Marky Ramone is one of just a few living Ramones and certainly the only survivor from one of their 1970s incarnations. He joined as a drummer in 1978 and stayed until 1983 and came back from 1987 to 1996. He is now touring as Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg. Are they any good? Read on to find out but first I need to tell you about the rather splendid support band Bones Ate Arfa from Brighton. They describe themselves as “a psychedelic street punk/desert rock three piece” and I can see why. For me they absolutely owned the stage with a solid amalgam of heavy metal, punk and angry hair metal. Their songs were immense and when they displayed the “FUCK REFORM” message I was sold! They also exist in a parallell comic book univers, I even bought one of their fabulous comic books! I definitely want to see this lot again.
Finally it was time for a true brudder and some lil brudders as Marky and his boys took the stage. I first saw the Ramones before Marky joined back in 1977 (December 31st) at the Rainbow in London. That night they played 28 songs and 21 of those were played by Blitzkrieg at this Brudenell gig tonight. Typical of the original band there is not much communication between songs although you do get the regular intros counted in as ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR. They were like an incredibly tight and well rehearsed Ramones tribute band, only they had the bonus of an original member. It was a wonderfully nostalgic night in a room packed with blokes of a certain age, like me. Aging punks are always up for a good night and this was no exception. There were plenty of highlights and my particular favourites were “Beat On The Brat”, “Sheena Is A Punk Rocker”, “The KKK Took My Baby Away” and “Blitzkrieg Bop”. They also played a great version of the Louis Armstrong hit “What A Wonderful World” which Joey Ramone covered on one of his solo albums. This was an absolute blast and I loved every minute of it!
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Earlier this month the High Priestess of Brat Punk and the Queen of all marginilised, mistreated minorities released “Illegal Aliens” possibly her best song so far. It is a powerful protest song driven by anger, caring, empathy. Much of the songs caustic venom and rage is directed at the patriarchal powers that be, notably the fascist Trump regime. It is built on a bed of music made from punk, hip-hop, nu-metal and the lyrics are in your face. The words are raw and passionate and convey a huge outrage better than some of the greatest protest songs that have come before. The depths of Delilah’s ire on this track are never ending. Why are more people not as angry as her at the various shit shows and vile people that are running/ ruining the world? To paraphrase the Sex Pistols Delilah “means it maaan!” Delilah has said “I’m donating all proceeds from my ‘Digital Downloads’ bought directly from my website to MIRAC (Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee) a grassroots volunteer based charity helping immigrants impacted across Minnesota with food banks, legal advise, support and protest organisation.” Go to her website to download this epic song, https://merch.delilahbon.co.uk/
Delilah has described the genesis of “Illegal Aliens” as “a song I wrote and produced in response to the violence happening currently in the US as over 73,000 immigrants including documented citizens and children have been captured and detained in unsanitary overcrowded ‘camps’ with no legal representation or justice. 38 people (that we know) have died within these camps without access to medical care, reporting abuse, SA and violence at the hands of ICE agents. 12 People have been shot and 4 killed, with thousands taking to the streets in protest to defend their neighbours while many hide within their homes in fear. I wrote this song back in February last year and have sat on this rage for too long. Before, I was too nervous to release this song as I had tours in the USA, but now is not a time for holding back, now is a time of urgency as we watch peoples lives being torn apart before us. This song is for those that are standing up and fighting back, a soundtrack to your incredible activism and strength“.
Following on from a first successful tour to the USA Delilah was scheduled to return later this year. However those plans have had to be cancelled thanks to the Nazi regime in the White House. America has become a totalitarian state where anyone who dares to be different, is not white skinned, straight or MAGAs is deemed persona no grata. I am radical leftist woke scum and proud of it. But the state of Trumpstein right now would be dangerous for anyone as outspoken as Delilah. Land of the free? Seriously? Delilah does not want her US fans, or Bon Bons, to be too disappointed so she has organised a one off gig in May at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds which will be professionally filmed and recorded for later release. The show will be dedicated to those US fans that have missed out on the tour and all profits from the show will be donated to 3 charities that will support immigrants impacted by ICE detention and family separation.
I believe that the lyrics are so powerful I have copied them below, I hope you don’t mind that Delilah!
