This was on one of those nights in London where I could have easily gone to 5 different gigs by bands I wanted to see, but we ended up at this one simply chosen as it was the first of the gigs to be announced and to invite me down.
So did it live up to that level of expectation? Well, first things first: this is my first visit to the Unicorn in Camden despite the number of bands I know who have played there over the years and I have to ask myself why it's taken so long as it's a good enough venue with decent beer and good sound. So that's those boxes ticked for starters.
First band on, RAW FUN, a 3-piece garage-punk band were a bit too loose for me. Too often, their rhythm section sounded like they were playing a different song to the singer/guitarist whose voice sounded shot to pieces from the opening number (about being wasted, ironically) through a rather ramshackle cover of She Does It Right. It was all a bit messy and not in a particularly good way.
By the time the singer told us the next song was called I Love Me I was certain that was the reason he still thought he should be fronting a band with the two guys who had to be a third of his age. They finished their overlong set by demolishing the Iggy pop classic I'm Bored and yes I was a bit bored by this opening set.
Still Raw Fun were quickly forgotten once PETE BENTHAM & THE DINNER LADIES came on. They opened with Do The Don't to give us a blast of sax and guitar-led post-punk garage-rock, with the Ladies in the group sporting Dinner ladies outfits. For the second song they got the Dinnerettes up to dance with masks in front of their faces so we knew not only Who Marcel Duchamp was but what he looked like too. It was good fun and a good song about that pissy French artiste.
They then paid tribute to the one and only Yuri Gagarin, surely the Russian with the most tribute songs to his name and some great sax blasts. It felt as if the saxophonist was treating her instrument like it was firing the retro-rockets as Yuri blasted off into space.
The Shape Of Our Thing followed on quickly from that and Part Time Punks had some good catty lyrics about knowing if you are really a punk or not. Always good to play a song having a go at the town you're in and That London did the job nicely in the way I'm sure many Scousers would. They also make sure to pay tribute to the great working class with Lorry Driver: a great song about what it's like to drive a Lorry of course.
Hip Potater came with some sharp dance moves and a sing along with the Dinnerettes that made most of the audience smile and sing along. They then went all musical hall for Queen Victoria's Knob which was rather ribald and good fun. They closed with Concert Square which was about getting messed up in Liverpool and was a cool end to a pretty good fun set.
It's hard to believe it's been 4 years since STUPIDITY last played London and this show is to promote the band's 4th album Fore which keeps their garage-rock sound intact. This show rammed it home form the moment they hit the stage, as usual rocking the black and red look, this was Swedish garage-rock at its best. PA's guitar wrapped itself round our brains as Erniz bellowed into the microphone about how he wants Some Kinda Love and immediately they had our attention.
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Linda's Eyes was next to rumble into life and damn did it have some rumble on it, mainly from Miss Anna's Flying V bass. They were rocking the hell out of the place and what I put down as Call It Quits (but is probably called something else entirely) was next to blast through like The Sonics on Steroids.
Then came the one song I sort of dread hearing live, Last Night, as every time I hear this song it sticks in my head for a couple of months afterwards. Yes it is that much of an earworm and it has been stuck in my head ever since as ever Erniz sounds more and more intense and desperate as the song goes on about how he couldn't sleep last night. Damn, now how do I get it out of my head again?
Baby It's You just sort of flew by after Last Night had done it's damage before Tommy Boys' drums pummelled us into submission on Go. Damn they sounded so tight and were totally in their groove by this point before they played a great version of City Boy with Miss Anna as ever doing her bass marching all over her side of the stage.
Of course everyone moved loads to Move that just sounds like a garage classic from the 60's even though it's from 2011. It doesn't matter as it's time to Yeah Yeah Yeah (Walk A Mile In My Shoes) that keeps the garage groove rocking at full pelt before they truly let loose on King Midas to help bring things to a close.
They finished off with a great version of The Standells' Good Guys Don't Wear White that featured guest tambourine player "The Man In White." Yes he wore a white suit but was he a good guy? Not sure. Anyway, the song also featured guest vocals from Mike Spenser of The Cannibals /Trash Can radio infamy and involved several false endings. It was the only part of the set that wasn't super tight but the loosening up was part of the song's appeal and it was a great way to end another great show by Stupidity. I hope they don't leave it another 4 years before coming back here again.
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