Review:
'OUTDOOR MINERS, THE / SPECIAL BRANCH'
'London, Bush Hall, 9th April 2011'
- Genre: 'Punk/New Wave'
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Our Rating:
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This show was a special 50th birthday gig for Death Ray from 70's punk band The Violators. For those of you with deep-rooted Punk Rock knowledge will know they were one of the bands who played at the legendary Roxy club where they opened for Siouxie & The Banshees in their time they also played with Alternative TV and Squeeze among others.
Death Ray is also the only friend I have that got to see Metal Urbain playing back in the 70's. That makes him extremely cool in my eyes.Since those days, Death Ray's music career was cut short by the illness that has left him wheelchair bound and this show is his first live appearence in 24 years!
We got into the Bush Hall in plenty of time for this invite only gig and I have to say I can't believe I haven't been to more gigs at this venue. The place is a great old victorian Music Hall that has been used as a gigging venue for about a decade now.
First on were SPECIAL BRANCH, a Pub rock estuary R & B Covers band that I think I may have seen previously at the 12 bar club. Any band that opens with a version of Brand New Cadillac will always bring a smile to my face and they soon enough became the second band this year I've seen cover Dr Feelgoods Down at the Doctors in a far more frantic style than Terry Edwards. I fought The Law was more Bobby Fuller than Clash and they had an easy, 'tween song banter.
Dips into the Feelgoods catalogue kept coming with Back In The Night before we got the almost obligatory Louie Louie and a good rough and tumble version of Pump It Up making it sound way more R & B than Elvis ever did.Then they played this week's American Idol talking point song Wild One although they were more Jerry Lee Lewis than Iggy or Joan. I really liked their take on One Track Mind and I have always loved Around and Around since hearing David Bowie's version eons ago. It was great to hear it played well live.
They then had a Heatwave before taking a trip down Route 66 and leaving us with some High Heeled Sneakers. A good, polished set and a nice opener.
Once Death Ray had been lifted in his Wheelchair onto the stage it was time for The Outdoor Miners' first gig. As the name suggests they are a Wire Tribute band as Death Ray's favourite band of all time is Wire who he first saw at The Roxy in 1977 when they supported the long-lost Eater.
So for tonight's show Death Ray was performing on Lead Vocals and Guitar as Colin Newman, Jimmy The Griffin was on Lead Guitar as BC Gilbert, Scots Steve was on Bass as Graham Lewis and Slasher Boy was on drums as Robert Gotobed. They opened with Reuters and sounded a little ragged around the edges but it was close enough to what Wire sound like.
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Field Day For The Sundays' lyrical tongue twists were handled well by Death Ray while Jimmy the Griffin (dressed like he was in the Clash)actually managed to look more like he was playing in Haircut 100. Thankfully he sounded like he was in Wire.
Three Girl Rumba was spiky and edgy in all the right places and saw Slasher Boy seemingly staring intently into the large mirror at the side of the stage when in actual fact he was looking to Jimmy The Griffin for the changes. Death Ray was certainly enjoying himself on Lowdown as were the rest of us. 106 Beats That sounded a touch scrappy but it was more than made up for with an almost spot on version of I Am The Fly before Mannequin sounded even more angular than ever.
Dot Dash that has always been one of my favourite Wire songs. It sounded great tonight and Scots Steve's bass was rumbling along nicely as the rest of the band splintered after the chorus. The title Advantage In Height seems rather ironic when the singer is in a Wheelchair, something like a slap in the face for his former height.
The set moved on, with Strange finding Slasher Boy struggling a bit to remember his parts and staring even more intently at Jimmy The Griffin for help. Map Reference 41N 93W is still one of the odder titles in Rock, but it's still a great song and they did it justice and if Practice Makes Perfect then a few more rehearsals or shows and this band would be well on the way and wouln't be Marooned to coin a phrase.
They closed with two more absolute Wire Classics in the primal surge of 12XU and the perfect concision of Pink Flag it was a really enjoyable set. For obvious reasons they didn't leave the stage before encoring with a version of White Man In Hammersmith Palais that saw Jimmy The Griffin on lead vocals and a neat guitar solo from Death Ray. Yes, two songs in one weekend about that great old venue that sits rotting and empty about a mile from the Bush Hall.
As befits any proper Punk show, the DJ played a set of old school revive reggae classics after the set and the Film crew documenting this show came round and interviewed most of the audience. May I wish Death Ray a very happy 50th!
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author: simonovitch
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READERS COMMENTS
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Hi Simon,
Allow me to respond to your review of our gig. Its true to say that our set was not prefect but, with only two rehearsals as a full band, it was excellent! I read your review of The New York Dolls which I found interesting and informative. Strange that you did not call Sylvain Sylvia or change names of their band? Jimmy McGeoghan dances around because he loves the music! Sascha is one of the most talented drummers I have worked with. I thank you...
------------- Author: DeathRay
14 April 2011
Damn this 500 character limit! I fail to see what my wheelchair has to do with the gig? The reason I did not leave the stage before the encore was the four bloody big steps! Also our choice to do Advantage in Height held no irony for me. We just love the song!
Norm Fasey - Vocals, Guitar
Jimmy McGeoghan - Guitar, Vocals
Sascha Boyd - Drums
Stevie Newton - Bass
As a great man once said. Opinions are like arseholes. Everybody has one!
------------- Author: DeathRay
14 April 2011
I didnt play guitar on White Man In Hammersmith Palais. I played harmonica (badly) and sang backing vocals. Were we at the same gig? :-)
------------- Author: DeathRay
14 April 2011
Nice to see a review....interesting reading! Great gig, enjoyed it more than the real Wire show a couple of months ago.
------------- Author: Spinningchilli
14 April 2011
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