Not one of my favourite venues due to the outrageous bar prices and rude security trying to throw you out the minute the band has come offstage, so as I don't want to spend any more time in the place than necessary I'm in the nearby
BrewDog pub when the support bands are on. But in spite of the venue I still couldn't miss a rare chance to see an ex-member of the
Heartbreakers play live - after all, there are only two members of the legendary Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers left alive. A year or so ago I was lucky enough to see both surviving members on stage together briefly when Billy Rath joined Walter Lure on stage in London. This time only
Walter Lure is in town while on a short UK tour.
It's a given that the setlist will consist largely of songs from the Heartbeakers one and only album the infamous
L.A.M.F.
As with the last UK tour, Walter's band is made up of members of old UK band Gunfire Dance with Jez Miller taking the Johnny Thunders guitar/vox role on some of the songs.
It goes without saying that it will be a cracking setlist if it consists mainly of L.A.M.F. material, and it is just so. It's Heartbreakers crowd pleasers for most of the set, with a few songs from Walter's solo career thrown in. His own stuff is good too, and along a similar rock & roll vein (no Thunders pun intended) but Walter know's which side his bread is buttered. It's hinted that there may be a 'special guest' onstage during the show, and it's no surprise to many when ex-London Cowboy (with former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock)
Steve Dior takes to the stage to perform the Heartbreakingly apt (again no pun intended) 'Too Much Junkie Business' - a Chuck Berry (title) inspired song by Walter's old band that never got a proper release back in the day...
The set continues with more L.A.M.F. classics - most the songs on the album were good enough to be singles. Walter introduces yet another song from that album written by someone no longer alive - this time DeeDee Ramone. It's the much covered punk standard 'Chinese Rocks' - always a crowd pleaser, although I don't think it's a great version tonight and I've heard other bands play it better as well as worse. I might have to plead guilty on that count myself.... I think they played
every other song tonight better.
It's been a pretty good show, but to be honest I thought last time I saw Walter Lure (at the Purple Turtle about a year ago) he played with a little more conviction - possibly because Billy Rath was also guesting with him as he was playing a few gigs of his own in the UK at the time. Still, it's been a good night out with many of the 'usual suspects' around the venue. :-)
After around an hour and a half the show is over and I make my exit before the obnoxious security start to make their presence felt - I don't think any band ever shifts much merch at
this venue after they finish their set... The pub upstairs tends to shut early as well so I head to the
Dublin Castle instead as I feel my money is more welcome there. Unfortunately, I find the usual Westons cider is off - should have gone straight back to
BrewDog instead! I decide to cut my losses as everyone else has probably pissed off by the time I get back down the road. I jump on the tube home as I know I can make a connection to get home quicker if I leave now instead of later - yes, I can actually make a sensible decision sometimes....
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