News and Reviews: 23rd October 2011
22 Oct 2011.Sex Pistols Experience + Rebel Truce + Broken Hearts + Threats + Setting Sons live at The 100 Club,London.A special event with punk tribute bands at The 100 Club to celebrate 35 years of The 100 Club Punk Rock Festival.I was at the original event in 1976 as a mere seventeen year old that has gone down in rock n roll history as one of those "i was there" gigs as it put punk rock on the map.Up first we have Setting Sons who are a Jam tribute.
Always good to hear those Jam classics.
Then we had Threats who are a Scottish punk band who were around in the late 70s/early 80s.An ok set.
Then Broken Hearts who i was really looking forward to as they are a Johnny Thunders tribute act and they feature ex Johnny Thunders And The Heartbreakers bassist Billy Rath first time on a UK stage for many years.He looks like death warned up due to his heroin habit.Also in the band is Steve Dior who was mates with JT and Sid Vicious back in the day.
Loads of great tunes like "Born To Lose","Let Go",
"Chatterbox","Pirate Love","Chinese Rocks " and "Get Off The Phone" in their 60 mins set.
Gaye Advert from The Adverts was in the crowd.
Then Rebel Truce who are a Clash tribute.One Clash gem after the other.Have seen them before.Always good.
Headliners Sex Pistols Experience as always were fantastic.Soon the crowd are jumping around front of stage.Nathan the singer is so brilliant as a young John Lydon it is uncanny.Classic Pistols gems one after the other inc "Pretty Vacant","Holidays In The Sun","EMI","Belsen Was A Gas","Bodies","God Save The Queen" and "Anarchy In The UK".SPE really are a must see for any punk fan.They really are the bollocks.
21 Oct 2011.Joe Bonamassa live at Hammersmith Apollo,London.First of two sold out shows at this venue for Joe who has got more and more popular in the UK over the last ten years.Not so much with any hit singles but just word of mouth from people who have seen him play live.These shows are to promote his recent blues rock album "Dust Bowl".
I had a great seat third row front circle middle.
Bonamassa has been influenced by other artists inc
Eric Clapton,Rory Gallagher,Paul Kossoff,Jeff Beck,
B.B. King, Robert Johnson, Danny Gatton, Eric Johnson, Albert Collins, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Buddy Guy. Bonamassa's style of playing incorporates the wide range of genres these influences cover: rock, blues-rock, Delta blues, electric blues, jazz and country.
On stage for a full 2 hours 15 mins set i thought it was the best gig i had seen him play.His guitar playing was stunning and the band sounded great with a brilliant drummer.The set included "Sloe Gin" and
"The Ballad Of John Henry".
During one solo some wag shouted out "Stop Showing Off" which made me and a few others chuckle but most of this crowd wanted guitar solos with his various guitars.A really good show and Joe returns to the UK for Easter 2012 Arena shows.