Judging by the Punk bands who’ve passed through Newcastle so far this year it’s almost as if it’s 1977 all over again with visits from Stranglers, SLF, Ruts, Anti-Nowhere League, Cockney Rejects and the Dead Kennedy’s with the UK Subs and The Dictators still to come and with Sham 69 tonight there’s never been a better time to be a Punk in Newcastle since those halcyon, safety pinned days of the ’70s.
Strangely enough there is another band doing the rounds as Sham 69 yet features absolutely no original members and undoubtedly one or two punters have turned up and been bitterly disappointed when they have discovered this. Talk about a sham, Sham 69. Fortunately, tonight, it’s the real deal, no imposters just frontman Jimmy Pursey, guitarist Dave Parsons and one time Lords of the New Church bassist Dave Tregunna all from the original 1977 lineup that were responsible for the hits that cemented their name into Punk folklore.
Before the show Parsons had promised no messing around, that the show would be crammed full of what the fans wanted to hear from the big hits to the vintage cuts from their classic albums and he certainly wasn’t lying kicking off with their self-financed single from 1977, What Have We Got and their debut release I Don’t Wanna. It was a fans paradise and it didn’t stop there as George Davis Is Innocent and Bastille Cake whipped up a storm.
The enigmatic Jimmy Pursey hasn’t aged a day delivering Ulster Boy and Rip Off with the same venomous fury as he always did while contorting himself into inhuman shapes round his microphone stand. Age certainly hasn’t blunted his razor blade wit as he called out “Does anyone want to hear some Folk music, you love folk music up her in Newcastle, right?” before slamming into Borstal Breakout. Cue pandemonium and mayhem in the rather lively mosh pit at the front.
Parsons and Tregunna provided the musical muscle and face punching riffs while monster drummer Robin Guy formerly of Tigertailz and John McCoy’s band, added the backbone with a flash and flair that’d put Motley Crue to shame.
A cover of The Clash’s White Riot was riotous by name and riotous by nature before the big guns were rolled out for the ending and what an ending. The football terrace bootboy chant-a-long of If The Kids Are United, Hersham Boys and Hurry Up Harry launched a frantic smash and grab, Punk Rock ram raid.
Review By Mick Burgess
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