“No-One's Coming Outside Anymore” – we’re singing our hearts out inside!
What’s the best thing to do in Reading during the late August bank holiday weekend? Stand in a muddy field with thousands of people getting drenched by the rain, while bands play on huge stages 2 miles away? Hell no!!
Instead, we treat ourselves to another top night of music up close and personal at the Facebar, brought to us by the indomitable Mannie of Shake Some Acton. Despite the West London location name, he regularly puts on gigs in Brighton, as well as across the capital. It’s great to have him branching out further West now! Tonight, SSA brings together local, national and international Punk bands to entertain us; Rage DC, Desperate Measures NZ, and Chelsea.
The band members of Rage DC now live further away from each other, so they have hardly any opportunity to rehearse – but you could never tell that from their tight performance tonight! There’s no set list – there never is! – yet this tight unit blast through a set of punk rock bangers old and new – including a couple from new album ‘Mind Your Head‘ – with barely a breath in between.
Frontman Loric is sporting a very funky new (and apparently one-off) T-shirt design, (which I later request guitarist Graham to consider for wider release), and delivers each number with snarling intensity. At the back, tub-thumper Joe keeps the sweat from his eyes with a headband, later commandeered by spring-heeled bassist Chris, whose usual stage-jumping antics make him sweat so much he looks like he’s just emerged from the river Thames… We’re all having a great time singing along down the front, and the band are pleased to see so many of us wearing Rage DC T-shirts!
Desperate Measures seem to be playing everywhere at the moment – and it’s good to welcome Eugene Butcher and his merry men back to Reading on a whistle-stop before they head to their next show. The frontman is full of (justified) praise for the Facebar and its staff, and dedicates their oldest number ‘1984’ to long-term band supporters Ashley Dart and Clare, who are watching from the seats on the raised platform near stage left.
James Sherry is a force of nature on the drums, while a very smiley Phil Roadkill on bass and Calle Engelmark on guitar provide the rhythms and riffs. New single ‘Limo Life‘ nearly goes awry when Eugene’s mic cuts out, but being the pro he is, he grabs Phil’s, and carries on at full tilt!
Desperate Measures‘ set mixes up their older material, such as ‘Scars and Memories‘, with newer songs from their last studio album ‘Sublime Destruction‘, plus their essential cover of ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog‘. There’s something for everyone to enjoy, and plenty of us join in with the lyrics!
The headliners Chelsea need no introduction – on the scene since ‘76, they are a band I’ve made a point of seeing several times this year. Why? Because they are simply one of the best live bands out there! Many bands would struggle after the departure (due to ill health) their frontman, but not Chelsea – a testament to both their strong, timeless material and the high calibre of the remaining band members – Mat Sargent (bass, co-lead vocals), Nic Austin (guitar, co-lead vocals), Rob Miller (guitar) and Gary Ostell (drums).
Nearing the end of their ‘The Wild Road Tour’, a 20-date UK run to mark Chelsea’s 50th anniversary, it’s a joy to have the band here. Chelsea receive an enthusiastic and well-deserved reception from the crowd, as they regale us with a rock’n’roll riot of numbers, from opener ‘Urban Kids‘, to ‘War Across the Nation‘, ‘Running Wild‘, ‘No One’s Coming Outside‘, and many more, until a blistering finale of ‘I’m On Fire‘ and ‘Evacuate‘!
Of course that’s not really the end – we all yell loudly for more, and Chelsea return to give us another triple-guitar and drums attack with ‘No Admission‘, ‘Sunglasses After Dark‘ and ‘Right To Work‘ – a Punk rock classic sung by many throats in the room tonight. This goes down as one of my favourite Facebar shows of the year, and going by everyone else’s grins, it’s clear we’ve all had a brilliant evening!
There are plenty more Shake Some Acton shows to come this year and next – keep an eye on their listings page HERE for all the latest gig info.
Main Photo Credit: RUTH RAE
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