Big Up The Punks

Meet mate Pete in the usual Old Street pub and after a swift one toddle off to The Old Blue Last where we're the only ones who aren't asked for ID. As most of the blokes had pretty impressive beards, in that they were hairy, not that beards are impressive, they seemed pretty surprised to be asked. And that sums up the crowd really. Beardy drainpiped trendy east London types. The blokes. Not many bearded ladies but vintage or club looks with DMs as de rigueur. Pete and I grumble about how everyone looks the same as there's no tribalism anymore. Which is good cos people don't hit each other because of their music tastes but bad cos you don't get peacocked punks, grungy bikers, dapper skins and mods etc. Then we wonder if there are still teeny tribes but we just don't get the nuances in dress. Lamenting the lack of a proper pub character (drunk and shouting in the corner) we think that we are probably the nearest to it and decide to depart the trendy light downstairs bar to see the first band upstairs.

It's pretty busy in the small venue already and soon the three piece HAPPYNESS take the stage right on time at 9pm. Maybe it's busy cos it's a free night of punk rock and who wouldn't be attracted to that? What's not to like as the modern phrase seems to be. Anyways Happyness don't live up to their name in fact they start off downright miserable with the tall gaunt guy murmuring lyrics we can't hear. The first song has straight up basic rock drumming, which is a good thing, with those vocals making it a sort of post punk miserablist effort. The two front guys are guitarists with one strumming a big sounding rock n roll guitar - you know the ones which aren't solid and a bit like a slide guitar sound. The tall guy singing sort of picks around on his. It's a good start and then the tall guy changes to a bass and the rest of the set is songs of different tempos from punk to shoe gazing with the guitarist getting quite excited at times and nearly rocking out. It felt a bit like they were holding back but it sounded good all the same. Very rhythmic at times with an understated stoner rock interspersed with some great drum and bass rock. They go down well and I wonder if they're local. (Since found out. Not really but south London).

After a drink downstairs which is getting very crowded we go back up to an even more packed venue for the main event which is the american punk band BIG UPS. They are a classic shouty punk band reminding me of Big Black with a great sound. Drums and bass pushing them forward and thrashy guitar. The singer is a sort of younger and less extreme Iggy Pop. OK, a lot less extreme. But he does throw shapes on stage and pulls at his T shirt a lot before taking it off. His voice is great and just right for the band. Big Ups get the crowd going and although they are in the same vein as many older american punk bands they don't seem at all regressive and sound original. And energetically punky which is what it's all about ain't it? By the end of the set they've even set off a mosh pit which is pretty darn impressive given the usual detachment of London crowds and younger trendy ones in particular. As the set ends with a bang the band tumble off the stage and nip through the crowd to their changing room or whatever it is. Pete and I finish our drinks and go out into the fresh night air agreeing that two great bands for free can't be bad. An uneventful tube journey gets me home albeit slightly wobbly as it's a while since I've been on the premium lager. Punk rock indeed!

As I didn't take any photos here's a gratuitous one I pass every day on the Regents Canal...

Punk Rock Pigeon

STOP PRESS! Here's some proper photos...
http://www.thisisfakediy.co.uk/articles/photos/big-ups-the-old-blue-last-london/