RATM

Tube ride up north and across the river. Debs not too sure about seeing a load of loud thrash punk but looking forward to Roots Manuva and a day out. Finsbury Park buzzing with trustafarians and mayhem merchants (well behaved long hairs who do the ridiculous bull horn finger signs in the air at any sniff of a geetar solo). Oh, and a few folk who remember RATM from the 1st time around. Not too many of us tho – mainly the youth. A slightly different mix to the usual hordes I see when getting out at Finsbury Park tube when going to watch The Arsenal. Possibly less beer guts but that’s down to the average age rather than the pastimes of the punters. Definitely a LOT more black clothes and a LOT LESS red and white. Also no “opposition” to have a bit of friendly banter with. Chaos for the number 29 bus getting up the road as usual due to drunkards staggering over the Seven Sisters Road. After being frisked by a reluctant security goon, water confiscated but G&T in plastic bladder got through (down me trousers – I got a few lusty stares from the female security guards) then to avoid the fairground rides and the rain starts. With the awful noise and flashing lights and getting wet my thoughts were pessimistic… although the day ended with an awesome noise, flashing lights and me being drenched for different reason… By the time it took us to find a spot to sit our good intentions of only drinking a moderate amount (our G&T) I was off to the bar for the first of many rounds of cider and wine. Cider, wine, sun, dry, rocking sound system – looking up!

God Save the Queen starts up… the “proper stand up for her majesty version”. Everyone stands up – less due to royalist tendencies and more in anticipation of GALLOWS. They go straight into God Save the Queen – the Pistols version. Perhaps in memory of the Filthy Lucre comeback gig at the same place – was it really over a decade ago?! God I’m old!! Their set was hard fast and punky. Better than last time I saw them when a bit too metal for me. As ever the crowd participation was great with lots of chat. The lead singer’s such a nice boy when he’s chatting – until he starts singing (screaming). First Clash check of the day was I Fought the Law. I assume they played as a nod to the Clash rather than everyone else who’s covered it (Buddy Holly first according to Wiki).

Brief interlude for bar and toilets. They had the priorities spot on – easy to get to the bar, terrible wait for the bogs (a fair few going against the fence – both sexes, damnable crusties!). Then into the pounding sounds of ROOTS MANUVA. Great mix of funk, NY rap and dubby reggae. Roots flanked by a soul diva and rapper (who did most of the chat – mainly bigging up “Roots and Rage”) it was a great way to move from Gallows thrash to a bit more laid back atmosphere. Highlight was Witness the Fitness – mainly cos me and Debs had been anticipating it all week.

Continuing the upbeat tempo GOGOL BORDELLO take the stage with their “anarchic brand of gypsy mayhem” (copyright some journo I’m sure) but that’s what they are. Whilst great to watch and good fast music it wasn’t the highlight for me. Lots loved them tho and a lot of their fans there sporting T shirts. Ended with one of them throwing a big drum into the crowd then surfing over to it to beat it then stand on the drum skin. Certainly a great visual act! Obviously a long wait getting all the Gogol’s kit off stage (there’s loads of em) and then what everyone had been anticipating…

Up on the screens comes a cartoon of Simon Cowell (ironically at about the same time getting an award at the Baftas) saying how he always wanted to manage RATM’s money, ahem, career – went on for a while & very funny done in a Beavis and Butthead style (BTW – check out their series’ on the internet – hours of amusement). Cowell then introduces “the best rock and roll band ever…. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE!!!”. Straight into a blistering set. Not sure what the first was but Bombtrack persuaded me to leave Debbie to hold her own amongst the lively “half way back” audience whilst I was drawn to the mosh pit. Building up to a crescendo of daft dancing that climaxed with a raucous rendition of White Riot (with a couple of guitar solos that threw me). Time out to introduce the very unassuming couple who started the whole “RATM for XMAS” and a standard TV giant novelty cheque for Shelter. Then back into mayhem by the end of which they left the stage to leave us with Joe McElderberry’s (or whatever his name is) failed Xmas single to great applause and for me to stagger back, bruised sweaty but smiling, to find Debs. Before I could find her we all launched into Killing in the Name which had every last man woman child and dog on a string of the 40,000 crowd jumping up and down madly.

Met Debbie by the fried chicken shack (ahh, how romantic) – a portion of well deserved chips with lashings of salt (for medical purposes) and ketchup (just for the taste) and then off to Manor House tube with a nod to the old faithful Manor House Club (now up for rent). Tube journey back uneventful – the tourists getting on at Leicester Square must think that Londoners are the smelliest herberts on the planet – but we were all smiling (bar a few hard core goth types staying true to type). Got chatting to some youngster asking where we’re off to – who then chatted to someone else who happened to come from where he lived and knew his parents – last heard asking the guy if he’d ever “touched up my mum”. God knows where that conversation was going. The youth of today eh!?!