What can I say? A bit like Marmite and the monarchy you either lover or hate Cardiff based proto-punk outfit Sicknote. They were due to play at the Last Jubilee festival at Bath racecourse this weekend alongside such legendary acts as the Buzzcocks, Eddie & the Hot Rods, 999, the UK Subs and the Damned. The festival which purported to raise money for local charities was cancelled at the last hour due a disagreement between the promoter and the Local Authority (no, it is not our place to go into details, this is a site about Wale).
As ever, the resourceful Sickies manage to persuade the promoter of the Globe in Roath, Cardiff to allow them to host a party on the Monday evening. It has to be said that the promoter, although a lovely bloke is also an ardent royalist but he had seen the Sicknote ‘Tribe’ before had had been overwhelmed by their good-nature.
As you can imagine, the event attracted a hand-full of the usual anarchist types, but as a black-bloc, low-church Tory I managed to ignore them until one of them kindly bought me a pint. The rest of the audience, which mainly consisted of people who remember punk from the first time round were as good natured as ever and just there for the music and a party. It was telling on my visits to the gents that the people saying thank you when a door was held open for them were people of my generation with a few of the youngsters barging in and out without so much as a nod.
First on were the Physicists. A four piece all-girl band. It would be a disservice to describe them as punk-metal but words are beginning to fail me. Their lead singer managed to maintain a vocal ferocity throughout the set that was perfectly matched by the aggression and dexterity of the guitarist. Particular mention must go to their pretty, petite bass player who walked on stage looking as if butter would not melt in her mouth and them proceed to let rip.
Mike Freear of Slamboree; and Tantrum resident DJ Tommy Tank did themselves proud on the decks (is that what young people call them these days?) and then it was time for the headline act – Sicknote.
As usual, the minute they came on stage and Flapsandwich started to play his hypnotic basslines the place erupted. Their shamanic (should that be shambolic?) dancer Dr Conker arrived on stage dressed as Queen Elizabeth and they continued to woo the audience with old favorites and a couple of new tracks. Yes dear reader, I even found myself tapping a toe along in time to the music.
All in all a fantastic evening and all that remains to be said is – God Save the Queen, We mean it Ma’am….
Photographs of the evening can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/welshicons/sets/72157629992099725/ and a new Flapsandwich re-rub can be heard at http://soundcloud.com/flapsandwich/sexpistols
