Happy days!!! I with a lot of people had been looking forward to this since it was first announced last month. Stupidly, it didn't cross my mind to buy tickets, must be my age.
Steve Lamacq is a star of the highest order. With his Harlow credentials he has long been a supporter of The Newtown Neurotics (a band very close to my heart) and he has championed Ruts DC since they plugged in once again in 2011. He really has taken off where Peel left off.
So, a BBC 6 Music Christmas Party. What a fantastic idea. 40 years on from the so called Year Zero and the passion for this genre of music seems little diminished. Such was the magnitude of that particular earthquake that the aftershocks are still being felt in the late 2010's. Will the same hold true for some of the musical movements that followed in its wake.... Madchester and Brit Pop. Only time will tell on that one.
Ruts DC stepped up and delivered a perfect 30 minute sermon of intelligent punk. A triumph! And once again the perfect compliment to The Damned.
The Damned then took to the stage and delivered a tight set with 'new boy' Paul Gray. With no disrespect to Stu, it is great to see Paul back in the fold. It was a surprise to me as I was under the impression that he was seriously suffering from hearing difficulties.
With Paul Gray once again on bass duties, I really hope that we can look forward to a 'Strawberries' album tour, in my opinion the only one of the Damned's 'Holy Trinity' that hasn't yet received the full album treatment.
The Damned's set was great and I have to say that it was a brave move to play a new song, 'Standing On The Edge Of Tomorrow' after just one rehearsal. Proper punk attitude from The Damned, and for the record it sounded great!
With the interviews, Brix Smith's DJ'ing and the two live sets, this was a broadcasting triumph. Perhaps this is something that could be done each year on 6 Music. Given that we are now celebrating punk band's 40th birthdays, perhaps additional Summer Balls could also be the order of the day.... just to fit them all in!
Ruts DC
FLAC: https://we.tl/ZTcBP0WAIb
01. Steve Lamacq Intro
02. Music Must Destroy
03. Mighty Soldier
04. Kill The Pain
05. Staring At The Rude Boys
06. In A Rut
07. Babylon’s Burning
The Damned
FLAC: https://we.tl/j1uKyo5ob6
01. Steve Lamacq Intro
02. Wait For The Blackout
03. Ignite
04. History Of The World
05. Neat Neat Neat
06. Life Goes On
07. I Just Can’t Be Happy Today
08. Standing On The Edge Of Tomorrow
09. Generals
10. New Rose
11. Love Song
12. Steve Lamacq Outro
13. There Ain’t No Sanity Clause
14. Captain Sensible Interviewed By Steve Lamacq
Artwork: https://we.tl/jkdyLNqQLY
Brilliant thank you great site
ReplyDeleteYeah got to agree with you Adrian Strawberries my favourite album of all time given the full treatment perhaps with Friday 13th what better time with Paul back’looking forward to new album with great anticipation. Great site pal.
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