14/2/2020 Rachel Stamp @ The Underworld

This marks the return of a band who have been away for a while. As a result this is an event and the venue is full.

Unlike many bands returning after a few years away, this is the full original lineup - exactly what the multitude of fans want to see.

Costume changes, mood changes, the spirit of Bowie is in the room - his influence is never far away with this band.

Glam is back.

And rock is back. OK - we knew it never went away.

I am not the only one who thinks Shaheena looks amazing - she doesn't seem to have aged in the slightest.

I said rock is back - well the one who adds most the rock to this band's pop and glam is the fantastic Robin Guy on drums. Said by AntiProduct's Alex Kane to be "the best drummer in the UK" - and I wouldn't argue with that. His CV is amazing. He is back in more ways than one as he has had a big battle with cancer involving major surgery, but you would never know it from tonight's stunningly powerful performance. He is the ultimate showman drummer, but his playing is also amazing! He brought tonight's set to an end with the classic Motörhead 'Ace Of Spades' double stop ending - just for fun and because he could.

This was a really great rock show. A small intimate venue with a terrific atmosphere, and a fantastic performance by the band playing all the hits and more. One of the best gigs I've been to for a long time.

9/2/2020 Supersuckers @ The 100 Club

Like Danko Jones and Backyard Babies (see my previous post) The Supersuckers used to be one of my favourite live bands, but like the aforementioned acts in more recent years they have lost their edge and started to seem a bit tired. They are playing smaller venues these days too - last time I saw them it was in a small room at a converted railway station in Hackney - and it wasn't full. Still, they have some great songs so I thought I'd give seeing them at the legendary 100 Club a try.

I really miss the twin lead guitar attack of earlier versions of the band - 'Metal' Marty Chandler is great, but with only three members the band is really missing something as far as I'm concerned.

Bassist/singer Eddie Spaghetti is now the only original member of the band, and it doesn't have the spirit it once had.. Don't get me wrong - they are still a good band, but not the memorable one they once were.

They still have a load of good songs, but there is also a lot of newer material that is less so. Still, this is Supersuckers in full on 'Rock 'n' roll' mode instead of their 'country' mode they also tour and record in - so it's not going to be a boring show.

"Who want's to inspect Marty's guitar?"

"Nice huh?"

Fortunately they still play 'Born With A Tail' - not to do so would be like Motörhead not playing 'Ace Of Spades'!

A good night of rock 'n' roll, but not the great one I was hoping for. That said, Supersuckers are still a bad attitude kick-ass rock & roll country punk band that make Jason & The Scorchers look like a bunch of cissies. But not the band they once were. Let's hope by the time they come round again they will have rediscovered their mojo, and maybe got an extra guitarist back in.

1/2/2020 The Wildhearts & Backyard Babies @ The Forum

The Bull & Gate is crap these days so I went to the Southampton Arms up the road instead - much better for ales! More like a proper pub too.

Suitably refreshed I headed down the road to The Forum. For many fans The Wildhearts and Backyard Babies together is a dream bill. In fact I think it nearly happened a few years ago and a poster even appeared, but it all seemed to fall through for some reason before tickets actually went on sale. But now it really is happening and a lot of people including me are very excited. I think the show is sold out.

Backyard Babies used to be one of my favourite live bands about 20 years ago, but like Supersuckers and Danko Jones who also used to be fantastic live acts back then they seemed to lose their edge and started to seem 'tired'. I think Backyard Babies realised this and went on hiatus for a few years. They have put out two new albums since their return - one good, and one less so, but I haven't been able to catch them live again. Until now.

After hearing one or two good reports since the band's comeback I had been looking forward to seeing them again. However...

I was distinctly underwhelmed by their set tonight. The band played OK, although I've seen them better and with a lot more energy - although to be fair they are a lot older than when I first saw them back around 1998.

The problem for me wasn't so much the band's performance - it was the setlist. Most Backyard Babies fans would agree that their finest album was one of their earliest - 'Total 13' is regarded as a classic. It was hearing 'Bombed (out of my mind)' from this album on the radio that convinced me (rightly) that this was a band I had to go and see play live. But I don't think they played a single song from 'Total 13' at this show! If this was their own headline show I would have asked for my money back - and not playing 'Bombed...' was for me like the Stones not playing 'Satisfaction'.

However, I am glad to report that The Wildhearts didn't let me down. With their latest album with Danny McCormack back on bass duties they have been in fine and ferocious form both on record and as as live act.

The recent and aptly titled 'Renaissance Men' album has two or three new songs that instantly became fan singalong favourites, and the band themselves are playing better than ever.

The Wildhearts are just as relevant in 2020 as they ever were, and their lyrics and the anger contained in the new songs is now more topical than ever before. Ginger writes his best songs when he's been going through a bad time and is pissed off with the world - and there is a lot to be pissed off with in the world at the moment. However, that has resulted in some new Wildhearts songs like 'Let 'Em Go', 'Diagnosis', and 'Dislocated' that I think are future classics - every cloud has a silver lining. Of course we still get a load of the old favourites, but not quite as many as before - partly as the band don't want some songs to get too tired even if they are still popular crowd pleasers, but also because they need to make room for some of the new songs - which are really good and already popular with the fans. So now we  don't get the hugely popular '29 x The Pain', and one or two others which have been in nearly every Wildhearts set for many years. I expect those songs will return at some point and others will fall by the wayside, but who want's to hear (or play) exactly the same songs at every gig for thirty years? Oh yeah - Rolling Stones fans - and make that fifty years. Even with one or two old favourites missing I doubt anyone goes home disappointed - virtually every stage of the band's career was covered. The Wildhearts seem to be on a roll right now, but all too soon the show was over and it was time to go home.