Reviewer Alex got to feel the force of this new chapter in Swami John Reis’ musical journey up close!
Midway through his band’s blistering main stage set at Reading Festival in 1998, these were the words of RFTC frontman John ‘Speedo’ Reis “Everybody, put your hands in the air! I want you to surrender to rock n’ roll, surrender to Rocket From The Crypt!” This, I soon understood, was a rock star in the truest sense of the word. Not as a byword for arrogance or over-indulgence, but as someone who genuinely lived to play rock n’ roll music with authenticity, passion and no little showmanship.
Whether with RFTC, Hot Snakes, Drive Like Jehu or Night Marchers (yep, this is one prolific man), an evening with Mr Reis is pretty much a guarantee of high-octane rock n’ roll thrills, and that’s why there’s a sense of occasion in the air tonight as we await his latest incarnation – Swami & The Bed Of Nails.
London-based openers Dealing With Damage sound restless, and it’s not because drummer James Sherry is having to play by the side of the stage. It’s as if they didn’t so much want as NEED to write their spiky post-hardcore anthems as outlets for whatever’s bothering/worrying/irritating them.
Like the headliners, they’re no spring chickens, but their entire set is a custard pie in the face of middle-aged conformity and complacency; are those wonderfully serrated guitar lines actually coded warnings of something sinister on its way? They have to keep things short and sweet, but on tonight’s form, at least a couple more tunes would’ve been welcome. Superb.
Swami & The Bed Of Nails take the stage clad in matching tribal-print shirts and white trousers, and sound even better than they look as they tear into the opening ‘Ride The Wild Night’. It sets the tone for the rest of their set; a breathless onslaught of buzzsaw guitars and ridiculously catchy melodies, delivered with confidence and charisma.
Elvis fronting the Ramones? Oh, go on then. New album ‘All Of This Awaits You’ (spoiler alert: it’s ace!) gets a good airing tonight, and the likes of ‘Ketchup, Mustard And Relish’ and ‘Teen Hate’ already seem to have become crowd favourites.
As we mentioned, we’re in the presence of a rock star, but between songs, Reis chats with us as if we’re a bunch of his old friends. Whether regaling us with tales of getting lost on the outskirts of London, chiding us for driving on “the wrong side” of the road, or declaring tonight a safe space for vape addicts, this guy is relentlessly entertaining and refreshingly down to earth.
It’s been a busy night for quality London rock n’ roll gigs, but as an encore airing of the grin-worthy ‘I Hate My Neighbours In The Yellow House’ draws the evening to a sweaty close, we remain in no doubt that we made the right decision to haul arse to Hackney tonight.
Tonight I felt the same rush of adrenaline as my 16 year old self did all those years ago at Reading Festival, and over a quarter of a century later, it’s heartening to see Reis still on such fine form.
Main Photo Credit / All Photos: CLARE DOWSE
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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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