These Sunday afternoon gigs are becoming a thing. This venue is a hidden gem with its cool vibe and decor and the sound is first class. I can’t believe I haven’t been here before and will definitely be visiting again soon.
Year Zero
Year Zero have clearly been busy writing more of their brand of late 70s influenced punk which Roddy’s sax/keyboard player describes as like the Members and the Neon Hearts. It’s interesting that in this 11-song set only 4 can be found on their first 2 recordings, 2019 EP ‘Heart Shaped Bullets’ and their 2021 album ‘Brace for Impact’.
They have fun playing and frontman Mick has banter with the well assembled crowd. The band connect on stage, often in jest, but many of their songs have a story to tell and this is not comedy punk.
They dedicate ‘Dudes’ about the loss of their heroes Bowie and Bolan to Terry Hall and dedicate ‘Human Condition’ to original drummer Tim Johnson who appears on all their recordings and is trying to stay unnoticed in the packed crowd. They go down well and no doubt a new album will appear pretty soon.
Roddy Radiation and the Skabilly Rebels
It was an honour to play support to this man and his band especially as I still have my double A side of gangsters Specials AKA v The Selecter
Roddy and his band hit the stage to enormous admiration. This is not surprising for a man who has written some of the most enduring Specials songs, a group was instrumental in establishing as the Coventry Automatics in the late 1970s. But he has done far more and released great solo material and been part of many other groups and supergroup collaborations.
They begin with ‘Do the Dog’ and from the off the audience don’t stop moving to this cool mix of Specials songs (many of which Byers wrote), and songs from his own solo career and excellent album ‘Blues Attack’ and other releases.
We are treated to some Specials classics such as ‘Bonediggin, ‘Keep on Learning’, ‘The Man With No Name’, the fabulous ‘Hey Little Rich Girl’, ‘Do Nothing’, ‘Sea Cruise’. Roddy explains before ‘Rat Race’ this was his rant about not going to art college. ‘Doesn’t Make it Alright’ is described as the most important song ever written. Still significant today and maybe more people should take a listen.
His own songs such as the excellent ‘Blues Attack’ and ‘Judgement Day’ stand up against the Specials classics and add to the set with a slightly different feel which isn’t totally surprising with his punk roots and love of rockabilly. The home straight consists of a power trio of ‘Gangsters’, a real favourite on mine, ‘Concrete Jungle’, and ‘You’re Wondering Now’. But this wasn’t the end.
The final song is ‘Johny’ about Johny Thunders, (guitar virtuoso of the ‘New York Dolls’ and the ‘Heartbreakers’) with its country train beat, cool guitar solo, and amazing rhythm and sax was a fitting end with one guitar hero honouring another. The crowd would have stayed forever, so after much persuasion they played a raucous version of ‘Little Bitch’ to end the show.
Roddy’s band are all excellent musicians, and they played these songs brilliantly. Adrian Lee on sax and keyboards and backing, Joe Harcourt on guitar and backing vocals, Connor O’Connor on bass and Matt Hart on drums
With the recent release of the film ‘Dance Craze’ Roddy and his Skabilly Rebels will be off to America playing this wonderful music that has easily stood the test of time. Like many in the audience and across the world were probably glad he chose music over art, although the two are compatible.
Must mention the merch guys who travelled from Dublin from to
Stourbridge to see a band from Coventry and ran the merch for both bands.
Big shout out to Andrew and Shenanigans music for putting the gig on.
https://www.facebook.com/shenanigansmusicuk. Big thanks also to the band ‘Flying Ant Day’ (check them out)
Must also say thanks Dicky Woodhall the man in the ‘Dog Town Skates’ t-shirt – always nice to reminisce with old Arrow skatepark skaters. I’m sure weren’t the only two in the audience.
A great Sunday afternoon and I will no doubt be in Stourbridge more often from now on.
