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| The Weirdo's were supposed to be playing here tonight as well, but they've pissed off back to the USA for whatever reason? They were one of the main draws for a lot of people (not me!!) so there's a few disappointed faces in the Empire tonight. Guy Trelford "Spit" book author and all round punk enthusiaist has nearly given himself a nervous breakdown trying to suss out the truth behind the "are they playing or are they not" rumours that have been circulating for weeks. I don't really care I just got a wisdom tooth pulled on tuesday and my mouth is aching and I'm drinking against dentists orders when I can get through the throng at the bar. But alcohol dulls the pain and its making me feel better. I wish the gig wasn't tonight. We entered the packed venue catching the Dangerfields playing the last couple of songs in their pointless but noisey set. One for the teenies in the audience I think, I thought they were crap. Wreckless Eric is a bit of an oddity, very sharp and his one man band was a change from the usual punk rock barrage. Good songs like 'Joe Meek' , 'Local' and 'Whole wide world' along with some witty banter throughout his short set fer instance..."I like you all, even the cunt that spat at me" won over the confused crowd. The Damned on the other hand put in a well below par show. I don't think it was anything to do with the actual band performance as such. Dave Vanian looked great and was the showman as always and Captain Sensible was his usual maniac self. No Patricia Morrison this time (boo hisss - PDC) someone said she's just had a baby, so congratulations are in order. She was replaced by some guy from the English Dogs I was told .The problem was the choice of material in an eclectic set. It just didnt hang together. It was a strange audience too. There was mild shuffling and pushing around during the punk classic 'Neat, Neat, Neat' yet they went mad in the pit during 'Eloise', why?!!!! Highlights for me were 'Love Song', 'Neat Neat Neat' and 'New Rose' as always and the new single 'Little Miss Disaster' was good, but on the whole the set didn't gell. It was a disappointing night. A real laugh was when after the show me and Facer were having an emergency slash against the Damned's tour bus (sorry just couldn't hold it) which was parked at the side of the venue, when we had to stop mid flow and chase Dave Vanian who had emerged from the side door to get a pic and autograph, which he reluctantly agreed too at first, but was friendly enough once trapped by a handful of fans. But there was no such problems with the Captain, he happily signed my Damned setlist as did Wreckless Eric, two gents. While we were outside the venue a dickhead with a plummy voice carrying a rose came up to us. We were talking to a young punk kid telling him he should check out the original local punk bands like Rudi and move on from the Pistols whose logo he had painted on the back of his junior leather jacket. The arse with the flower then butted in and started singing the opening line of Rudi's 'Big Time' at me. Then in his Malone Rd snobby voice he said "SLF were the best band from NI" so we told him to fuck-off! there was better bands like Rudi, Outcasts and Stage B. But he then stated in a patronising/condescending tone and I quote "SLF spoke for everyone in NI and middle class people like us didn't understand and didn't know what we were talking about". Now me and Facer almost fell to the ground in hysterics, we were nearly pissing ourselves laughing. It was one of the funniest things I've ever heard, what a comedian. He was worth the £14.50 ticket price alone just to be there and hear this arsehole. Plus he's lucky he ran away without getting his rose stuck where the sun doesn't shine. You meet some real wankers at punk gigs these days! JOE DONNELLY Belfast 19/11/05. |
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| Wreckless Eric
+ The Dangerfields
Empire, Belfast 19th November 2005. |
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