Los Fastidios - Aug 23 It’s a depressing wet Tuesday night in Reading, so what could be a better pick me up than popping down to the Facebar to see legendary Italian ska punks Los Fastidios, fresh from two well received sets at Blackpool’s Rebellion punk festival.  The band played a triumphant gig here back in November and loved the venue so much that they are back nine months later as part of a massive global tour.

There’s a modest crowd present, many who were here back in November and know what to expect. Any newcomers would be in for a treat.

Launch Control - Aug 23 Local socio-political skate punks Launch Control open tonight’s proceedings with an enjoyable and varied set. In a night of replacement drummers, the three piece hold it together surprisingly well with their noisy but melodic diatribes against the injustices in the world. It’s the second time I’ve seen the band and each time my appreciation for them has grown stronger.

Launch Control - Aug 23 Los Fastidios have graced stages across the world since 1991 starting off as an Oi band with their politically charged terrace chants. Over the years, more ska and reggae influences have seeped in turning the band into a genuine punk rock force to be reckoned with. Only singer Enrico remains from the original lineup, but he has surrounded himself with an excellent collection of musicians who do the band’s legacy justice.

The band’s customary intro starts with the chant of ‘xxx the number of the beat’ before launching into the ska infused ‘Monkeys’. At this point the band is just a four piece as they run through a mixture of songs in both English and Italian – my knowledge of Italian is non-existent, but with tunes this enjoyable my linguistic inadequacies are left lying on the side of the road. ‘Torneremo Ancora’ is closely followed by ‘Clandestino’ with its fantastically catchy chorus and wonderfully scratchy guitar solo that does not outstay its welcome.

Los Fastidios - Aug 23

‘These Boots’ is a top quality old skool terrace chant with the stark reminder that ‘it doesn’t belong to them, your future belongs to you’. ‘Rock n Roll Town’ is a throwaway earworm that stays with you long into the night with its Beach Boys backing vocals. If you are looking for prime ska punk tunes then you can’t do much better than ‘Radio Babylon’ which skanks across the stage like the cooler older brother you wish you’d had.

At this point, the band are joined by rude girl Elisa who adds another dimension to the night. The band were already firing on full cylinders, but Elisa spurs the band on to even greater levels. ‘Back in 1979’ and ‘Beverley’ are so uplifting that you can’t help but smile and sing along whilst the rude girls in the audience are invited down the front for a dance in one of the most good natured gigs I’ve been to in a while.

Los Fastidios - Aug 23 ‘Skankin Town’ has the rude boys in the audience showing off their moves while ‘Take a Stand’ is a cracking singalong against football racism on the terraces. ‘Ellos Dicen Mierda’ is followed by the band’s anthemic ‘Antifa Hooligans’ which would no doubt have a certain ex president sending out incoherent and badly written rants.

This would be a natural point for the band to walk off the stage having suitably entertained the audience. Is anybody up for another song? Of course we are, and we are treated to ‘In 1968’. This being a Los Fastidios show, one more song means another half dozen including ‘Joy Joy Joy’ and an excellent ska version of Yazoo’s ‘Only You’. Paying tribute to the much missed Terry Hall and the Specials, we get the band’s eminently danceable medley of ‘You’re Wondering Now’ interspersed Cock Sparrow’s ‘We’re Coming Back’.

Los Fastidios - Aug 23

There’s time for one more song and we are treated to the band’s reworking of their own anthem with ‘Antifa Hooligan Ska’ getting the audience singing along in celebration of what has gone before.  

This year is proving to be an epic one at the Facebar with so many good performances it is going to be hard at the end of the year to put together a top ten but on the strength of tonight, Los Fastidios will definitely be in there. The fact that they are one of the nicest bands around, frequently thanking the venue, promoters, support band and audience, only endears them to you more.

The band will be coming back to the Facebar again in 2024 and you should try your damnedest to be there too – you will not be disappointed.

Los Fastidios - Aug 23