The Buzzcocks / Goldblade

Everyone’s favourite punk support band Goldblade are warming up the crowd tonight for a rare appearance at the rather small venue; The Cockpit. I expect the place to be heaving, and it is that.

Though not straight away. Goldblade, appearing twenty minutes early, are playing to a room that is half full until their last couple of songs. It is then that their fans turn up shouting for the classics, to be told that they have already been played (apart from ‘Strictly Hardcore’, which singer John Robb mistakenly thought they had done already).



All the classics are indeed there; ‘AC/DC’, ‘Fighting In The Dancehall’, ‘All We Got Is Rebel Songs’ and ‘Black Sheep Radical’. The holy head-grabbing is in place again for ‘Do You Believe In The Power Of Rock N Roll?’ (“Brothers and sisters!”), and as usual a kid is onstage to help out, but as there is only one kid in the crowd Robb enlists the help of several girls to dance and hold signs for songs like ‘Riot’.

I always enjoy Goldblade. Whatever mood you are in you can forget it all and just focus on the music and stage show. Robb’s energetic movements make you feel tired just watching him, and the whole band look to be having a laugh as always. It’s just a shame many people missed the majority of their set.



The Buzzcocks. They look so friendly (maybe not bassist Tony Barber, who never really looks happy on stage), like you (or depending on age, your dad) would meet them down the pub. The poppy punk sound with intelligent and bold lyrics was celebrated last year for hitting the ripe old age of thirty (older than this reviewer!), and this band show no signs of slowing down.

The pace is constant tonight, not overly fast but quite speedy (the curfew is early to allow for the following club night). Many an original punk must be dusting off all their punk clobber and limbering up for some right pogoing, with recent shows from the Sex Pistols and the usual Christmas shows from UK Subs and The Damned coming up. If the youngsters think they are punk, think again. These people experienced it and brought it about first time around, and they take no prisoners. In other words if you can't stand the heat (in the mosh pit) then move back.



The place is packed to the train bridge rafters, no room to budge. Even though the set is a mixture of old, very old and new songs, the crowd can not get enough of Pete Shelley and co. 'Ever Fallen In Love' and 'Boredom' are sadly missing, though 'Orgasm Addict' more than makes up for it.

Shelley, once again in a shirt featuring lyrics from one of their boldest songs ('Orgasm Addict'), performs with his cheeky head-cocked-to-one-side routine, whilst Steve Diggle is constantly the show man, forever trying to catch everyone attention at once. In fact he is only still when singing into the mic. Shelley tends to look on as if to say “Here he goes again”, but unless this is all for the money then the original Buzzcocks must get on. This tour is happening admist the release of '30', a live album packed with Buzzcocks beauties, so those who missed this brief tour can hear what all the fuss is about.

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.