“ILLEGAL ALIENS” – DELILAH BON – LYRICS
She did things that nobody would ever think of Now she wants to do transgender operations on illegal aliens that are in prison This is a radical left liberal As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government That there are only two genders, male and female
Yeah, yeah, yeah All these people in the street Holding signs, scream with me We’re the mothеrfuckin’ change That these men don’t wanna see I see women and workers The immigrants, POC The Indigenous people No LGB without T
All these people in the street Holding signs, scream with me We’re the motherfuckin’ change That these men don’t wanna see I see women and workers The immigrants, POC The Indigenous people No LGB without T
Look, if that is the president How fucking misguided is everything? What happened to loving thy neighbour? You’ve traded him into the government They’re putting them all in these camps We’re watching it all on our apps I’m scrolling my phone and feeling so helpless Just waiting for someone to act Man, fuck your opinions, it’s awful Mexican children in courtrooms You went from “protecting the kids” To letting them die just sat in their classroom I go from believing in change To hiding my face with the shame They’re pointing their finger at immigrants, finger at anything Other than what’s in their face
All these people in the street Holding signs, scream with me We’re the motherfuckin’ change That these men don’t wanna see Looking around at these artists I wonder why none of them talkin’ So many not speaking about Gaza, speaking about nothing Carry on scrolling
All these people in the street Holding signs, scream with me We’re the motherfuckin’ change That these men don’t wanna see I see women and workers The immigrants, POC The Indigenous people No LGB without T
Try to divide us, keep us in silence Segregating the people with violence Talking about freedom, talking about justice Talking about all of those seeking asylum Talking about Gaza, all of those people? Sending them back to the rubble? Sending them back, knowing that nothing exists Go ahead, call it collateral I feel ready for change Ready to say, say it with all of my chest I will take to the street Using my voice for those that gave every breath The President’s calling them aliens Illegal aliens Dehumanize and terrify the majority They’re putting all the blame and the hate on minorities I never get it I see the way that these people are indoctrinated Force fed all the words that they never question Walking blind in the line with a billionaire His right hand in the air, sayin’ “Look what happens when a rich prick gets All of the money while we pay the debt Hands in the air, I’m the worst one yet” Saluting these people that don’t even know what it means yet
Organise, defy, resist (Thirty thousand beds) Organise, defy, resist (In Guantanamo to detain the worst criminal illegal aliens) Organise, defy, resist (Threatening the American people) Organise, defy, resist
Look, if that is the president How fucking misguided is everything? What happened to loving thy neighbour? You’ve traded him into the government You’re feeding your people with scraps While saying that you got their back Distracting the people with immigrants, people with anything Other than what is a fact Sending ’em back, taking the land from the natives Drilling for oil, you’ve killed their environment, fact All of your power is built on systemic racism Putting your foot on their back Watching as systems divide You on the left and you on the right Controlling the masses and trying to hide They are the enemy, they are the reason you’re tired Nothing to do with minorities Nothing to do with the people just living their life Nothing to do with the women and girls You’re raping and killing, removing their rights Nothing to do with the immigrants Nothing to do with the books that you’re setting alight Nothing to do with these people But look at him, look at the men on his side Where is your anger? Where is the “save the children” when children are legal as brides? Where is your passion for kids When all of these immigrant children are spending the night Treated like criminals, treated like animals Holding their palms up out to the sky You’ve traded them into the government
All these people in the street Holding signs, scream with me We’re the motherfuckin’ change That these men don’t wanna see I see women and workers The immigrants, POC The Indigenous people No LGB without T
The problem’s in our phone (They’re fucking the robots) The problem’s in our home The problem is the media They wanna take control (The men are fucking the robots) The problem, the problem We see it every time we scroll The problem is the media (Let’s delete them) They wanna take your soul
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This was another gig like the recent DMA’S at the Crescent in York, with help from Crash Records in Leeds, where fans could purchase some niftily priced ticket packages for intimate shows when they bought the new album. So, the large room was full of full-on Squid fans. Given that the band can now sell out places like the Academy in Leeds, this is a small and intimate show. OK, I know that the October O2 Academy Leeds show probably hasn’t sold out just yet, but I am confident that it will. I think it is hard to beat seeing a great band in a great grassroots venue such as the Brudenell. This was my first opportunity to see the classy Brighton five-piece in action and like the partisan crowd I was looking forward to it with great expectation and excitement. The show began with an almost eerie, drone-like orchestral piece of music washing slowly over the stage like an audio version of the first sign of sea mist in John Carpenter’s ‘The Fog’. It was a sound that set the scene perfectly for the band to saunter onto the stage and take up their positions.
