer-soaked dancefloor but that’s what this music and this band does to you, God bless em.

Starting the set with an uptempo and rock solid ‘Rockers’ There’s no time for mucking about and straight into the business of the UK Subs who in 2024 are a lean operation, the chaos might never be that far away and Charlie might miss the odd lyric but when they’re on it they are a force to be reckoned with and when Stephen opened up the riff for ‘Kicks’ it just got even messier on the dancefloor. ‘Police State’, ‘Emotional Blackmail’ and ‘Rat Race’ sounded like the band was in a hurry and the Globe were appreciating what they were being served early on in this set. It was a band warming up and setting a blaze with a fury and verve that bands twice their size and half their age would do well to keep up with.

The setlist was a wonderful romp through a pretty spectacular catalogue spanning several lineups (obviously) and sounding as fresh as the day they were released an epic rendition of ‘Time And Matter’ alongside classics like ‘Down On The Farm’ (you know the Guns n Roses cover they do). There is also time to knock out ‘Kill Me’ from their last studio album ‘Reverse Engineering’ sitting in very nicely, its songs like this and ‘Quintessentials’ ‘Bitter And Twisted’ that I love hearing as much as the must-plays like ‘Warhead’ and ‘Live In A Car’.

After about a dozen songs its breaks off and classic after classic from ‘Limo Life’ through ‘Scum Of The Earth’ and ‘Barbies Dead’ the band are tight and really giving it some welly. Maybe slimming down their relentless touring schedule has made them a hungrier beast so when they do reconviene for these short bursts their batteries are fully charged and every second counts or that’s what it feels like tonight.

Charlie looks genuinely blown away by the rapturous reaction the band is getting from a very busy Sunday night in Cardiff. To be fair to the Subs they’ve always hit South Wales over the decades and that’s reason enough to bring me all this way and when they’re this good it’ll continue to be so.

Theres a quick encore to change the batteries and Charlie to put on his Santa hat before returning to the stage to lead the troops through a party favourite, potty-mouthed romp through ‘Hey Santa’ followed by the classics of ‘CID’ ‘Live In A Car’ and finally winding down with a blistering ‘Endangered Species’ and we were done. there are going to be some sore bodies in the morning but it’ll all be worth it when they remember how they got so sore thrashing around to the magnificent UK Subs.

Never give up gents and whilst there are some big creepers to fill on guitar these songs need to be sung. Have a break and see you in 2025. Oh, and good luck Stephen and thanks for your seven years as a UK Sub its been a blast.

Author: Dom Daley

UK Subs – Bristol Exchange – 15.11.18

UK Subs – Bristol Exchange – 15.11.18

Over the years I have witnessed dozen and dozens of performances with almost as many lineups but I think its safe to say that the current line up is right up there with the best ever if not the hands-down top of the pile although I appreciate that is open to debate.  Stephen Straughan has been in the band for several years now and to put it one way – is part of the furniture and adds the required bite to proceedings which the current Subs line up deserves. Alvin and Jamie are without a doubt the driving force and an incredible powerhouse rhythm section that is up there with the best anywhere.  As for Charlie.  what can you say about the guy?  An incredibly likable frontman with an insatiable lust for life and one whose talent shows no sign of abating.

Of all the times I’ve seen the band I think this was my first foray into Bristol but I wouldn’t swear by that and with a healthy crowd inside the exchange on a school night the Subs casually saunter onto the stage and proceed to knock out a fantastic set with the required amount of mainstays and some very welcome additions to the ever-evolving set list.  Let’s be fair they have a bazillion songs to choose from yet always seem to throw up a new gem or two every tour. This one is no exception. 

 

They could easily get away with playing for seventy-five minutes and do the best of but they keep writing new material that is as strong if not stronger than their impressive back catalogue.  Tonight begins with the likes of ‘Fragile’ followed by ‘Quintessentials’ ‘Mouth on A Stick’ then to follow that up with ‘Ladt Esquire’ from the first album was some excellent choices. It then became apparent that this decent-sized audience that some down the front wanted to hold up their blessed camera phones which rightfully got Charlie’s goat a little, to say the least.  Sure take a few pics I do but that takes a few seconds then it’s gone but I’m also baffled as to why somebody would go to see a show and spent the entire evening watching it through a phone screen!  When did that even become a thing? Charlie became more and more perturbed by the actions of a few but he wasn’t the only one.

Anyway, the songs came hard and fast and the heat was raised by the time we hit a purple patch of classic Subs tunes and one to add to the list has to be ‘City Of The Dead’.  Not that the crowd needed warming up but to follow that with ‘I’ve Got A Gun’, ‘Emotional Blackmail’ and ‘Another Cuba’ was exceptional. I’m sure there are many who would say that their favourite album is ‘Endangered Species’ I flip-flop from one week to the next putting this at the top of the pile so it was great to hear ‘Fear Of Girls’ but when they chime up with ‘Bitter & Twisted’ I’m loving ‘Quintessential’ but enough of that their cover version of ‘Here Comes Alex’ sounds as bright as the first time I heard it.

We head into the home straight and from here on in its a sing-along classic fest.  ‘Teenage’, ‘Party In Paris’ they all lead to that classic bass line and ‘Warhead’ signals the crowd participation as some people lose their collective shit.  It is great that these songs we’ve possibly heard too many times still hit the spot and tonight ‘Warhead’ sounds as fresh as it ever has and as relevant as it ever has.  I guess our leaders have learned nothing over the decades.

For an encore tonight we’re treated to the trio of UK Subs classics in the shape of ‘C.I.D’, ‘I Live In A Car’ and to send us into the cold Bristol night its the ‘New York State Police’ and then we’re gone.  Another night in another town with the same familiar songs sounding as fresh as the day they were written watching a band killing it time after time and night after night already I’m checking my diary to see when I can catch them next and Cardiff Tramshed in 2019 it is. Phenomenal band phenomenal back catalogue and still giving, new EP and then there is Alvin’s solo album to look forward to – bring it on – the more the merrier.

Time & Matter

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Author :Dom Daley