BAD NERVES + EATER + JO-JO & THE TEETH + BLACK BORDELLO – CAMDEN DINGWALLS, CAMDEN, LONDON 27.1.24
Tonight’s gig is taking place at the iconic live music venue known as Dingwalls which is situated in the heart of Camden. It’s been on the case since 1973 and this evening I am drawn here for a co-headliner featuring a very much up-and-coming band in the form of Bad Nerves, and a seminal punk band from 1976, namely Eater. The supporting line-up is pretty impressive too, comprising Jo Jo & The Teeth and Black Bordello.
Black Bordello open proceedings. They are a six piece band who would fall into the alternative bracket, but with very much gothic overtones. Vocalist Sienna Bordello tells it like it is. For example: “it seems that there is no money for food and housing, but there’s lots of money for bombs and missiles”. Sadly it seems to have always been thus, but it sometimes takes a brave soul to point this out. Sienna has a pretty impressive singing voice, which sometimes borders on the operatic. Altogether a very interesting opening act, and one to keep an eye on.
Next up are Jo-Jo & The Teeth, who I’d seen a couple of months ago, and made a mental note to see again. If this band were a stick of rock they’d have ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ written through them. They have a not insignificant dollop of glam as well. Jo-Jo’s voice is quite bluesy and is occasionally reminiscent of Janis Joplin. At one point she drops to her knees as if she’s declaiming. She is a natural frontwoman. The band all look as if they inhabit the songs. Their stagecraft is very impressive. The drummer is very much Mr. Precision. One of the best drummers that I’ve seen in a long time. This band should go far. If they don’t, there really is no justice in the world. They have an album out called ‘No More Good News’, and they play The Spice Of Life in Soho on Saturday 3rd February. Go and see for yourself.
Jo-Jo & The Teeth setlist:
1. ‘My Babe’
2. ‘No More Good News’
3. ‘Hell Hound’
4. ‘Animals’
5. ‘Knight Of Swords’
6. ‘Don’t Get Too Heavy’
7. ‘A Hungry Love’
I’ve been wanting to see Eater for a few decades, and finally here they are! To be precise, these days Eater are vocalist Andy Blade backed by Jo-Jo & The Teeth, who make the transition from classic rock to punk seemingly effortlessly. In their original incarnation, Eater only released one album, imaginatively entitled ‘The Album’, but a couple of years ago they released a new album entitled ‘Ant’. So they have plenty of material to choose from, and the new album may explain why the audience largely seem to be unfamiliar with the songs.
Unsurprisingly the music is fast punk expertly played. A very fast cover of The Velvet Underground’s ‘Waiting For The Man’ is dedicated to Lou Reed. It features great backing vocals from Jo-Jo. Another cover is a fast version of the Pink Floyd song ‘Eclipse’. You wouldn’t think it would work, but it does! Vocalist Andy Blade likes this venue. He thinks that we should all stay after the gig and live here, like a commune. I hope he’s not becoming a hippy in his old age!
Even the old songs sound unexpectedly current, as if they could have been released last week. I guess that’s a reflection on the times that we’re living through. ‘Point Of View’ is from the most recent album, and is undeniably ace. Throughout the set Andy Blade has a very sardonic air, and exhibits a dry sense of humour. He’s a good frontman. He’s certainly difficult to ignore. He tells us that we’re “f*cking useless” because we don’t know Eater’s songs. Don’t worry Andy, we’ll learn them for next time. To their credit, they don’t leave the classic ‘Thinking Of The USA’ until the end of the set. Unfortunately it’s another song that is currently relevant. I’m sure we’ll all be thinking of the USA with some trepidation during this election year. Eater: still good, still relevant. If you’re unaware of their music, that’s something you really should change.
Eater setlist:
1. ‘Anne’
2. ‘Fifteen’ (Alice Cooper cover)
3. ‘Space Dreaming’
4. ‘Waiting For The Man’ (Velvet Underground cover)
5. ‘Lock It Up’
6. ‘Eclipse’ (Pink Floyd cover)
7. ‘I Don’t Need It’
8. ‘Point Of View’
9. ‘Public Toys’
10. ‘Jeepster’ (T Rex cover)
11. ‘Room For One’
12. ‘Queen Bitch’ (David Bowie cover)
13. ‘Bedroom Fits’
14. ‘My Business’
15. ‘Outside View’
16. ‘Thinkin’ Of The USA’
17. ‘No Brains’
www.instagram.com/andy.blade_aka_eater
Following Eater, Bad Nerves’ punk influences are very clear tonight, even without one of the guitarists wearing a Misfits T-shirt. This is a band whose time is approaching, if it isn’t already here. It’s very much a Bad Nerves crowd tonight, they seem to know all of the words to every song. Vocalist Bobby Nerves comments that there’s a “great front row”. I’m not surprised that he thinks that: it seems to consist almost entirely of young women. Bobby is astonished at how packed the venue is. I would suggest that this is something that he ought to get used to.
The band play much harder and faster than I remember. They’re as tight and enthusiastic as I remember though. They’re an incredibly mobile and energetic live band. They’re literally all over the stage. It’s like watching a stage full of jack-in-the-boxes. The material is good too. ‘Radio Punk’ and ‘USA’ in particular are classics in waiting. At the end of the set the band leave the stage, return and then stand stock still for another minute or so, before playing two encores, and still they leave the crowd wanting more. I suspect that they won’t be playing venues this small for much longer. Catch them while you can!
