UK Subs & Members
The Subs are still one of the best - and certainly one of the most reliable - live bands to come out of punk.
An evening of contrasts. Upstairs in the Studio, UK Subs and the Members are playing. Downstairs, in the main room, it is 808 State and Lone. As regular readers of the cobblers that I write will know, I love the Subs and they are, for me, one of the best punk bands live. Sound of the Suburbs by the Members is one of favourite songs. The whole rave/techno thing in the late 80s and early 90s passed me by as I was too busy banging on about “proper music” being played on “proper instruments” rather than people pressing buttons. My musical tastes may have broadened but it is pretty obvious that I am going to spend my Friday night upstairs, right?
The last time out I referred to the Membersas having no originals in the line-up and I got pulled up on it. Well, I was kinda right but their’s is a convoluted history and JC Carroll(vocals/guitar) and Chris Payne(vox and bass) joined so soon after the band formed that they have, when all is said and done, been there since the beginning. So, apologies Messrs Carroll and Payne. The current line-up adds Nick Crash on drums and Calle Engelmarcon guitar. There’s is a mixed set. The likes of the punky reggae party that is Offshore Banking Businessand the high energy new wave of Sound of the Suburbs are utterly superb. On others songs, like New English Bluesand Working Girl, it gets a bit too old school pub rock for me. That said, this is a good fun set, JC’s between song banter is entertaining, they put on a show and I will make the effort to see ‘em again when they next roll into the fine city.
Between sets, I sneak downstairs and catch a bit of Lone. This isn't really my bag but it is interesting and even a little intriguing (and another Outliner is here to review it anyway) but it is soon time to head back upstairs and the main event. I’ve seen UK Subs anumber of times and reviewed them here on several occasions. Finding something new to write about them is becoming increasingly difficult, not because of any failing in their part but, well, my vocabulary just ain’t big enough to come up with different things to say. What I will say is that the Subs are still one of the best - and certainly one of the most reliable - live bands to come out of punk. Charlie Harper gets things going bydedicating the set to Pete Shelley, whose passing just a day ago is still a great shock. From that point on (and more likely before it) Harper can do now wrong in the eyes of this crowd. Stage right, the ever sartorially elegant Alvin Gibbs lays into his four string with an effortless cool. Guitarist and relative new boy Steve Straughan fits in better every time I see him with the band and gives Gibbs a run for his money on the style front. Behind them, Jamie Oliver (for the last time, not the do-gooder celebrity chef) pounds the kit like a man possessed. In a set of over 20 songs, there are no duffers. Rockers. Party in Paris and Stranglehold are superb. As ever, Warhead is a standout. Anyone who isn’t moved by the mass crowd chant whilst Harper does his almost rap/almost spoken word piece towards the end has no place in my musical world.
And them, after an encore of Kevin Bloody Wilson’s Hey Santa, CID, I Live In A Carand New York State Police, the Subs are gone but it is still early and I head downstairs for the last 15 minutes of 808 State. As I have said, there is another Outliner here (with far more knowledge of this genre) than me to review 808 State and I’ll leave it to him to say more. All I’ll say is that I can’t tell you what they play but it is something of a revelation. An act that came out of rave and techno having a live drummer? An act that came out of rave and techno that isn’t the Prodigy using a (blooming gorgeous cherry red) Gibson Firebird? Well, who would have thought it.
