UK SUBS - Swellbellys - Threats.
13th
April 2001
McPhails, Leven.
Reviewed by Mr X.
This
was the one that had been rumoured for a long long time. Genuine legends
as seen on TV and painted on walls and jackets the length and breadth of
the UK (if not the world), and it was busy too, something that added to
it all as there seemed to be an air of good natured cameraderie you dont
often see in this kind of east coast boozer.
Edinburgh's
Threats opened up the procedings with an energetic and powerful set of early
eighties street punk - think One Way System, Broken Bones and Discharge
with a bit of Chron Gen styled melody. This band were a fixture on the punk
scene about 15 or so years ago and are dipping their toes in the water once
again. With the power on display today it seemed amazing they never made
it big first time around, especially when people like the Abrasive Wheels
got some form of recognition.
Could
it be a heard of tattooed water buffalo playing musical instruments or Jabba
the hutt's street wise cousin I see before me? No, it's the Swellbellys,
faster than shite off a shiny shovel and sounding twice as dirty! songs
from the new 7" were aired as well as their crowd pleasing faves from previous
visits. Luckily the place was too busy for me to see them in all their naked
glory. Another great outing for these hardcore heroes in waiting.
Finally, the UK Subs, what can I say? Did you think they could have been anything less than superb? don't be stupid! Charlie and the boys fed off the obvious enthusiasm of the crowd and delivered up a set of top notch United Kingdom Subversives classics that leaned heavily on the 'Another Kind Of Blues' and 'Brand New Age' LPs. I could nit pick that they did'nt play particular songs or this, that and the next thing but there would be absolutely no point. This was a great show to remember for a long time, and in Charlie Harper you have the epitome of a singer still doing it because he loves the music not because high powered management think he should.