Friday night finds me heading down to Oxford Street and one of the only music venues left in the West End of London. One of the great things about the 100 Club is that's it's hardly changed at all over the past 30 or 40 years. It's musical history is pretty special too - nearly everyone has played there. Even me. It has still managed to hang onto it's character, and although most the ales on tap are very pricey there seems to be a policy of still having one beer at an affordable £3.99 a pint. Other venues take note.
No pictures from this show - I can't remember why. Maybe I didn't take any, or maybe I just can't find them.
I arrive just in time to see the last of the Witchdoktors. I've seen them before so I know how good they are and am disappointed not to catch their whole set.This is a great old school rock 'n' roll band. They have a bit of a punk edge, but really manage to capture the spirit of early rock & roll.
Next up is a band who are completely new to me. Cyanide Pills are a new punk band in the old school sense and are very good indeed. This is a band who fit perfectly into the 100 Club's legendary punk history. The Clash are an obvious influence - without this band being Clash clones or rip-offs. They have the look, the attitude, and the style of UK punk circa 1977 absolutely nailed. And they have decent tunes too. I will definitely be looking forward to seeing this band again.
And so to the headliners. Duncan Reid was the original bass player in first generation UK punk band The Boys and so has excellent punk rock credentials. Not for nothing were The Boys known as 'The Beatles of punk', and Duncan has carried this theme on with his current band - he knows how to write a good catchy pop/punk song and this band's set is packed full of tunes you can sing along to. Duncan Reid and the Big Heads are always a great live act, but tonight things are slightly different. The amazing Sophie K Powers is absent from guitar duties due to suddenly having to go into hospital at the last minute for an operation on her wrist - quite important if you are a guitar player! Sophie's absence is so last minute that her stand-in for tonight's gig hasn't had time to rehearse the setlist or even practice the songs. Fortunately her place is being taken tonight by Mauro Vengegas - who actually used to be in this band (as well as Johnny Cola & the A Grades, more recently The Godfathers and currently The Speedways) and played on the second Big Heads album as well as live. His problem tonight is that although he used to play the songs from the Big Heads first two albums he doesn't know any of the songs from the band's new album Bombs Away! Fortunately the band's other newer guitarist Nick Hughes can do all the lead work - although Mauro is a very good lead guitarist. So for some of tonight's set he just has to wing it. Fortunately he is that good and fits in so well that it doesn't even show that he has never played some of these songs before tonight! Duncan is also a very good frontman so that helps too.
In spite of the band's last minute guitarist substitution Duncan Reid and the Big Heads play a storming set of catchy pop/punk songs - I think they are actually better live than on record - where I find them a bit too overproduced and 'pop' for my tastes. They are a terrific live act though - brimming with energy and personality. Interestingly I notice Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof lurking in the crowd, and I wonder if he might get on stage for a guest spot? However, he remains in the shadows tonight...
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