The gig was mostly about showcasing their highly acclaimed new album ‘O Monolith’ released just a few days before this appearance. The band has previously stated that this album was influenced by These New Puritans and Talk Talk among others, I can see those influences, but I can hear so much more in their deep, dark, sometimes jarring, tones and melodies. They opened with the second single from ‘O Monolith’, the epic, stygian bass-driven “Undergrowth”. If Donny McCaslin had ever worked with Talking Heads and employed Stanley Clarke on bass, it might have gone some way toward achieving what this track does. Next up was the slightly softer, for at least a part, “Devil’s Den”, intentionally or otherwise I can hear Thom Yorke at his most left field here. Next, the band rolled into “G.S.K.” from their 2021 debut album ‘Bright Green Field’, it is not a song about the pharmaceutical giant, but a reflection on a journey from Bristol to London that flows past a large building occupied by Glaxo Smith Kline. It has a complex jazz feel in its construction, the song, not the building, and synth-style sounds that evoke late 70s Giorgio Moroder. Instrumentally “After The Flash” feels like a warped outtake from Bowie’s epitaph, ‘Black Star’ although Ollie Judge’s vocals are from a vibrant parallel universe.
My highlight was probably “If You Had Seen The Bull’s Swimming Attempts You Would Have Stayed Away”, which is also perhaps my favourite song title in a long while. I can see the Mark Hollis influence here, with perhaps a dash of Radiohead, a pinch of 60s muzak, and a whole packet of Squid. I think it would make a great addition to a horror film co-directed by Tim Burton and Stanley Kubrick. Speaking of films, a perfectly performed “Documentary Filmmaker” was next, a great track from the band’s first album, which was enhanced in a wonderful way. The sadly, short set closed with “Swing (In A Dream)” the magnificent opening track and first single from ‘O Monolith’, every one of the band was on top form for this and the emotion of Judge’s vocals is matched by how the music twists and turns with mood swings of its own. This was a staggeringly good set from a great band, bring on the October tour!
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I must confess I had been looking forward to this event for a long while. The long-awaited and highly anticipated show formally signalled the release of Kindelan‘s debut EP ‘You Can Reach Me If You Try’. Until earlier this year I had only ever seen Laura Kindelan perform solo, but now she is back with a full band under the tasteful, yet simple, moniker Kindelan. So was it a good show from Kindelan? You will need to carry on reading to find out because first I need to tell you about the rather spiffing support act, Hannah Rowe. This was the first-ever gig for Hannah and her band, something you never would have guessed as they were so tight and on form. Hannah’s voice is deeply soulful and at times evocative of Adele, Minnie Riperton, and Deniece Williams. But those are just simple comparisons, Hannah’s voice is very much her own. The band was stunning throughout, the guitar player wove a path from soul to pop via some choppy funk motifs. The drummer was beautifully understated and commanding at the same time. Keep your ears open and your eyes peeled for Hannah Rowe, she is damned good!
Hannah Rowe and some of the band
Next month, it will be six years since I very first experienced Laura Kindelan performing live as support to Billie Marten at City Screen Basement in York. I have seen her quite a few times since then and she just gets better and better. I recently saw her play with the band at Welcome To The North in Young Thugs Studio in York. That was the first time I had ever seen her play backed by a full band. This EP launch showcase at the Brudenell in Leeds was the full Kindelan with the added addition of a brass section. This was also a huge gig for Laura and the band, not many people get to headline the main room at the Brudenell and many of those don’t get to pack it out so much. There was clearly much love, and anticipation, in the room for Kindelan. The band, and Laura, were in top form with everyone performing at 100%. Is this jazz, modern R&B, rock, pop, or something else? Well, it is a bit of all that and something special that is that Kindelan sparkle. The first words Laura uttered when she took the stage were “What the fuck” and frankly that summed up the size of this achievement perfectly, even if it wasn’t a “typically Laura thing to say”. The songs on the new EP are irresistibly stunning. My EP highlights from this awesome Brudenell set were “Hazel Frustration”, “Feast” and “She”. However a newer song, “Bruises” was a haunting tale of sorrow about domestic abuse. Laura co-wrote the tune and apparently didn’t want to sing it as it “wasn’t her story”. However, it is sadly the story for many people and one that she and the band tell with empathy, care, passion, anger, and love. I have previously compared Laura Kindelan with some great performers including Jeff Buckley, Kendrick Lamar, and Nina Simone. I can definitely reiterate all those influences based on this fabulous set. The jazz element to all the songs was enhanced by the addition of the brass duo which for me brought some Donny McCaslin vibes to proceedings. One thing that really stands out with this band and Laura as a commanding frontwoman is that they have no fear about using the space and quiet between the notes, which adds a level of atmosphere that some artists can only dream of. Once again the backing vocal harmonies were majestic and magical. It is clear how much Laura rates this band after seeing her step into the audience while the rest of the band finished the show with a final fun and funky jam. This felt like a show that many, many people will look back on as one of the best gigs they have seen. Gig of the year so far for me certainly! After a couple more dates (London 8th June, York 10th June) I believe Laura will be taking advantage of some well-earned downtime to recharge her batteries, I wish her well with that, but I also look forward to where she takes her music next.
