Punk rock legends Chelsea have announced that they will be performing live at The Con Club in Lewes on Friday 10th May 2024 and support will come from Alvin Gibbs & The Disobedient Servants. Tickets will shortly be on sale from Eventbrite and from The Con Club so keep your eyes peeled!
It was in August 1976 that Gene October placed an advert in Melody Maker which led to replies from guitarist William Broad (that’s Billy Idol to us), bassist Tony James (as in Generation X and Sigue Sigue Sputnik fame) and drummer John Towe. On October 18th they made their live debut as Chelsea supporting Throbbing Gristle at London’s ICA. It was at this time that Gene convinced the manager of gay London nightclub in Covent Garden called Shageramas, to convert the club into London’s first live punk rock venue called The Roxy – a fact for which he is given little credit.
Wind the clock forward to 2016 and Chelsea’s frontman Gene October celebrated a 40th anniversary tour and the release of the entire Chelsea back catalogue of albums in the ‘Chelsea Definitive Anthology’ volumes 1,2 & 3. Each volume includes three albums chronologically with a history of the band through the years. The album re-releases include lyrics, bonus tracks, demos and unreleased tracks never heard before. ‘Traitors Gate’ was finally released on collectors’ clear vinyl, ‘The Alternative’ on red vinyl and ‘Faster Cheaper Better Looking’ on white vinyl.
2017 arrived and in my opinion, Chelsea released their best ever album, in the form of a 15 track masterpiece entitled ‘Mission Impossible’. The new tuneful punk album drew inevitable comparisons to the UK Subs and the Buzzcocks and yet it’s typical Chelsea style.
2021 saw the band release ‘Meanwhile Gardens’. It was rather refreshing to hear an album of new material from a band that has been on the scene for over 45 years! Last year they dropped the ‘Radio Active Tapes – Outtakes And Demos’ album, as well as the ‘Evacuate Revisited’ platter.
