THE VIBRATORS + PENNY BLOOD + M@D INC – THE PRINCE ALBERT, BRIGHTON 12.04.19
The 1976 Punk Rock legends, The Vibrators, have returned to Brighton and have been 43 years on the case! The band were in town last year and we at the Brighton & Hove New music team reported on their sold out gig – read the review HERE.
First up tonight are M@d.Inc The band are Dave Leak (currently also in Stone Heroes) on guitar and vocals, Fleagle (currently also in Stone Heroes) on guitar, Des Connolly (currently also in Stone Heroes and Shocks of Mighty) on drums, Gail Thibert (currently also in Sarah Pinks Gravediggers/Flowers in the Dustbin) on keyboards and backing vocals and Paddy (Sophists) on bass guitar.
Their Facebook page informs us:
“Mad.Inc was formed from the Ashes of Mad Mush, the band included Dave Leak on lead guitar and backing vocals .The band went through various changes in its active years , splitting after 5 years on the road They base their roots firmly In the clash camp of 1977. After 4 years Dave Leak wanted to reform the band but originator Marcus having had enough of the business decided not to participate. Wishing all the best to the new band he gave the permission to carry on in a new”.
Very few people in The Prince Albert audience tonight will have seen this band (or at least this incarnation of the band), this is only their third gig, and first with this line-up. But they seem to capture the audience’s attention straight away.
The band seems a little nervous at first, but use this in their favour to belt out edgy, catchy, well written tunes – I found myself singing along a few times, and I have never seen them before!
It’s a very solid sound, punctuated with backing vocals (provided by Gail) and accentuated with just the right amount of keyboard (also provided by Gail!). The band are very good at brandishing their pop punk style of music, and I look forward to seeing them again.
Next up on stage tonight are Brighton’s Penny Blood – The band are Jim Phelan, H and Dave O’Brien. The band are made up with ex members of Pig City Angels and Peter & The Test Tube Babies. Yes they are a supergroup. Influences are: Ramones, Motorhead, Killing Joke, The Damned, Bob Mould, Nirvana, The Cure, The Cult, Arctic Monkeys.
Penny Blood was a term applied to 19th century British fiction publications, usually lurid serial stories, much like our own tales of titillation and turmoil.
With their unique blend of pop power punk, this gig marks the release of their first EP, and the band are on top form! Jim is a great frontman – plenty of banter and oozing confidence (he is also the promoter for the gig tonight, so thank you Jim).
You’ll find it hard to find another band so tight at playing this stuff. They rattle through the set, dishing out the songs like a sub-machine gun on amphetamines! I never get tired of seeing this band – and look forward to their next gig!
I was really looking forward to a trip to Brighton to see The Vibrators perform tonight at The Prince Albert.
I have followed them from my early Punk Rock days of 1977/78. My first first album was the ‘V2’ album was released in April 1978, with brilliant tracks like ‘Automatic Lover’ and ‘Troops of tomorrow’. The whole ‘V2’ album is amazing as was the first offering ‘Pure Mania’ which they released in June 1977.
The original line up in 1976 was vocalist/guitarist Ian ‘Knox’ Carnochan , bassist Pat Collier, guitarist John Ellis and drummer John ‘Eddie’ Edwards and their first gig was supporting The Stranglers at Hornsey Art College in North London. They also supported The Sex Pistols at the 100 Club.
The Vibrators first song tonight was ‘Bad Time’, which instantly got the whole crowd singing and a small mosh pit formed at the front, a great start and one of my particular favourites.
The Vibrators have an amazing individual sound no matter who is playing in the band. The heart has always been ‘Eddie’, 43 years of heart beat and an amazing drummer to boot. Next up was an early song that was from the first album ‘Pure Mania’ back in August 1977 titled ‘Into The Future’.
It was great to see the crowd really getting into the nostalgia of it all and there were a lot of youngsters here tonight. Four more songs in and then one of the moments we had all been waiting for ‘Troops of Tomorrow’, this was a brilliant extended version of the classic Vibrators anthem and I absolutely loved it and it appeared that crowd did too.
The band are so into the music and their performance is always off the scale. No change tonight with Pete Honkamaki in brilliant form and such a cool looking rocker. The lead guitarist Nigel Bennett is really talented with lots of solo guitar throughout.
Next we were treated to a number of songs from newer albums and a song that Knox wrote called ‘Loose Change’ which was really enjoyable. Then a real change of direction with an amazing version of The Members song ‘Sound Of The Suburbs’ which the crowd loved. The set ended with some old favourites ‘Baby Baby’ and ‘Judy Says’, ‘Pure Mania’, ‘London Girls’ and an encore of ‘Wrecked On You’. Highlights: ‘Troops Of Tomorrow’, but to be honest – the whole set.
The full setlist was:
‘Bad Time’, ‘Into The Future’, ‘Amphetamine Blue’, ‘Whips & Furs’, ‘Automatic Lover’, ‘Troops Of Tomorrow’, ‘Have Love Will Travel’, ‘You Broke My Heart’, ‘Blackout’, ‘Sound Of The Suburbs’, ‘Loose Change’, ‘Friends Forever’, ‘She’s The One You Need’, ‘Baby Baby’, ‘Judy Says (Knock You In The Head)’, ‘Disco In Moscow’, ‘Pure Mania’ (encore) ‘London Girls’, ‘Wrecked On You’.
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