THE PROFESSIONALS + THEE DERILIQUE – THE PRINCE ALBERT, BRIGHTON 12.11.23
It’s fair to say that every time I get the chance to see a former member of the Sex Pistols performing live, it feels like a true event! Tonight in Brighton we find ourselves situated very close to the mainline railway station, at The Prince Albert to be precise, and we are graced by the presence of none other than Paul Cook, the former Sex Pistols drummer. We last reviewed him behind the kit at the height of summer on 1st July at ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ which took place in Crystal Palace Park and featured the stellar lineup of Iggy Pop, Blondie, Stiff Little Fingers, Buzzcocks, Brighton’s very own rising stars Lambrini Girls, and Generation Sex. The latter being the supergroup featuring Paul Cook (on drums), other former Sex Pistol Steve Jones (on guitar and vocals), as well as Tony James (laterly of Sigue Sigue Sputnik on bass) and one Billy Idol (on vocals). The latter two of course being founder members of Generation X. They had got it together in order to perform a half dozen tunes relating to Generation X as well as another half dozen connected to the Sex Pistols. You can read our account of that day HERE.
These days Paul Cook is mainly known as playing exciting live gigs with The Professionals who he formed back in 1979 with Steve Jones following the breakup of the Sex Pistols. My fondest memory of a Professionals concert was just over two years ago, 13th October 2021 to be precise, when our photographer Cris Watkins, myself and my partner Jordan Mooney (RIP), ventured over the Sussex border into Kent to see the band play live at the Tunbridge Wells Forum. We had a truly fabulous time and were not surprisingly invited backstage where Jordan and Paul could have a decent catch-up on all manner of things including: Danny Boyle’s then forthcoming highly acclaimed ‘Pistol’ mini series; how each others families were; other personal stuff and so on.
Thus it’s with happy memories that I arrive at The Albert this evening. Beer purchased and head on upstairs to catch the support act. More on them shortly.
The Professionals tonight features Paul Cook (drums/vocals), Tom Spencer (lead vocals and Fender Telecaster Deluxe guitar), and new boys Marc Hayward (Fender bass, and backing vocals), and Dean Croney (Left handed Gibson Les Paul guitar in white and backing vocals). We are in their company for an hour and a half until they conclude their set at 10:33pm.
The quartet take to the stage as ‘Sh-Boom’ by The Chords played over the soundsystem. Almost immediately frontman Tom in a snazzy hat informs us that he has a sore throat having already played 13 back-to-back gigs. Hopefully his vocal chords will survive the evening. After which the band have just four more gigs to play before Tom’s Lemmy sounding voicebox can rest.
They kick off their 15 track set with the first of no less than a handful of numbers from their 2017 ‘What In The World’ album, this being the standard rocker ‘Going Going Gone’. ‘Just Another Dream’ from 1980 is surprisingly up next. I would have thought that this popular early single would have been played further down the setlist, but the packed (mainly men) audience weren’t complaining!
The first of a trio of tunes from latest long-player ‘SNAFU’ from 2021 is up next, in the form of the drumming led introed, Dr Feelgood vibed ‘Easily Led’. Which for me was the choice cut thus far! ‘Gold And Truthful’ from the same album is next and Tom informs us it was written about grandparents. It includes the telling line “They don’t make them like they used to”. From a serious matter, we were next flung into jovial gratification via ‘Good Man Down’ which was penned about viagra. It wasn’t as HARD as it could have been!
The first of only two Sex Pistols tunes was delivered next in the form of the Paul Cook written ‘Silly Thing’. The punters got a little livelier, but still no moshing to be had! The final ‘SNAFU’ album tune followed, this being ‘Spike Me Baby’, which we learned was very likely penned as a direct result of Paul’s result of raiding his daughter’s “special” chocolates in her fridge! There wasn’t a reggae vibe with this track, just a solid rock one, but we did laugh as Tom revealed that Paul had phoned him after the consumption, fearing he was dying as he at the time was unaware of the ingredients.
After the slower chugging ‘Bad Baby’ found on 2017’s ‘What In The World’, I believe they skipped the planned ‘The Elegant Art Of Falling Apart’ and went onto 1981’s punky delivery of ‘Payola’ (from ‘I Didn’t See It Coming’ album). I must say that I rather enjoyed this track and would, surprisingly, pick it out as the set highlight. Two tunes from ‘What In The World’ were next, ‘Hats Off’ where Tom’s voice was getting really croaky and the Stiff Little Fingers-esque ‘Rewind’ which he dedicated to “all the doddery old wankers”. ‘M’Ashes’ from 2020 was on the setlist as being next, but that was omitted in favour of playing 1981’s ‘Kick Down The Doors’ (from ‘I Didn’t See It Coming’ album) as the next selection. ‘Let’s Go’ was also dropped after this.
