8/5/2011 Bermondsey Joyriders & The Duel @ The 100 Club

Subject	Bermondsey Joyriders & The Duel @ The 100 Club
DateCreated	5/15/2011 4:56:00 PM
	It's off to the 100 Club tonight - a varied and interesting bill for a bargain £8. I'm less than impressed on arrival to find that the real ale pumps aren't in use. Again.  Have they been used at all this year? The club has gone downhill in this respect as the real ales were something that helped make this place different and made me look forward to visiting the venue. Unfortunately I didn't make it in time to see opening act The Resistants - a shame as I sort of shared a stage with them recently at the acoustic Flash Mob guerilla protest gig at the former Gaff recently and I'd have liked to see them properly. I was in time to see the new lineup of The Duel. They have a new guitarist and bass player - the latter being Chris McDougal who can also be seen playing with Darell Bath. This addition has certainly tightened up the rhythm section and made things more dynamic. The band finish their set with a cover of the Clash classic 'London Calling' with Steve Dior assisting Tara on vocals. Between bands we are entertained with 'Exotic Burlesque' from Luna Rose - who I think also appeared between sets at the previous Joyriders show at this venue. No - I didn't take any pictures of her performance as I'd have felt a bit of a perv if I did.  The Bermondsey Joyriders are doing something a bit different tonight. For a start they are playing their new album in full. I have to say that even on first hearing the new songs are rather good! Not only that, but this is a fine rock 'n' roll band!  I do miss some of the older songs like 'Who Are Ya' but the new stuff stands up very well on it's own. The other thing that makes this show special is the presence of former member of Detroit's infamous White Panther movement and ex-MC5 manager John Sinclair. He is there to introduce each of the new songs with some of his specially written poetry about the songs, the band themselves and their 'Revolutionary' punk rock pedigree. I was a bit dubious about this beforehand, but I was won over and I think it worked really well and definitely made this gig a bit special. Although Bermondsey Joyriders have a fine punk pedigree with ex-members of Cock Sparrer, Chelsea, and now The Damned they leave you in no doubt that this is a proper rock 'n' roll band - although still with very strong working class and punk rock attitude. Legendary punk drummer Rat Scabies has settled into the band nicely and they are firing on all cylinders. Bermondsey Joyriders are for sure one of the best and most enjoyable underground bands I've seen in the past year or so and are on their way to building a solid reputation for themselves - I really hope they go on to bigger and better things, the potential is certainly there. Even though I missed the first band it's been an excellent night at the 100 Club (apart from the lack of real ale) with a good crowd of people who aren't scared to go out on a Sunday night even if they have to get up early for work the next day - yes, the show might not have been sold out but attendance was certainly strong. Good on Punk Mod Blues for putting on this show and getting rock 'n' roll fans out on a Sunday night.