Part 2:
Now I’m writing this on another train going back the other way to work. I got home and stuffed my face with a cold veggie pie, mash and gravy – I didn’t use cutlery – just fingers and lots of slurping – I must have looked both desperate and disgusting but it was very neccessary. The gig was actually far more low key than I was expecting – I thought it would be rammed seeing as it was sold out but there was lots of room. I overheard what must have been a road or tour manager walk past fuming saying how disappointed he was gesturing at how the rabble at the front were only three deep. That’s probably because those that were pogoing and generally lurching into each other were running out of breath and clutching their sides with stitches after four songs – apart from two die-hard whippet-like Mohican’s who carried on bare-chested to the bitter end. The collective age of the audience was 10,750 and I reckon the average age was 43 or so. Funny. After 2 pints of Star in a nice warm plastic glass and I think during a rousing chorus of ‘I Just Can’t Be Happy Today’ or it could have been ‘Smash It Up’ I had a ‘we really need a riot’ moment. What happened to everyone standing up against the government and not taking their ridiculous policies anymore? Everyone has become so passive and accepting.
So the band were very tight – there were a few moments which went into prog/Pink Floyd freeform mode – it was ok but I could feel we were all there for the energy and the noise and not for the forays into improvisation despite the fact the band have always done that. It got louder as it went on but at first (unless I have gone deaf over the years from too much gig-going) it seemed half as loud as it should have been. Captain Sensible and Dave Vanian were in perfect vintage sync and finally seemed to get into it. Sensible looked timeless in his trademark white rimmed sunglasses, red beret and red/black stripey mohair jumper. Dave Vanian looked like a small, sharp glossy black crow with his 50’s quiff and old-style mic. Monty’s keyboards were a bit of a shambles and should have practised more I reckon. It was a long set and once they got going you didn’t want them to stop. It was lovely to meet up with Mr Istvanski a fellow blogger/reader and lover of The Damned. Currently sporting 3 pints of lager on an empty stomach delayed hangover and playing my personally signed live recorded cd of the evening which was recorded by Live Here Now. A little piece of history. Thank god for ticket touts – and my all time favourite venue the 100 Club!