A power pop punk family affair on a summer's afternoon
What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than in the company of live punk rock, a pint in hand and three bands determined to send the weekend out with ringing ears rather than a whimper? That’s exactly what the Half Moon in Putney served up as Wipes, Red Anger and Voodoo Radio delivered a bill that never put a foot wrong.
Shepperton trio Wipes opened with the sort of economy and confidence every support band should possess. Clive Ward‘s sharp guitar and laid back angsty vocals sat comfortably on top of Steve Wilson‘s bass and Simon Edwards‘ crisp drumming, producing a set that balanced melody with bite.
‘Dance If You Want To’ certainly encouraged exactly that, while ‘SPG Van’ transformed Ward’s own teenage run-ins with the police into an irresistible slice of suburban punk storytelling. A thoroughly convincing opening act.
Red Anger frontman – the irrepressible Jamie – spent almost as much time in the audience as he did on stage, disappearing into the crowd before returning with another grin and another plea for “crowd participation”… namely a visit to the merch stand.
Behind the mayhem, Diz‘s razor-sharp guitar work, Fleagle‘s relentless rhythm playing and Simon‘s powerhouse drumming (although double shifting) never wavered, while new bassist Shem, playing only his second gig with the band, looked as though he’d always belonged. This show was their farewell before heading into the studio to record their new third album, and the wealth of fresh singalong material suggested the next chapter could be their strongest yet.
Then came Voodoo Radio, one of the most engaging live acts currently working in the UK circuit.
One glance at the stage raises an eyebrow. No bass player. No second guitarist. Just Paige Cook, standing centre stage behind a compact stand-up drum kit, and her dad Tony Cook, armed with just a road worn Les Paul and a pedalboard the size of a small landing. They shouldn’t create such a huge sound. Somehow, they do.
Having graduated from busking to sharing stages with The Skids, Sham 69 and Ferocious Dog, the Cumbrian duo has earned their reputation honestly, one audience at a time. Their songs occupy that glorious territory where punk collides with power pop – hook-filled, melodic and gloriously immediate.
Their real strength, though, is the chemistry between the two of them. The easy banter, the breathless mock exasperation and the knowing smiles never feel rehearsed because they aren’t. Tony delights in winding Paige up; Paige gives as good as she gets “He’s my Dad not my boyfriend”. It’s warm, funny and utterly disarming.
Paige is a real pop punk powerhouse. All fluorescent orange shirt, flying blonde curls and boundless energy, she is a captivating frontwoman, gloriously different in the tradition of Poly Styrene, Pauline Murray and Debbie Harry. Right now, there’s no one else quite like her on the scene, drumming standing up while delivering every song with real conviction, whist dancing wildly, never missing a beat.
Alongside her, Tony, sporting his trademark black cap and shaggy black pullover, looking every inch the seasoned rock’n’roll guitarist, works his guitar and sprawling pedalboard like a craftsman, conjuring everything from crunching punk riffs to soaring classic-rock leads, creating a wall of sound that completely belies the fact there are only two people on stage.
This first London headline show gave the duo room to stretch out. New song ‘Surveillance’ slipped seamlessly into a set packed with favourites including ‘Eat Your Words’, ‘Pretty Boy’, and ‘She’s So Toxic’.
Stopping only to take the now mid-set social media content with the cheering crowd in the background, they soon were back in the flow with ‘Watching The TV’ and the welcome return of crowd favourite ‘Stupid Humans’. Tony even stepped forward to sing the new number ‘Hate Like the Devil’, before the band tackled the self-proclaimed worst song ever written; ‘Dog’.
The afternoon’s funniest exchange arrived just before the finale. Introducing set finisher ‘Turn Out The Light’, Paige explained it was “a song me Dad wrote for me, about a one-night stand.”
“Well… it was the ’80s,” shrugged Tony with a wink.
“Shut up, Dad!”
The audience laughed, the band crashed into one last glorious punk rock tune, and three minute later, the afternoon came to a fitting close.
Outside, the sun was shining, the Thames rolled quietly past. Inside, for a couple of glorious hours, punk rock had made the whole world feel a little brighter.
As I walked back over Putney Bridge, I reflected that It’s afternoons like this that remind you why venues like the Half Moon matter – not because they’re small, but because this is where great live music still feels gloriously alive.
Catch Voodoo Radio at Rebellion Festival in Blackpool, and then at their headline show in London next month at The Water Rats on 15th August – tickets HERE
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Writer, lyricist, and guitarist with The Viral Breakdowns, radio presenter and passionate protagonist of Punk! From teenage rocker in the seventies, to playing my own original music in far flung parts of the world, I have a love for fast, loud, short sharp tunes with attitude and edge. Based in Chelmsford, you can find me out and about on the Essex and London music scene or rooting through the racks of record fairs, markets and car boot sales, looking for hidden punk rock treasures.
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