Vive Le Rock magazine brings its 15th year to a close in fine style!
Yep, it’s that time of the year again! Here’s to you, Vive Le Rock – you’ve had a great year (we especially enjoyed the issue with the Brian James feature), and we’re pleased to hear that the anniversary gig is set to become an annual fixture in our calendars. Tonight, it’s the return of the Vive Le X-Mess gig/party to help us through these increasingly cold and dark days.
Sad though we were that Diaz Brothers had to pull out, we’re always happy to see replacements Janus Stark, especially when they’re on as blistering form as they are tonight. You wouldn’t know this was new bassist Angus’s first gig with the band, so well does he gel with Gizz Butt and co, and as the frontman himself unleashes another scorching solo over the punchy power-pop of ‘Panic Attack’, we wonder how his guitar’s fretboard doesn’t spontaneously combust. Plus, unlike us, the bastard actually looks younger than he did a year ago; such are the rejuvenating powers of rock ‘n’ roll, it seems. A brilliantly explosive start to the evening.
This evening is Desperate Measures’ third gig in four days, but if the punk veterans are tired, they sure as hell aren’t showing it. Singer Eugene, in particular, needs more from us; be it jumping into the crowd during ‘Sublime Destruction’, prompting a mass outbreak of handclaps or urging us to “shake our arses” during a genuinely arseshake-worthy ‘Enjoy The Ride’, he’s quite the master of ceremonies. ‘Seven Sisters’ remains our favourite – a song with an underbelly as dark and gritty as that of its namesake neighbourhood – but there are no weak links on show tonight.
Crashed Out frontman Chris cuts something of a Brian Johnson figure with his flat cap and sleeveless shirt, whilst guitarist Lee kicks off with some Angus Young-esque guitar acrobatics. The AC/DC comparisons don’t end there; like the Australian rock legends, this Tyneside quartet are an unpretentious bunch who infuse their songs with an Everyman spirit. The likes of ‘Urban Zoo’ and ‘One Of The Boys’ sit happily somewhere between street punk and rock ‘n’ roll, and everything tonight is dispatched with maximum passion and a rascal’s sense of humour. Great stuff.
Headliners Healthy Junkies are not here to please us, but do anyway. They’re not exactly the first band that comes to mind when you think of a jolly Christmas knees-up, and that’s just one reason why we love them. They refuse to be musically pinned down, for a start; from the abrasive full-tile punk rock of ‘This Is Not A Suicide’ to the lilting groove of recent single ‘Son And A Daughter’, they keep us on our toes throughout their set. Lead vocalist Nina is as wide-eyed and captivating a presence as ever, and by the time the band are joined by Desperate Measures’ Eugene for a riotous cover of ‘20th Century Boy’, it’s safe to say that everyone present is converted to their cause – and quite rightly too.
So ends another great feast of quality punk and rock ‘n’ roll. Cheers to the Vive Le Rock crew for having us – you made organising an event like this look so easy, even though you probably had to manage all kinds of chaos! Keep up with all things VLR via the links below:
Main Photo Credit / All Photos: IAN LADLOW
All Videos: RUTH RAE
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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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