Review:
'JOHNSON, WILKO/ EIGHT ROUNDS RAPID/ 45s, THE'
'London, Camden Koko, 13th October 2013'
- Genre: 'Punk/New Wave'
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Our Rating:
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The one trend no one predicted at the start of 2013 was that Wilko mania would break out and that he would be capable of selling out 4 nights during 2013 at Koko.
The fact that this mania broke out was largely unfortunately Wilko was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic Cancer in January when he was given 6 months to live. Well now Wilko claims to be embarrassed that he is still alive and able to perform, but I have to say as someone who had only previously seen Wilko playing in his wilderness years when if more than 100 fans showed up it was a result, then this is a truly remarkable turnaround. I was unable to get tickets for the first round of farewell shows but was overjoyed to get this chance to go and say farewell to a true Essex Legend Mr Wilko Johnson < a href="http://www.wilkojohnson.org/">Wilko Johnson online.
I arrived at Koko just after 7.30 and The 45s were already onstage. They are part of the British Blues Boom, no not the early 60's one but the all-new Twenty Teens one!! Yes they sound and look exactly like the first British blues boomers, only sans the onstage booze and fags and are 4 very young guys who make one hell of a great racket.
One of the first songs I heard all the way through was Billie Jay which was a good love-gone-wrong blues tune that could have been sung by Eric Burdon. It was followed by the frantic It Ain't Over, the a-side of the single the boys kindly gave me a copy of afterwards when I told them I was reviewing the show. They even autographed it for me!! You can get a copy from Oil City Music online.
They may well have played the b-side Devil Of A Woman next, but either way it was a song about betrayal and, well, they don't look old enough to have been betrayed that way, yet still the playing was ballsy and upfront and they looked like they were having a great time.
Don't cut me loose was the main theme of the next song and it sounded like the sort of thing Stan Webb might have cooked up back when The 45s grand-parents were going to gigs. Party At Number 34, meanwhile, was the sort of tune you'd expect from the Graham Bond Organization or someone similar.
They switched lead singer for High Heeled Shoes, which also had some good vocal harmonies and a hard blues rock edge. It's a fine tune. They closed with an excellent version of Got My Mojo Working that coaxed a good part of the audience into singing along with them. A fine set and a band well worth checking out.
After the break, on came EIGHT ROUNDS RAPID who are also from the Essex Delta, in this case Sarfend. They are all dressed in black suits and they opened with My Mate's a Bit Tight, featuring some very witty lyrics from the rather high pitched singer. They were more pub rock than blues boom and were soon singing about how It's An Illness. Not sure what it was but it didn't sound good.
Well after The 45s they sounded a bit flat and they may have been Watching You and if they have, you may need to call the police to get them to stop. It was a bit of a frightening song lyrically as they stalk someone, though I'm not sure why. That was followed by the band's best song, Britain's Got Talent But Most Of Us Haven't. Well yes I'm sure the singer would have been rejected on that show. Still soon enough he was going on about how he was Bigging Us All Up.
Then they had a song with some really cool lyrics about how Dostoevsky's Dead and he didn't see it coming. I wouldn't mind hearing this one again to really figure out all the words are about, but it's certainly a cool tune regardless. Then it was a very quick tune about a date with a girl that was cool and over a bit soon but I got the idea the date would end that way too.
They dedicated the last song of the set to the memory of Mick Farren and did a great version of I Want A Drink: a song that of course Wilko Johnson originally played on. Not a bad set but not as good as the bands playing either side of them.
With Koko packed to the rafters there was a sense of excitement in the air before Wilko walked onstage with his long time compadres Norman Watt Roy on the Bass and Dylan Howe on Drums and they got a thunderous welcome as they launched into Down By The Jetty. From the moment Wilko did the first of his trademark guitar walks, he was met with cheers and screams. Damn they looked healthier than they did in the 80's yes they sounded incredible.
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Honestly, Wilko sounds every bit as good as he always did only now his amps aren't perched on milk crates and he has plenty of room to run around. Amazingly, he does still run around and it's a remarkable sight to see. Dr. Dupree is still full of menace and featured some wicked bass playing from Norman who looked as drenched in sweat as he always did, while he played like his life depended on it all night long. Going Back Back Home had Wilko smiling and using his guitar like a machine gun while Norman's bass was like a braying horse and he was fighting to keep control of it.
They did a slow opening for Roxette before the song really broke loose with Wilko emphasising the lyrics. It was nothing short of brilliant to hear it sung on such a big stage with the whole audience singing the chorus back. Soon enough Wilko had a Sneakin' Suspicion and we were in his world of pain as the relationship that was falling apart in the lyrics but he made sure we knew how he felt about it.
Still never mind, they will Keep On Loving You and the entire venue will keep on loving Wilko, that's for sure. he had the place in the palm of his hand, especially on the supremely poignant When I'm Gone. To hear a song like this sung by someone who is terminally ill was really heart breaking and yet they made it sound life-affirming and by this time, I had a huge grin on my face at just how joyous they sounded.
It was time for one of his live classics and a good touch of the Cairo Blues: a song that needed more machine gun guitar and some great guitar and duck walking from Wilko who couldn't stand still and seemed to have more energy than many young bands do!
We really were all in Paradise by this point in the set, which could only mean it was time for a song whose lyrics could get you into trouble these days. Yes they did a barn storming version of Don't Let Your Daddy Know, it was near the knuckle and musically bruising but brilliant too.
Back In The Night was next and went down a storm as they just looked like they were having a whale of a time onstage. Wilko did the band introductions, allowing Norman and Dylan have extended solos and they then went straight into the set closer She Does It Right wherein Wilko played his guitar behind his head as well as in conversation with it as he would with a lover. A brilliant tour de force to conclude the set.
They left the stage to immense cheers and applause and came back on while the whole of Koko was chanting Wilko's name to thank us and dedicate the encore to Mick Farren as they launched into a long and joyous version of Johnny B. Goode. This saw Wilko take an extended run around the stage mid-solo like he was still in his 20's never mind at death's door.
They left the stage to more cheers and after the sort of intense cheering you rarely hear at gigs any more, eventually came back out for a second encore. Yes we had forced a very ill man to perform some more for us and after he thanked us and seemed rather choked up by just how adoring we all were, they closed the show with a Twenty Yards Behind that seemed like a perfect end to a pretty damn perfect gig.
Long may Wilko keep on playing farewell gigs and if he plays one anywhere near you it is not too be missed. An astonishing show that will not be easy to forget. Wilko Johnson does it right and no mistake.
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author: simonovitch
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Wilko Johnson
Eight Rounds Rapid
The 45s
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