The veteran UK ska-punk crew bring some musical sunshine to a cold November evening!
As well as featuring sets from three bands, tonight’s gig is also the launch of the recent P-Rock documentary on DVD. We have nothing but fond memories of the music TV channel that burned so briefly but also so brightly, so realistically, we had to be at the excellent Signature Brew Haggerston tonight.
It’s heartening to arrive at the sold-out venue early and see that the place is already a good two thirds full before anyone’s even played a note, and as we enter, the DJ segues Goldfinger’s ‘Spokesman’ into Jesse James’ ‘Shoes’. Ahh, we can feel the years just melting away!
Everyone Lies give us all a lesson in how to grab the chance to open a sold-out show and give it a damn good seeing-to. The Southampton trio press the ‘go’ button from the moment they hit the stage, ripping through the opening ‘Stuck Inside My Head’ with maximum conviction. Clearly stoked to be here, they only pause from time to time to thank us, before launching into another slice of gloriously melodic and very British pop-punk; we especially like how ‘Hang In There My Friend’ sound even more anthemic live. Check out their recent ‘Web Of Lies’ EP – it’s ace.
Great Yarmouth quartet Stank Finger bring some brilliantly scratchy ska to the mix, deservedly getting a small but dedicated bunch of folks skanking away down the front with the likes of ‘Jolly Rancher’ and ‘GY Sky Rats’. Hell, they even manage to get us ‘pirate dancing’ (you had to be there, trust us) at one point. Plus, a cover of the NOFX version of Rancid’s ‘Radio’ can’t fail to raise a smile among those of us of a certain vintage (I.e. just about everyone here). Give last year’s ’Three Finger Discount’ album a listen, it’s catchy as hell.
Spunge, bless them, have long had a fine sense of the ridiculous, and the bizarre antics continue to this day. After all, why make a grand entrance when you could just get on stage and offer the crowd some Doritos? Why not pause mid-set whilst the crowd attempts to construct a human pyramid? And if said crowd insists on getting you a few rounds of shots, wouldn’t it be rude to decline them? Let’s just say that by the time they launch into a late ‘Jump On Demand’ (tonight aptly retitled ‘Drunk On Demand’) things have gotten a bit…loose, to the extent that guitarist Des goes for a mid-song crowd surf.
They’ve also long had an ear for an addictive tune, though, and armed with so many (hey, they celebrated their 30th anniversary last year!), they can’t fail tonight. Be it the chorus of ‘Change Of Scene’ sparking chaos in the pit, a supremely groovesome ‘Dub Style’ giving us a chance to catch our breath, or a mass outbreak of bouncing for the evergreen ‘Kicking Pigeons’, everything is played with the enthusiasm and humour of a band who know they’re among friends tonight.
“We promised each other that if you lot ever stopped showing up, we’d stop playing, so stop fucking showing up!” That’s Spunge singer Alex, before a valedictory ’Live Another Day’. Sorry mate, but if you and your band continue to bring the musical sunshine as effectively as you have all these years, then we have no choice but to keep you out of retirement. Hope to see you again soon!
All Photos: ALEX GOOSE
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I spend my days teaching English to foreign students, and my evenings attending as many gigs as possible. Raised mainly on a diet of 90s third-wave punk, my tastes have grown to include just about anything from trad ska to thrash metal. The Ramones are my musical gods.
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