This was my first gig for 2024 and as has become a regular part of my gig going year, I started off by going to the 100 club for my first of the gig at this year's Resolution Festival that I've gone too. As always this is a great way to start the year at a classic venue with some classic bands.
We arrived at The 100 Club in time to catch the tail end of The Vulz set, who thankfully were a lot tighter than the last time I saw them, but whose songs seem a bit forgettable to my ears, they were rather over-shadowed by supporting two great live bands who they appeared to be providing back line services for.
Soon enough it was time for The Dirty Strangers to play a ram raid of a set, that opened with recent single My Girl's A Getaway Driver that had them roaring out the blocks in a hail of finely tuned guitars and Alan Claytons spot on vocals. There next singe La La La I Couldn't Care Less was nailed to the wall with all its insouciant charm intact, as John Rollason let rip on his Squier.
Slap Bang In The Middle stood Alan spitting out the vocals as Cliff Wright let rip on bass, as once again Dirty Al got caught, up to no good. Hunters Moon had some brilliant Slide guitar from John Rollason that went almost straight into Pirates Don't Get Pensions that's becoming a central anthem in the bands set.
State of Affair may have Al getting caught out again, but it also had some rollicking drums from Lol Fox who was playing The Vulz rather nifty looking Black and yellow striped kit. Al dedicated Diamonds to his old mate Ken who championed the song any chance he got, this was the anniversary of Ken's passing, so they had even more reason to wipe away those Diamonds from your eyes.
They were all looking round the 100 Club looking for whatever mush it was Who Blew The Whistle On Me. They really got everyone going as they blasted through Bad Girls like the gang on the prowl they still want to be. They then closed with a rip-roaring version of Gold Cortina to leave us all wanting some more from them.
After the break it was time for the current line-up of The Boys to make us believe they shouldn't be re-named the grandads some 47 years after they played their debut gig, This show was billed as the bands final UK show of 2024 ahead of their Swedish tour later in the year.
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Rolling back the years as they opened with was it U.S.I. that had great swaggering chanted vocals and sounded super tight, See Ya Later had some magic keyboards from Casino Steel. Matt Dangerfield dedicated Terminal Love to Honest John Plain who was missing from the line-up as we all sang along.
As they sang about 1976 as if it was just the other day, they sounded so super tight as they made sure we all knew what they wanted to do at The Weekend as Chips Kiesbye let rip on guitar. Kent Norberg was giving it everything on I'm a Believer as they got ready to deal with all those Cop Cars.
Matt Dangerfield really gave it everything on You Can't Hurt A Memory as the harmonies worked magically, like all good punks they claimed to have No Money before Matt introduced Organ Grinder as a new song. Then Casino Steel was trying to convince the woman he wanted to Come On Baby Smile how could you resist as cool a keyboard maestro as Casino still is.
I may know most of the words to the song I put down as Contract Hustle but I still don't know the real title!! Still they told us all Let's Party and the 100 Club was certainly doing that, loving every minute of this set, I Don't Care went by in a blur in time for the whole club to sing along to Brickfield Nights.
The First Time was super nifty and played like they could still remember The First Time as they rampaged through Living In The City, that just about left them time to close with the all time classic Sick On You that was super energetic as if they were all still The Boys of old, this was a magnificent set and closed out an incredibly great first gig of the year for me.
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