Rancid - Jun 23 Rancid – Wembley Arena

Amigo The Devil – Islington Assembly Hall

Stevie R Pearce & the Hooligans – Reading Facebar

And so Glastonbury Festival finishes for another year and the BBC’s annual televised music budget has been decimated in one fell swoop. Rick Astley elevated himself to legend status, Guns n Roses divided the nation and Elton showed the world how it is supposed to be done. Elsewhere bands on the smaller stages hoped that their profile would be raised by having the TV cameras record their moments of glory, only to be left on the cutting room floor by an unadventurous producer.

Glastonbury now seems to dominate the annual music calendar, as everyone praises the select few artists who garnered the producers favour at the expense of every other musician who plays live on a frequent basis. There is an ever-shrinking live circuit out there and the returns on performing live are diminishing. In the old days, tours were used to promote new albums whilst young artists honed their trade. Today, following the demise of record sales and miniscule royalty cheques from streaming, the live circuit is the only way for most musicians to earn any sort of living.

Sadly, too many people now consider just going to a couple of big events/festivals each year or complain that gigs are too expensive whilst asking where is the new talent coming from and completely overlooking the scene happening on their doorstep.

Last week I ran the full gauntlet of live music with an arena gig, town hall gig and low key club gig highlighting the wealth of music that is out there if you can be bothered to look for it.

First up was Rancid at Wembley Arena. This was originally at the excellent Brixton Academy but was moved following that venue’s extended closure following the devastating events late last year. Moving the gig to the cold soulless vacuum that is Wembley Arena was inevitable but somehow the venue still felt very busy at least from where I was standing. However, having limited drink choices and charging nearly £9 for a fairly repugnant lager is never going to win fans over. It would appear that the term economies of scale has failed to reach the venue’s owners, either that or they are fleecing their punters.

Moving to the larger venue did mean that we had three excellent support bands in attendance. Rising stars of the scene Grade 2 braved an early start and received a warm reception. Reminiscent of the second wave of punk, the band bring some decent tunes with them. LA’s The Bronx have been around for over twenty years and bring their short but very welcome assault on the senses with songs such as ‘Shitty Future’ and ‘Knifeman’ (which for some reason reminds me of ‘Another Brick in the Wall’). The Skints are always a pleasure to watch with their ska beats, this time including a frantic run through Capdown’s ‘Cousin Cleotis’ which gets the crowd skanking like there’s no tomorrow.

Grade 2 - Jun 23 The Bronx - Jun 23 The Skints - Jun 23

Some of my friends see Rancid as important as the Clash and Stiff Little Fingers with their politically charged anthems and thought provoking lyrics. Opening with ‘Tomorrow Never Comes’ from their new album is merely a concession to the current as they play a mammoth set covering a large part of their breakthrough album ‘…And Out Come the Wolves’ and other highlights from their lengthy career. Second song ‘Roots Radicals’ has half the arena engulfed in a huge mosh pit and it never really stops from then on. By the time we reach ‘Timebomb’ and ‘Ruby Soho’ there is a very sweaty and exhilarated crowd with huge grins on their faces.

Despite the limitations of the venue, all four bands contributed to a highly entertaining evening.

Rancid - Jun 23

Next up, we are heading to Islington Assembly Hall to see the return to these shores of Amigo the Devil. The Assembly Hall is typical of council owned buildings with a distinct foot in the past but having a decent lighting and sound system.

The wonderfully named Tejon Street Corner Thieves open with their Trashgrass n Blues. For a three piece consisting of banjo, guitar and upright bass, they make a wonderfully melodic and ramshackle start to the night. They got such a rapacious response at the end of their set that you would have thought they were the headliners. I picked up their ‘Stolen Blues’ album after the show and it has been well played since.

Tejon Street Corner Thieves - Jun 23

I’ve seen Amigo the Devil twice before but this is the first time with a full band in tow. Singer Danny Kiranos has such an affable stage presence that it is hard to imagine that his material would concentrate on the darker side of life with tales of murder being at the forefront. Yet here we are with a crowd enthralled by his disturbing tales. The set is a mixture of solo songs and riotous full band stomps. The latter remind you a bit of the Bad Seeds when Nick Cave allows them to let rip. With songs such as ‘Murder at the Bingo Hall’ and ‘I Hope Your Husband Dies’ the band produce one of the highlight performances of the year. Hopefully it won’t be long before Amigo returns.

Amigo the Devil - Jun 23 Amigo the Devil - Jun 23

The last gig of the week sees us in the small room at Reading’s Facebar. Sat on the wrong side on the ring road that surrounds the town centre this venue is often forgotten about, and yet it has a cracking lineup of bands playing there. In addition, it has one of the best sound systems in town, although the stage lighting has much to be desired.  

Tonight, it is the turn of Stevie R Pearce & The Hooligans to grace the stage. The crowd is a small but loyal bunch of punters who will turn up for the rockier bands playing at the venue and as a result there is a relaxed feeling to the night with most people knowing each other.

Kim Jennett opens with an acoustic set that demonstrates her powerful vocals. The set includes an interesting version of ‘Ace of Spades’ whilst Stevie joins Kim for a version of ‘Black Velvet’. It would be good to see Kim playing with a full band.

Kim Jennett - Jun 23

Unfortunately, The Suicide Notes lose their drummer earlier in the day to a back injury and have to embark on an impromptu acoustic set. It’s a little rough around the edges but sets by the Suicide Notes are never supposed to be highly disciplined performances. Songs such as ‘Ragdoll’ and ‘Smoke it Like a Cigarette’ sound just as decadent played by a demonic lounge band as by the full plugged in version.  

The Suicide Notes - Jun 23

I’ve not seen Stevie R Pearce & The Hooligans before and so had no idea what to expect. What we got was a tight rock band with a splattering of riffs and good tunes. Despite the small audience, the band represented the soul of the music scene, giving it their all for scant reward bar the joy of preforming. Kim Jennett joined the band for the last number and we got to see what she could do with a full band behind her. It was highly entertaining stuff for all those in attendance.

Stevie R Pearce & The Hooligans - Jun 23 Stevie R Pearce & The Hooligans - Jun 23

Rancid may have had the big crowds and back catalogue, but it is watching bands in the small venues across the country such as the Facebar, Hull Adelphi and Islington’s Hope & Anchor that brings me the most pleasure. This is where the beating heart of the music scene lies, not the impersonal megadomes selling corporate rebellion. So next time you are watching the Glastonbury TV coverage, remember where the scene starts and ends – go out and watch a band playing for their lives, not knowing where the next pay check will come from. Who knows, you may even enjoy yourself and open a door to a whole new world of excitement (and you will spend considerably less on a drink).