Laura Kindelan
Meanwhile, get some Kindelan in your life, you won’t regret it. Check out my two-part review of the EP by clicking here for part 1 and here for part 2. Also, feel free to check out my recent interview with Laura Kindelan here.
The Kindelan Brudenell Setlist
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It is a long while, more than two years thanks to Covid, since I last saw the wonderful Hands Off Gretel play live. So I was really looking forward to this show. Did they deliver? Well just read on to find out because there were also two other bands on the bill. First up was Scarlet, who, for me, had a very punk and very metal Evanescence kind of vibe. This is an exceptionally talented band, especially the drummer who beat the drums with such, precision, passion, and panache that you might have thought his life depended on his performance. Scarlet has a huge sound and huge aspirations and injection of the sass of Joan Jett.
Scarlet
Spookily the next band, As Sirens Fall, supported Hands Off Gretel the last time I saw them back in 2019. They are proud to admit they are from Keighley. Singer Mikey Lord single-handedly made the common old cuppa a proper rock ‘n’ roll drink by having tea as his tipple of choice on stage. Mikey prowls the stage like Axl Rose crossed with Ollie Sykes. He was also sporting a jumper that he may have stolen from Freddie Krueger! Is this the new New Wave Of British Heavy Metal? Powerhouse drums, rifftastic guitar, tasty bass beats, and a singer who has all the right ingredients to become something of a rock god! I promise not to leave it so long before I see As Sirens Fall play live again!
As Sirens Fall
Finally, it was time for Lauren, Becky, Sean, and Sam of Hands Off Gretel to hit the stage and they did it in their usual hard-hitting super bombastic style. This is definitely a band at the top of their game and this was a supernova performance from them. There were so many stand-out moments, particularly rousing workouts of “Milk”, “Alien” (written about Lauren’s now sadly deceased cat), and “I Want The World”. The crowd reaction to a supercharged take on “S.A.S.S” came close to taking the roof off the Brudenell. “She Thinks She’s Punk Rock N Roll” was fiery, bombastic and magnificent! Lauren introduced a new song, “War” by telling us how she had recently played it to a record industry bigwig, who like many in that position was an old, white man. She told him how proud she was of the lyrics, which sound like a fabulous attack on the pale, stale, and male patriarchy. Said bigwig responded with something along the lines of “I don’t listen to lyrics”. That, for me, tells you everything you need to about where the current corporate end of the record industry sits. It is beyond shameful, but it also shows that bands like Hands Off Gretel can make it on their own without a big corporation behind them. Lauren was also passionate about girls coming to gigs and festivals, that is the only way to get more girls in bands because seeing girls playing will lead to more girls wanting to play. This, in turn, will increase the number of female artists on festival bills. Lauren Tate is not only hugely passionate about this and women’s safety at gigs, but you can tell that she really believes in the cause. If only more people were so eloquent about things like this, what a better world it would be. Let me state categorically that I am an old, white, man who is passionate about music and I support Lauren and Hands Off Gretel 100%. These are causes that all genuine music fans should get behind. But it is not just about these causes, Hands Off Gretel are a phenomenal band who deserve huge success. They have the confident swagger of Gwen Stefani in her No Doubt pomp and the hardcore emotionally driven songs that Kurt Cobain excelled at. I think it is worth mentioning how prolific Lauren Tate is too, since 2013, including Hands Off Gretel releases, solo output and more recently Delilah Bon, Lauren has been a part of something like seven albums and countless EPs and singles and the quality never seems to falter. All of the band are supremely skilled in what they do, not just Lauren. Bassist Becky Baldwin not only plays with Hands Off Gretel, but also Fury, Dorja and iDestroy among others. The whole chemistry of Hands Off Gretel is completed by one of the finest guitarists of his generation, Sean Bon and Sam Hobbins, an extraordinary drummer who never fails to keep a stomping, punky beat going on. If you are not a fan of Hands Off Gretel yet, then you are missing out big time!
