THE SCRATCH + DESSIE MAGEE – CHALK, BRIGHTON 9.2.25
For the uninitiated and unanointed the idea of putting a bunch of Irish chancers into the capacious space of Chalk on a cold February Sunday night and hoping for a vibe might sound like a long shot…
But The Scratch have a longer track record than many give them credit for, and over the years they have built a reputation and a following amongst ‘those who know, you know…’
And it’s that reputation that not only means they are able to pull in a more than respectable crowd to a venue that looks woeful when it’s undersold, but it’s also why they are playing here tonight after a road-trip down from the legendary Alexandra Palace, where last night they played third fiddle to the immense Dropkick Murphys and the incendiary Gogol Bordello.
Down at the front of the stage just after doors open feels initially like a lonely place to be, but within minutes the true devotees are forming a bond, and the banter flows as freely as Guinness on Paddy’s Day.
Next to us in the front and centre spot are three generations of Ireland and the diaspora, with the middle niece, Sophie, happily admitting to being The Scratch’s number-one super fan…on her twentieth gig and getting ready for a post-gig band tattoo after jaunting in from Ireland to head-bang with the best of them.
We also get into a drinking round situation with a couple of guys from Geneva who’ve flown over especially for tonight’s shenanigans.
This isn’t just a grass-roots gig… this is the definition of music tourism… and it seems The Scratch, as niche as they may be, have achieved, in some eyes and ears at least, a quality of world heritage status.
Opening the proceedings is a duo under the name of Dessie Magee.
Belfast-born, but Brighton based, this guy isn’t just a musical powerhouse, he’s a sound engineer’s dream. With vocal projection meaning he could probably have filled Chalk without the help of the PA, his delivery was so intense it’s a safe bet the microphone input gain was turned down to zero. All the guy on the mix needed to do was balance Dessie’s intense voice with his confident guitar, pounding stomp-box, and the accompaniment of a talented violin player who added a tonne of dextrous ambience to proceedings.
At various points hitting all the right notes and delivery to emulate luminaries such as Dylan and Johnny Cash, Dessie shot out a slew of original songs that seriously need to be heard by a wider audience.
This man rocks. Festival bookers take heed. He’s ‘that act’ your punters will go away talking about…
Now – deep breath… and with a crowd that has swelled to give Chalk a proper atmosphere, The Scratch hit the stage…and they may be a man down tonight, but that doesn’t dent either their enthusiasm or their impact.
Indeed, as the set rolls on, they nimbly fill the gaps by pulling in stunt-doubles…most notably a grinning roadie/tour manager who knows his way around a guitar well enough to fill out the parts the rest of the band can’t reach.
The Scratch are non-conformists from the heart, and with vocals delivered front-and centre over a cobbled-together percussion station bookended by a bass and guitar duo who manage to sound like a full-blown Gaelic rock-orchestra, this is raw power exactly the way Iggy Pop would have done it if he was a Dublin-boy rather than a West Coast punk.
And speaking of Iggy, The Scratch will be sharing a stage with him at Ireland’s ‘In The Meadows’ this June, as well as having a slot at Download, where they will be trading on their old-school metal influences and appealing to fans of AC/DC who like their music with a Celtic twist.
Let’s just come back quickly to those drums…
Daniel Lang is a machine when it comes to the rhythms that sit at the beating heart of The Scratch’s sound… but he doesn’t need a posh drumkit… far from it. Instead, his weapons of choice are a matched pair of cajon-style boxes delivering bass and mid thumps as he pulverises them from above with a couple of decidedly aboriginal-looking right-angled sticks…which I’m sure have a proper name in the trade.
If there was a comparison to be made with the sound he generates it could be with the distinctive double-drummer set up of Adam and the Ants … just without the foppish make-up… and with a lot more craic.
Chatting before the gig to the die-hard fans, the other band names that get mentioned are ‘Scustin (who recently supported The Scratch), Republic of Loose, Thumper, and Gurriers, and it’s not hard to see why once the band hit the stage and start belting out tunes that get the Sunday night revellers moshing and forming circle pits from start to finish.
Would I go to see them again – hell yeah, and well done to Lout promoters for bringing them to town!
The Scratch:
Daniel “Lango” Lang – cajón, percussion, lead vocals
Conor “Dock” Dockery – guitar, backing vocals
Cathal McKenna – bass, backing vocals
The Scratch setlist:
‘Ronnie’ (unreleased)
‘Foolin’ Noone’ (from 2019 ‘The Whole Buzz’ EP)
‘Banshee’ (from 2023 ‘Mind Yourself’ album)
‘Cheeky Bastard’ (from 2023 ‘Mind Yourself’ album)
‘Pulling Teeth’ (unreleased)
‘Glad Rags’ (unreleased
‘Ringsend’ (unreleased)
‘Blaggard’ (from 2023 ‘Mind Yourself’ album)
‘Old Dog’ (from 2019 ‘The Whole Buzz’ EP)
‘Joxer Goes To Stuttgart’ (Christy Moore cover)
‘Latchico’ (a 2023 single)
