It's time for 999's annual autumn London show, a gig you could have gone to practically every year since 1976 or so, the first time I attended one of these gig was in the mid 80's, they've always had a great supporting cast, while these days they are playing smaller venues than The Forum etc this is still a great night out. This sold-out show had 4 bands well worth seeing.
We got in during Those Naughty Lumps set, this is the reformed version of this band who were originally around between 1978 and 1982, thankfully they don't take themselves too seriously. The first song we heard in full was Sex Gods that might have been more accurate when it was written, but as they are now all old blokes hearing them insisting that they are indeed sex gods was pretty funny, although the band were super tight new wave power pop punk.
They then played the bands best known song Iggy Pops Jacket all about getting to touch the hallowed piece of clothing, it was great bouncy fun with a cheeky smile on its face. They closed with what they pointed out was an Iggy rip off a reworking of Raw Power into New Wave, a good chant along New Wave song about the good and bad bits of being in a band. They are well worth seeing if you get the chance.
Next on were Swedish punk band Dead Pollys who right from the opening Not Alone are in our faces, quite literally at times, as singer Nizze stalks the audience as much as the stage, getting up close and personal as he makes clear we are Not Alone while sounding a bit like Bitch Boys but singing in English rather than Swedish.
The next song could easily be about what it's like to be a touring band at this level as they blast through Losing Money By The Minute like they are PF Commando's bastard children. Here Comes The Nightmare seems a perfect song to be sung in London at the moment as we appear to be in the middle of a living Nightmare.
Smallest Man Alive is dedicated to the Orange Chump and is full of rage and disgust that he ever even came close to being President, this is a full-on Warheads style attack at the fact this idiot is still a free man. Nisse then dedicates the next song to Idiots Like you as he points at everyone in the audience and while singing at least one line right into my face from about 30 cm away, this is a great song having a go at more of our current malaise.
They then claim to have missed the revolution on The Parade that sounds like it's descended from Staten & Kapitalet by Ebba Gron.
They then gave us the bands Skinhead anthem Marching Boots that was a good stomper.
They closed with Jimmie Jimmie that was dedicated to a Swedish Nazi who they wish to scream Fuck You at, in a similar was to Rude Kids singing Raggare Is A Motherfucker, this was a great end to a very good set.
Next on are Damage UK, who have nothing to do with Uk garage dance band Damage, but feature 2 members of Nuffin', one Ex-Extraverts and Irish guitar legend Alan Davidson who I know I've seen before in other bands.
They opened with Palace Of Justice an angry stab at the idiots who claim to be the bringers of justice in this land of ours. Total Surveillance is a song for our times, especially in London where you can't move without being on camera or with a gps tracker on your phone, car, laptop etc etc and they are as guilty as are we all for always being watched.
The guitars strafed us on Scorched Earth that seemed to sum up the madness of Putin's current Ukrainian misadventure. Chains Of Austerity sums up the feelings of most of us as we watch the ultimate result of the Tories Austerity agenda unfurl around us in all its dreadful ways.
Wire Head was dedicated to all the phone addicts in the audience and on stage. They then took us deep into the band's history with Interesting Void a song from 1980 apparently that sounds as relevant now as it would have done then. Modern News is something best avoided, unlike there song about it which sums up the tissue of lies we are constantly fed nicely.
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They then played a great cover of Rosalyn the old Pretty Things classic that David Bowie also covered, this had most of the audience singing along to it, Alans guitar solo on this was spot on.
They did a good sales pitch for the bands latest album before playing the title track Cyber Wars a song that's sadly all too relevant as drones attack the Ukraine. They sum up the last few years succinctly on Chaos Of The Clampdown before closing with a great sing along version of I'm So Bored Of The USA.
After the break it was time for 999 playing on a far smaller stage than we saw them play on at Rebellion in August. They opened up by blasting through My Street Stinks that seems accurate for the 2020's as although there is no striking Dustbin men our local streets seem to be swept twice a year at best.
They ripped though Inside Out at a cracking pace with Guy Days guitar solo flying by. Nick Cash took careful aim on Shoot before Hit Me ripped though the Dublin Castle with Arturo Bassick's bass pinning it down perfectly.
Nick made sure we were all welcome to be Boys In The Gang with 999 this was the first big sing along of the set, although it was loud enough you couldn't hear any of the audience singing. My Dad Trashed My Submarine was introduced as being off the bands most recent album Bish! Bash! Bosh! This version sounded tighter and more dead on than the version they played at Rebellion, with Stuart Meadows drumming never letting up.
Feeling Alright With The Crew got a bit of a mosh pit going to it, as everyone was certainly Feelin' Alright by this point in the evening. Last Breath has the feeling of being far too relevant in the last few years and Nicks vocals had plenty of emotion in them.
The Biggest Prize in Sport was blasted thorough like they were running the 100 yard dash. They then did a nifty cover of Sam the Sham & The Pharoahs classic Li'l Red Riding Hood. I think it was Don't You Know I Want You that was next with Arturo and Guy's backing vocals working really well.
No Pity sounded like it was aimed straight at the current government and any fool still supporting them. Emergency got the biggest pit and sing along of the evening as we all know just what a situation we are in the middle of, yes things have gotten properly Nasty Nasty before they closed the set with Homicide that as ever was a sing along classic to guarantee they got a well-deserved encore.
I think the Encore opened with Black Flowers For the Bride before they finished the evening off by singing the bands first ever single I'm Alive an assertation that is probably felt more by the bands fans now 46 years later than when they were young and this song was new. It was a great way to end a truly great gig.
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