|
The
sign on the door says it all, "due to illness, Glen Matlock
will not be taking part in tonight's show. We are sorry and hope
this will not affect your enjoyment of the show". Nooooo! I
wanted to see a real life Sex Pistol! Call me shallow, but although
I appreciate that this is the amalgamation of some of the best underground
successes of the late 70's and 80's, I STILL wanted to see a real
life Sex Pistol!
Disappointment
aside, Dead Men Walking
is a strange concept, but actually makes perfect sense. Made up
of Mike Peters from the Alarm,
Billy Duffy from the Cult,
Kirk Brandon from Spear
of Destiny, Slim Jim Phantom from the
Stray Cats and Glen Matlock from the Sex
Pistols, its a bit of a school reunion for the musicians
involved. Speaking before the show, Slim Jim and Mike told me it
was down to the fact that they'd all known each other for years,
done the same circuits, cut their musical teeth in the same era
so, well, why not?
The
Dead Men Walking show is a medley of a generation, and judging by
the the shirts worn by the west Cumbrian punters, its one that certainly
hasn't been forgotten. In fact, walk into any branch of Top Shop
these days and you can see exactly what this lot were rebelling
against - leg warmers, batwings and most other representations of
Thatcher's Britain. T shirts bearing the emblems of UK
Subs, Dead Kennedys,
Sham 69, all stretched over
mid 30's beer bellies but here tonight to catch a whiff of bygone
youth.
Whitehaven
Civic Hall was packed and Dead Men Walking did more than
justice to each of their respective back catalogues. Belting out
hits such as the Cult's 'She Sells Sanctuary' and the Pistols 'Pretty
Vacant', the band were tight as a Tory minister in 1983. They dealt
with bassist Glen Matlock's absence like the seasoned professionals
they are and gave weight to each track played, regardless of which
member of the band it once belonged to. Yes, its a bit odd having
Mike Peters from the Alarm sing where Ian Astbury or Johnny Rotten
once did, but bloody hell, he's got a great voice so who cares?
It
is a spectacle to see them all on stage, particularly when you take
into account their careers. Between them, they've clocked up 40
top 40 singles, 30 million album sales and more than 20 top 20 albums!
Respect! But even more interesting is the lack of egos onstage.
Watching the soundcheck, I couldn't help but notice how they all
worked so well together, no 'I was on Top of the Pops more than
you so I get this guitar solo' tantrums, no huge bodyguards standing
around, no bowls of M and M's with the brown ones taken out.
This
lot really are together because they want to air their finest moments
- and while they might not be the height of cool anymore, these
songs really do stand the test of time. I still get chills when
I hear the opening chord to the Cult's 'Rain'! With their tongues
planted in their cheeks, Mike Peters says the 'Dead Men Walkng'
name is a reference to the fact that the music industry probably
thinks they have all kicked the rock n roll bucket .
Radio
1 might not have them on the A list anymore. But let's face it,
they don't exactly need that, do they?
LB
Comments:
Don't miss this show!!! Only 2 more chances to see them LIVE! After
that, you'll have to be happy with their LIVE FROM LEEDS cd.
Lyn
|
 |
