Tell you what, you can tell a lot about a band from the acts they choose to support them.
Take tonight’s openers, The Fleshtones – original New York garage rockers in existence since 1976, and, they inform us, back in Scotland for the first time since 1982. That’s quite the provenance, and remarkably for a band of this vintage the contain two original members, a drummer – now 75 – who joined them in 1980, and a johnny-come-lately bassist who’s only been part of the act for three decades.
Despite their – on paper – clearly advanced years, the four-piece can still rock out and more – twirling around in coordinated fashion with guitarist Keith Streng giving it laldy with leaps and high kicks as they mix up surf, bubblebum pop and pure rock’n’roll. Determined to put on a show, they’re pretty well-received by a still-filling-up Barrowland, with a bit of response to frontman Peter Zaremba’s calls to the hard core stage front. Clearly enjoying the occasion, the band make their legacy clear to anyone unfamiliar with their history, with a nod to the Ramones followed by a ramble of a song listing all the bands they played with ‘back in the day’ at CBGB’s – a kind of ‘Losing My Edge’ for the punk generation. Except The Fleshtones still very much have it.
If The Fleshtones bring the spirit of The Damned’s pure punk roots, Doctor And The Medics channel their sense of cartoon punk, cream pie-chucking, Happy-Talking cabaret.
The Doctor is in full-makeup, although he does appear to be wearing some sort of dressing-gown, while his cohorts seem similarly larger-than-life, bassist Jon Randle’s LED fretboard particularly eye-catching. There are constant teaser mentions of ‘The Hit’ during their substantial set, as the artist once known as Clive Jackson’s between-song chat gives us the full Medical history – including being “rescued” by his current bandmates from a lengthy spell playing cover versions. Instead, they’re back to writing and recording new material, indeed here’s a new CD containing ‘Forever And Ever’ which stands up nicely along with the quintet’s less-remembered oldies like ‘Mole Catcher’ and ‘No One Loves You When You’ve Got No Shoes’ – something of an anti-Thatcher tune “that’s “just as relevant today”.
While sticking out somewhat on the bill as pushing the definition of “punk”, they go down pretty well, and when they come to an extended ‘Spirit In The Sky’ their audience don’t mind their rather milking of the occasion one bit.
So to our headliners. First UK punk single, album, US tour… first to split and reform and come back to actually hit the charts properly. This is where we join them, in 1979, bassist Algy Ward joining Rat Scabies and Dave Vanian and allowing Captain Sensible to replace founder Brian James on guitar.
Of course, a lot of water (and other liquids) have passed under the bridge since. Thus, the long-missing Scabies is afforded a hero’s welcome, now back in the band properly following the reconciliation required for 2022’s original line-up shows.
1979 saw the release of the “Dodgy Demo” version of ‘Love Song’ that heralded their first reunion and quickly led to its proper, chart-bothering release.Tonight, after a “How do”, Paul Gray delivers its thunking bass intro.
The now-current bassist may not have played on ‘Machine Gun Etiquette’ – the title of which is the second of a quick-fire two-song opening salvo – but the bulk of the rest of the set tonight comes from ‘The Black Album’ and ‘Strawberries’ – providing three more highlights of a tremendous two-hours in ‘Wait For The Blackout’, ‘Lively Arts’ and ‘The History of the World’.
Dave Vanian is still in fine voice, his baritone croon reaching into the dark depths of ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ while Sensible takes over vocal duties for ‘Life Goes On’, while conflating the Psychedelic Furs with Killing Joke, who of course appropriated the guitar/bassline for ‘Eighties’ before themselves having the hook nicked by a certain K. Cobain.
There’s the odd dip into more recent and to many ears (Rat’s included) unfamiliar territory with ‘Gun Fury’ and ‘Beware Of The Clown’, the band’s lyrics covering politics more than their younger and more rebellious selves (Sensible recalling how much of a “bunch of c*nts” they were when in hotel-wrecking mode) but it’s older material the majority of the crowd are here for – even “The Hit”, their cover of Barry Ryan’s ‘Eloise’, delivered in barnstorming style with soaring Vanian vocals as standard.
That aside, the actual “hits” are originals of course, and none more than a breakneck ‘Ignite’ followed by set-closer ‘Neat Neat Neat’, reminding us again of the band’s punk credentials.
Of course there are encores, and if you want legacy then how about ‘Curtain Call’ – which saw the band fully embrace their inner goth (well, in Vanian’s case, already fully on display), contrasting neatly with, of course, 1976’s ‘New Rose’, as we come full circle.
However, there’s unfinished business. Well, it is practically Christmas after all, so a rambunctious ‘There Ain’t No Sanity Clause’ has the mosh pit (and attendant stewards) in overdrive, before, finally, the set closer. And another string to the band’s bow possibly – the chiming guitar intertwining with subterranean bass on ‘Part 1’ of ‘Smash It Up’- were The Damned a couple of minor chords away from inventing post-rock?
Whatever – whether it’s as clown princes of legacy rock – they leave us with a chorus of Gracie Fields’ ‘Wish Me Luck (As You Wave Me Goodbye)’ – or as innovators, icons and dare we say it, national treasures, The Damned have all bases covered.
Also chief newshound at Jockrock
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