We were informed that they would end with a medley and that was to be it. The medley being Amy Winehouse’s ‘Rehab’ which segues into The Heartbreakers ‘Born To Lose’ and back again, which was an interesting mix. The crowd pleaded for another track, and as Paul quite rightly observed, that the room was so busy that going through the rigmarole of trying to push past the punters and then coming back again to play another number wasn’t practical. Thus they stayed put and gave us the second Sex Pistols number ‘Holidays In The Sun’, which Jordan Mooney would have most certainly approved of as it was her favourite Sex Pistols track. The crowd showed their appreciation by moshing.
It had been a decent night and the two newbies, Marc and Dean, both gave a great account of themselves! Dean certainly knows how to throw the rock moves in order to keep our photographer’s camera merrily clicking away!
The Professionals:
Paul Cook – drums, vocals
Tom Spencer – vocals, guitar
Marc Hayward – bass, vocals
Dean Croney – guitar, vocals
The Professionals setlist:
‘Going Going Gone’ (from 2017 ‘What In The World’ album)
‘Just Another Dream’ (from 1980 ‘The Professionals’ album)
‘Easily Lead’ (from 2021 ‘SNAFU’ album)
‘Gold And Truthful’ (from 2021 ‘SNAFU’ album)
‘Good Man Down’ (from 2017 ‘What In The World’ album)
‘Silly Thing’ (Sex Pistols cover)
‘Spike Me Baby’ (from 2021 ‘SNAFU’ album)
‘Bad Baby’ (from 2017 ‘What In The World’ album)
‘Payola’ (from 1981 ‘I Didn’t See It Coming’ album)
‘Hats Off’ (from 2017 ‘What In The World’ album)
‘Rewind’ (from 2017 ‘What In The World’ album)
‘Kick Down The Doors’ (from 1981 ‘I Didn’t See It Coming’ album)
‘Rehab’ (Amy Winehouse cover)/‘Born To Lose’ (The Heartbreakers cover)
(encore)
‘Holidays In The Sun’ (Sex Pistols cover)
Support tonight is provided by Thee Derelique, a five-piece featuring former members of bands from the Brighton scene of a few years back, namely Channel D, Lolita Storm, The FKB, and Coast To Coast. This evening’s lineup features Spex (vocals), Jim (Italian Eko guitar/vocals), Andy (Nord Electro keys/vocals), Ian who is seated (bass) and pork pie hat connoisseur Will (drums). On 28th August they dropped their three track ‘Don’t Make Any Noise’ EP, which comes in at a running time at a smidge under eighth and a half minutes. These tunes being ‘Feeling Inside’, ‘Happy Now’ and ‘See The Light’ – check them out HERE.
I suspect that the members of Thee Derelique were rather chuffed considering how busy the venue was. Here is an outfit that blends lively 1960s garage-punk feel with a hint of new wave, whilst having tremendous fun delivering it to us, especially vocalist Spex who is looking resplendent in her striking red hair, matching red lipstick, black beret and black top and trousers along with raised Dr. Martens.
They kick off with ‘Summertime’ with its swinging keys led, retro sounding rockin’ tune. ‘Conspiracy’ is choice two and another top-tapping number. The first of the trio of tunes from the EP is delivered next in the form of ‘Feeling Inside’, which initially benefits from some guitar strumming which reminds me of Buzzcocks, and then Spex repeated vocals kick in and the tune has a punky edge. The strangely titled ‘Monk’ is delivered next and has an off-kilter vocal delivery and twangy keys sound akin to X-Ray Spex. ‘Happy Now’ the second choice from the EP is next and features more decent guitar strumming and drums interplay. ‘Doorbell’ is where Lene Lovich meets Poly Styrene with its two chord groove with a busy bass line, a “la-la” chorus and some impressive rolls around the kit. ‘
‘See The Light’ from the EP with its repeated “baa baa baa baa” intro lyrics and following beat reminded me somewhat of The Jam. ‘Annabel’ has a quirky pop quality, and the pumping riff and organ swell remind me of Elvis Costello’s band The Attractions. It’s the slowest number to date, until half way through, it doubles its pace. The final number and penultimate numbers listed on their setlist are switched around and thus we are given ‘Life Is Hard’ first, followed by ‘Action’, which is driven along by an urgent beat and staccato guitar stabs and “Do you know what I mean” lyrics.
The ten song set is completed in a tidy 32 minutes (from 8:31pm to 9:03pm), and that time passes very pleasantly indeed. I would be more than happy to see Thee Dereilique playing live again. For my liking they don’t play enough gigs! Over to you guys then……
Thee Derelique:
Spex – vocals
Jim – guitar, vocals
Andy – keyboards, vocals
Ian – bass
Will – drums
Thee Derelique setlist:
‘Summertime’
‘Conspiracy’
‘Feeling Inside’ (from 2023 ‘Don’t Make Any Noise’ EP)
‘Monk’
‘Happy Now’ (from 2023 ‘Don’t Make Any Noise’ EP)
‘Doorbell’
‘See The Light’ (from 2023 ‘Don’t Make Any Noise’ EP)
‘Annabel’
‘Life Is Hard’
‘Action’
More on Thee Derelique HERE.
