OK, lets try and put across just how good this gig was without turning this review into something that takes 20 minutes to read.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. ALWAYS get there for the support band. Tonight this was a complete no brainer with The Meffs pencilled in for a few of the dates on The Subways tour. What I hadn’t expected, although I would have known if I’d looked on various social media pages, was that tonight there were three bands. And openers Bulbous did not disappoint. In fact this London two piece were right up my street with their off-kilter, distorted, poppy, post-punky, alt-rock. Guitar, drums and vocals is all you need to hook people in with songs about real life, songs about your cousin or getting punched, twice, by a stranger. Full of punchy garage guitar, foot tapping grunge topped with often delicate vocals Bulbous won over plenty of people tonight. Give them a listen on Bandcamp. You won’t be disappointed.
The Meffs need no introductions suffice to say they are quite possibly one of the most important punk rock bands around at the moment. The Meffs don’t hide their opinions on the state of the world and those opinions are backed up with a furious onslaught of slicing guitar, rocking drumbeats and vocals you can yell your heart out to. It takes mere seconds for Lily Hopkins and Lewis Copsey to have the crowd in the palm of their hands.
Eight songs later and those who might not have heard of them before tonight were crowding the merch desk for vinyl, cd’s and t-shirts. It’s a non-stop barrage of glorious punk rock n roll, music for the 21st Century smothered in the sounds of ’77/’78. ‘Deathwish’, ‘Stamp It Out’, their superb cover of the Prodigy’s ‘Breathe’, the always brilliant, brutally honest ‘Broken Britain’, ‘Broken Brains’ and the ferocious ‘Clowns’. Throughout it all Lily pounds round the stage, a non-stop ball of pent up energy who despite her anger at what’s happening in the world right now still manages to grin from ear to ear as she engages the crowd. The Meffs headline shows are gaining bigger and bigger crowds, they’ve toured huge stadiums with Alice Cooper yet they’re still appreciative of the offer to support tonight’s headliners in this small independent venue. And, as always they use some time between songs to reiterate their anger at the inequality that still exists in too many places and to emphasise their anti-genocide position. There is nothing not to like about The Meffs. If you don’t know their music can I suggest you look them up immediately.
This year sees the twentieth anniversary of The Subways superb debut album ‘Young For Eternity’ and also the release of compilation album ‘When I’m With You’ and to celebrate both the band have headed out on an extensive European tour. Singer Billy Lunn has said When I’m With You is basically a compilation of all their favourite songs, the songs that go down best with crowds so it’s little wonder that tonight’s set, with the exception of one song drawn entirely from the compilation, hits the perfect spot for a room that’s packed with fans. Some have clearly been there from the beginning 20 years ago. Others are much younger but no less enthusiastic.
From those unmistakeable beats, courtesy of drummer Camille Phillips, that open ‘Oh Yeah’ we witness an almost unbelievable amount of energy from a band that loves every second they’re on that stage. Bassist Charlotte Cooper is relentless in her headbanging, foot stomping and leaping around whilst Lunn seems unable to keep the grin off his face. As they power through the bouncing ‘Black Wax’ and ‘We Don’t Need Money To Have A Good Time’ it’s clear that the enthusiasm of the band is matched by that of the crowd who are singing back almost as loudly. It really is non-stop, leap around, punch the air rock n roll and it’s completely infectious, Lunn’s smiles reflected back from almost every face in the venue. ‘Kalifornia’, the sublime ‘Mary’, the pounding ‘Popdeath’. This is a setlist that really hammers home just how many perfect, noisy, indie pop bangers The Subways have up their sleeves.
A Subways gig just seems really special, the bond between band and fans unbreakable. Between every song Lunn thanks the crowd for their support, their enthusiasm and for just simply turning up tonight. ‘Turnaround’ – not featured on ‘When I’m With You’ sees those at the front go wild. As the main set closes with huge crowd pleasers (aren’t they all?) ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ and ‘Girls & Boys’ you really do wonder just how much energy a band can actually have. The Subways don’t leave the stage to return for an encore but remain where they are to tell us how appreciative they are to still be doing what they love, that although they’ve been celebrating 20 years since ‘Young For Eternity’ it’s not all about rejoicing in the past. There’s a future to look forward to. Indeed ‘When I’m With You’ features two new songs. ‘Passengers Side’, played earlier in the evening and new single ‘I Need To Feel You Closer’ that opens the ‘not an encore’ are classic Subways – slicing guitar, irresistible beats, catchy lyrics that urge you to join in. Lunn reveals that album number six is in the pipeline to huge whoops of appreciation. The Subways close what has been, quite simply, a joyful evening of banging rock n roll in a room packed with dedicated fans with ‘With You’ and, of course, the timeless ‘Rock & Roll Queen’. We might all be a bit older but The Subways still sound as fresh and relevant as they did 20 years ago.
Words/photos: steve white
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