The crappy photos were taken from the back of the hall using my cheap Chinese Android phone. All the videos were found on YouTube.
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This show was a promotion by Bands F.C., in fact, I believe it is their first promotion. In a nutshell, their core operation and unique selling point is “Bands as Football Teams, Football Teams as Bands”. I presume to tap into the tribalism that exists in music and football. Personally, I have always tended to separate the two, but I definitely understand the appeal. If you are a football fan there will be more footie comments and analogies later in this piece! First of the two bands to occupy the Brudenell stage was one of Yorkshire’s finest, the Skylights. This is definitely a band that is ready for the big time. In fact, I believe that Skylights will hit it way before their beloved Leeds United return to the Premier League or maybe a safer bet might be before Leeds return to European competition. The boys had their own Spinal Tap moment with bass player Jonny not managing to find his way to the stage at the same time as the rest of the band. Was he lost, was it nerves? I have no idea! This Skylights performance was incredibly tight with Rob’s vocals finding a level somewhere between the punk sneer of Johnny Rotten and the “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” whine of Liam Gallagher from back in the days when Oasis mattered. Turnbull is a certified guitar virtuoso who could hold his own with the likes of Bernard Butler, John Squire, and the Edge to name just a few. Meanwhile the rhythm section of the aforementioned Jonny on uber bass and Myles smashing his kit into oblivion. I met someone in the crowd who said that Myles played like he was Animal from the Muppets and I find it hard to disagree. This albeit short set was another classic one from this excellent band. Highlights for me were “Nothing Left To Say” and “YRA”.
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The second and final band of the evening was raucous and refined indie yobs (and I mean all that in a good way) Dirty Laces from Manchester. Their Manchester DNA is obviously well displayed but their sound is also descended from original rock yobs, the Small Faces. Singer Charlie has the confidence, the swagger and just a hint of arrogance that all the best frontmen possess. He also has a great voice. Dirty Laces come across as an incredibly well-rehearsed bunch of very talented musicians. Plus they really seemed to be enjoying themselves on stage, which for me is always a good sign of a great band. For me, the real powerhouse of the band was bass player Tom, although in some ways singling any one of the five out seems a little unfair, I did it anyway. If I was in a band I would not have relished following such a blistering set from Skylights who played like headliners, but Dirty Laces were undaunted and played like champions. They know their classic tunes too; they took to the stage after the Beatles “Because” was played over the venue PA. Then their penultimate song was a cover, not just any cover, but one of Dame David’s greatest songs, “Heroes”. I have seen so many acts screw up cover versions of classic songs, but Dirty Laces took “Heroes” and put their own indelible stamp on it. Never as good as Bowie’s original, how could it be, but an exemplary live performance of a great tune. That was one of my highlights of the night along with set closer “Set In Stone” which may be the harbinger of a new genre mashup; Indie Prog!
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A big shout out to Premier League referee Jon Moss (not the one from Culture Club) for a great DJ set. Sticking with football, this gig would have been a hard-fought FA cup match ending in a 4 – 4 draw (that’s a tie to US readers) with both bands sharing the spoils. When will the replay be?
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All the photos apart from the gig poster were taken by Trust A Fox Photography, please do not share or use without permission. You can find Trust A Fox here and also on Facebook and Twitter (@TrustFox). The videos were all found on YouTube if one of them is yours and you would like a credit or for me to remove it please let me know.
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This was the second time that I had seen the headliners in just over twenty-four hours after their sneaky set at the Fulford Arms the previous day (click here for my review of that show). In fact this is probably the first time that I have seen any band or singer twice in two days in more than 46 years of going to gigs! This was a showcase gig for Skylights who are powering along the path of success and greatness, it’s a long road but they have the means and the fuel to finish the journey. But enough of Skylights for a moment, they were supported by a couple of excellent bands. Taking to the stage in the Brudenell Main Room first were Pool Sharks from Leeds. They were having a great week after being featured on BBC 6 Music and now on stage at the iconic Brudenell in only their second gig! They had clearly rehearsed incredibly well and played like veterans of shows like this. At times I was reminded of early Franz Ferdinand and maybe to a lesser degree Orange Juice and Edwyn Collins. Their songs have depth, clever lyrics and great pop hooks. “Thank You, Have a Nice Day” has the makings of a big hit.
