17/3/2023 Heavy Metal Kids + The Phobics + Vicious Love + The Chord Buddies @ The New Cross Inn

My first gig (as a punter 😉) back south of the river in a long time, but worth it. Opening the show are The Chord Buddies - all the way from Norway and playing their first ever UK show. Playing in London is a big deal for these guys - they are pretty excited about it and determined to have a good time!

The Chord Buddies play punk fueled raw rock 'n' roll like they absolutely mean it. Catchy tunes played totally from the heart. If you like basic punk 'n' roll then this band are well worth your time when they are next in the UK - and that might be sooner than you think...

Next up are Vicious Love. Decent musicians - like the previous band they have a punk attitude to their rock 'n' roll and turn in a lively and energetic performance.

Local South London punk heroes from just down the road in Deptford The Phobics are always fun!

Local legend and Phobics singer Tom Crossley is a mainstay and supporter of the London punk community. In fact he is so legendary on our scene that top rock 'n' roll band the Witchdoktors have written a song about Tom and his famous white shoes and the much missed 12 Bar Club.

The Phobics keep the punk 'n' roll flag flying and can be seen in South London and also even north of the river on a fairly regular basis - well worth a punt for a T-shirt or CD on their merch stand.

The Heavy Metal Kids like the Hollywood Brats are one one those 1970's British pre-punk bands that should have been big stars, but for a variety of reasons (some self inflicted) never quite made it. But they both had a big effect on what followed - especially in the emerging UK punk scene - many of those bands would cite them as an influence.

Today's Heavy Metal Kids may only contain two original members - in fact every member has been in and out of the band at least once. Drummer Keith Boyce has spent more time in the band than anyone else, with guitarist Cosmo close behind. The original singer was the legendary Gary Holton - later becoming well known as the cheeky Cockney chippie Wayne in 1980's British sitcom Auf Weidersehen Pet. In a later version of the band his place was taken by another actor John Altman AKA 'Nasty Nick' in UK soap Eastenders. The two were actually mates in real life, and ironically Auf Weidersehen Pet was filmed on the same (rebuilt) set at Borehamwood studios as Eastenders is to this day. With Altman as the singer the single 'Uncontrolable' was released. Another singer of note (no pun intended!) among various others to pass through the band is Phil Lewis previously of Girl and later to find fame with LA Guns. These days the frontman role is taken by Simon Gordon - who does a decent job by being himself and not trying to copy any of the previous occupants of the role.

The Heavy Metal Kids originated in the 1970's Glam Rock era, and although that genre had an inevitable influence on the band they were more of a straight up rock band. And definitely not a 'heavy metal' band in spite of their name - which was actually taken from a street gang in a novel by William S. Burroughs. If anything, original singer Gary Holton's image and rough & ready stage persona had quite a punk edge to it - before punk was even a thing. The whole 'from the streets' thing was particularly evident in old live favourite 'The Cops Are Coming' which got them banned by the BBC and like some of their other songs contained lyrics which were 'of their time' and you wouldn't get away with today... These days the 'Kids' are more of a straight ahead rock band. The early version(s) of the band only recorded 3 albums - now available in a box set which I highly recommend. These days the band play 'the hits' from their early albums as well as a few cuts from their mid to later period, but you can be sure you will hear early classics like 'She's No Angel' and 'Delirious'.

One thing that struck me that doesn't happen very often: Just sometimes, you will go and see a band who you aren't very familiar with and know very little of their material - and you will watch them and listen to them play. And you will think 'This is a really good band!'. Not just good musicians - there are loads of bands out there who are great musicians - but that doesn't make them great bands. This is a really good band. A really really good one. They just seem to gel and blend together so perfectly and tightly that without playing particularly hard, or loud, or fast they really hit you and make you feel something. Even if you don't know the songs you can still really enjoy it - and even dance!