Second on stage and second on the bill were the Sheratons, all the way from……. Leeds! This lot are well aware of what great rock music is and inject their sound with a full on punky attitude. The live performance of their new single “These Kids” was a sharp and jagged riff fest and even better than the rather spiffing recorded version. “Hacienda” their song about the famous, or maybe infamous, Manchester venue was a particular highlight. But their choice of a cover version medley to close their set was awe-inspiring and a challenge that many bands would not have been able to meet, but the Sheratons totally owned their take on two classic tunes. Firstly it was the Beatles’ “I Am The Walrus” (often used as an encore closer by Oasis) which they segued into a perfect run through the instrumental part of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain”. I bought the CD single of “These Kids” and I hope there is an album on the horizon soon!
Now for the nights main attraction, one of York’s best bands, Skylights. This showcase gig was a big deal for them and they were magnificent. Following a raucous crowd sing along to one of the few football songs that is quite good, “Leeds Leeds Leeds” (just in case you didn’t know, these boys are Leeds United supporters) they lit the fuse on an incendiary set with the opening bars of “Life Line”. The power, passion and pace did not let up once. Their biggest influences for me are some of the best bands from the Brit Pop era; Blur, Oasis and Primal Scream. Lead vocalist Rob had the audience eating out of his hands, even if by his own admission he is not a storyteller. Whilst Rob is a superb frontman and vocalist this is a great band because they are so much bigger than the sum of their parts. Turnbull’s guitar skills have future axe legend written over them, he makes smart use of his array of effects pedals to enhance his signature sound. Then in the engine room you have Jonny on bass with a sound that would have given John Entwistle of the Who a run for his money. Myles bashes those drums like the fate of the planet depends on it. “Britannia” is definitely becoming one of my favourite Skylights songs, but it still has a little way to go to usurp “What You Are” and the stone cold classic that is “YRA”. Skylights owned the Brudenell and if they are not taking this excellent sound to festivals before very long then I shall be forced to eat a Skylights T-Shirt. If you haven’t checked out Skylights yet then what in the damned world is holding you back? Trust me you really need some of these songs in your life. Get into them now before they start playing arenas!
Public Service Announcement: – All photographs (except the gig poster) were taken and edited by me using my cheap android phone from China. All videos were found on YouTube. If one of the videos is yours and you would like a credit or for it to be taken down please let me know.
Also very proud to see a quote from this blog on the poster!
Strangely the December 8th show is not on the poster!
Amazingly this was the first time I had seen the Icicle Works. Led by Ian McNabb they have been around for nearly 40 years since forming in Liverpool in 1980. It is criminal that their chart success has been so limited. In the UK they only made it into the top 50 singles chart once. That was back in 1984 with “Love Is A Wonderful Colour” which reached number 15. The band release five studio albums between 1984 and 1990. Since 1993 McNabb has issued eleven albums. His second solo album, ‘Head Like A Rock’ from 1994 was recorded with Crazy Horse and was nominated for the Mercury Prize that year. Sadly it lost out to M People. A point which McNabb poked excellent fun at during his set at the Brudenell.
This show was billed as an Icicle Works gig, although we were treated to a few McNabb solo outings as well. Ian McNabb is a stunningly talented singer songwriter and guitarist. His older songs have really stood the test of time well and the newer songs sound fresh and sometimes edgy. At times his playing reminded me of Neil Young at his best perhaps during his ‘Weld’ album days. The band played two sets with a fifteen minute break, by my estimation they were on stage for just under three hours. That is on a par with some of the best Springsteen shows for length. It would be difficult to pick out any low points from the show. But particular highlights in the first half were Icicle Works songs; “Evangeline”, “Seven Horses”, “Starry Blue Eyed Wonder” and a McNabb solo tune, “Hurricane Elaine”.
The second set was relatively evenly split between Icicle Works songs and Ian McNabb solo excursions. The best of the second set for me were; “I’m A Genius”, “Fire Inside My Soul”, “Understanding Jane” and “Clarabella (Come To The Window)”. The latter is the mountainous, emotional blockbuster of a song that closes his new album ‘Star Smile Strong’. Just when you thought things couldn’t get any better, I honestly would have gone home happy at the end of the second set, the band came back to the stage for a heartfelt, soulful and powerful encore of three Icicle Works classics; “Love Is a Wonderful Colour”, “Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)” and live favourite “Hollow Horse”. McNabb and his and; Matthew Priest on drums, Richard Naiff on keyboards and Roy Corkhill on bass, were on top form and seemed to enjoy the night immensely. The crowd joined in a spirited romp through “Happy Birthday” to celebrate Richard Naiff’s birthday that day. Do not wait as long as I have to see this band, get out to hear them at your earliest opportunity, you will not be disappointed. My thanks to Andy Golborne for his great musical taste and for getting the tickets for this show.
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This was to be the sixth time I have seen the majestic girl power ambassadors and socialist pop punk stars the Tuts. What were they like? Well you’ll have to read on for a bit because there were also some rather excellent support acts on the bill too. First up was Simon Widdop a rather excellent and intelligent poet from Wakefield. Sadly thanks to heavy traffic I missed much of his set but what I did hear was clever, emotional reminiscent of another great northern poet John Cooper Clarke. I especially loved Simon’s tribute to the late, great Amy Winehouse.
Simon was followed by Leeds three-piece Autobodies. If you like the Velvet Underground or Bis then there is no way you won’t like this tight little band. Not only do they write great songs they look as if they are having amazing fun on the Brudenell Games Room stage. I will definitely be keeping an eye on this lot and I urge you to do the same.
Third on stage were a stunning band from Nottingham, Babe Punch, incidentally that is a bloody good name too. They are grungey, punky, alternative with what seems like a great understanding of what makes great pop music. Testament to this was their very different cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game“. The lead singer has a look of Grace Slick about her, but not only the look she has a voice that could match Grace at her finest too. Babe Punch are a highly talented band and I hope they venture north again because I for one will definitely try to see them again.
OK so now it was time for the main event, the Tuts. I was lucky enough to meet each of them during the support acts and they seemed well up for this gig. This show was a part of their Something Worth Voting For Tour of the UK. In a wonderful twist of fate Cruella de May announced a General Election after the Tuts announced their tour. I am guessing that there were no potential Tory voters at the Brudenell in the Tuts crowd that night. Their set was as we Tuts fans have come to expect; loud, punchy, fun, political, punky and powerful. Tut classic after Tut classic were blasted out and totally lapped up by the adoring crowd, believe me if you see this band once then you will be a fan for life. “Let Go Of The Past”, “Worry Warrior”, “Tut Tut Tut” and “Dump Your Boyfriend” had everyone in the crowd singing along. Perhaps the highlight given the forthcoming election was a stunningly angry version of “Give Us Something Worth Voting For”. Nadia and Hat Tut made a couple of crowd invasions which were greeted with rapturous applause. The girls even gave us a wall of death opportunity, which was quite a violent departure for this old bloke! Do you like the Spice Girls “Wannabe”? Go on even if you see it as a guilty pleasure you cannot deny that it is a great song and one that is made even better by the Tuts. The encore ended with the wonderful “Back Up”. At the end of the gig Nad, Bev and Hat spent as much time as they could with their fans. What we also learnt tonight is that legendary producer Mike Chapman is interested in producing them, I really hope that works out. As for the woman who gave the Tuts a poor review in Southampton, were we watching the same band?
Finally I want to add a postscript in that I wrote this review before the horrific events in Manchester on Monday 22nd May at the Ariana Grande show. I have being going to gigs for nearly 45 years and a tragedy like that evil bomb attack on innocent people, many of them kids attending perhaps their first concert, makes me think how much music means to me. Music is life affirming, do not let the acts of some fanatics take that away from you. My heart and thoughts are with the victims and their friends and families. So many young people lost their lives. But we must not let evil people beat us. From everything that I have heard and read since the attack one thing is very clear. The human spirit is alive and strong, so many people reaching out to help others. We need to focus on that to carry on. Take care everyone, be vigilant, be safe, show compassion and love. We are all earthlings and we share one planet regardless of race and ideology.
Thanks to those lovely folk at The Hype Media I recently had the opportunity to see the rather excellent Walking On Cars at the Brudenell in Leeds. Click here to read my review of the gig.
With Just A Hint Of Mayhem 