Fangbase - Reviews

Dingwalls - London

21st August 2001 

Amen!

 

Was that just the most awesome gig I have ever been too?
Well the answer is definitely in the positive.
When the news of the gig was announced I couldn't get my tickets fast enough.

I travelled to Camden with Mugwort on one of Richard Bransons finest trains, leaving BHAM INTERNATIONAL STATION at 11.55am and arriving at London EUSTON at 1.30pm (that was quite surprising, not a single delay. The unpenetrated train company has all my best wishes, although the cleaners need to check for chewing gum under the tables after I managed to ruin my trousers on some of the stuff)

After the usual hive of activity at the tube station and the hassle of finding the hotel shut, we finally got to meet up with some other fangbasers and have a drink in the Devonshire arms. And at about 5pm it was time to get to the Good Mixer, the official meeting place of the Fangbase.

It was great to see everyone again (big shouts to everyone, too many to name here, but you all now who you are) and the conversation was mainly about the new album, with everyone saying how good it is. Games of pool were played, pints sank, jukebox speakers were blown amid a very happy and excited atmosphere, when the time finally came to get to Dingwalls (I knew that we were here for a reason, we all almost forgot!).

Dingwalls is a great venue and what better place to launch Grave Disorder on the music loving public. So we collected are free badges and had a little look around. We had the pleasure of bumping into Pinch and we all had a chat and a bit of a larf, spoke about the album and generally just mucked about. After Pinch went (poor bugger was having to sign 200 CD sleeves, but that I suppose that is in his job description), time was filled with the support band who were very good, although I've forgotten their name,which is a pity because they are worth looking into, if anyone knows please let me know (Ed. - Anti Product).When they finished I made my way into the mosh pit, with Mug and Cookie, all fired up and ready to go mad- as you do!.

Already a large crowd had gathered, and now the room was getting very hot. Captain was the first on to stage and was adjusting his guitar, while he was doing this some of the crowd decided it would be funny to throw beer at him, but the crowd all parted so that a pissed off Captain could see the twat doing the throwing.

Monty was the next to appear and treated us to the introduction of Beauty of the beast(a song that works well as an opener, it built the crowd up well). I did manage to see a set list before hand and was impressed to see 99% of the songs from G.D on it. B.O.T.B faded out and it was onto the now familiar sound of big ben ushering in Democracy. Dave Vanian burst onto the stage like a man possessed, the song to me is classic Damned and judging by mine and the rest of the fans reaction, Democracy will be a crowd pleaser until the end of time.

Memory is'nt my strongest point so I cant tell you what order the rest of the set was, but it was well paced with the room in the right places for us to recover from pogoing like mad, ready to do it again a song later.

Even though there was so much new material being played, In my opinion it was just what I imagine what it must've been like for people to here New rose for the 1st time back in '76 and I feel privileged to hear tracks live that may never be played live again.

About 4 or 5 tracks in they played Neat x3 which resulted in me falling flat on my back in the ensuing surge of the crowd (bloody hurt).

But without any hesitation it was into Would You Be So Hot, not giving anyone the chance to shout for older songs to be played (as they had done when the Damned played Liverpool a couple of months back--scallys).

As much as I enjoy a normal Damned gig where all the classics are played, this gig was very different because I didn't seem to miss them, instead I quite literally threw myself into Song.com, Amen, Thrill Kill, W and all the rest of the other songs like they were old favourites. Having only bought G.D on the day before the gig (Monday) I didn't have much time to learn any words but that didn't matter, because when your carried by the music you know when to jump up and and when you don't have to.

The set drew to an end with Cap playing the familiar strains of Smash It Up P1, by now the audience including myself were pouring with sweat but we were ready to go ballistic for the last time that night,and go ballistic we did. The set finished in tremendous fashion and I was now feeling peed off that I couldn't make it to the second night because of having to go back to work (and reality) once more to earn money so that I can go to more Damned gigs in the not to distant future.

After the show I had a great chat with D.V and was treated to his impression of Papa Lazrou which has got to be seen. We also had a chat with the rest of the band and Vince Ray and there was the usual good natured banter between us fans and the band, which is always a pleasure.

Also rat made an appearance- no not that Rat, but a real life living diseased one that plague our towns, and it was remarked that it should be killed and held up by Pinch in a photo as a kind of symbolic gesture, oh well a missed photo opportunity.

Eventually we left with are spirits on a high, having witnessed a bit of Damned history and one of the most enjoyable gigs I (we) have ever been too. Cheers lads and lass, I wish you well with the future - hope to do it again soon.

Mr Claypole

Another one....

What a privilege it is to be able to say that I was at Dingwalls on Tuesday 21 August, the day that The Damned released their first new album for 15 years - and I've even got the badge to prove it!

I had been following the progress of the album on the website over the last few months and had been to recent gigs at Bristol in November and Stourbridge in June. I had therefore had a prelude to some of the songs featured on Grave Disorder, notably Democracy, Song.com, Thrill Kill and Absinthe. At those gigs the only discernable difference between the new stuff and the old in terms of quality was merely the audience's lack of familiarity with the new.

The atmosphere in Dingwalls on Tuesday was electric as a sell out crowd eagerly awaited the gig. It was the usual assortment of punks, goths, young, old, weirdos and has-beens and that was just the band! Speculation was rife amongst fans about the content of the set that night with most expecting a mixture of the old and the new. Those fortunate enough to get there early were able to purchase the new album that not only was signed by the band but was also being sold six quid cheaper than at the local Camden Virgin Megastore. Attempts to purchase a copy in the West Midlands to listen to in the car on the way down had been unsuccessful so when the band finally came on stage my expectations were high.

The gig got off to a lively start with Beauty Of The Beast and Democracy and then the band threw in New Rose just for good measure. The set was then predominantly the new album which the audience admired in their usual extreme ways of jumping up and down on each other's heads or standing back and soaking up this fabulous and largely unfamiliar new material. The most frequently asked question was when did the Captain learn to play the guitar so well as he gave an outstanding performance assisted presumably by those strong wrists from all that (erm, guess the rest! - Ed.). But the night wasn't about one person it was about a band totally in tune playing "their" music. DV's voice was as strong as ever, Monty and Pinch performed as if possessed and Patricia calmly knocked out her fantastic base lines.

For good measure they finished the night off with Neat Neat Neat, Eloise and Smash It Up and left those not fortunate enough to have a ticket for the next night licking their lips at the prospect of an autumn tour and travelling back to the Midlands signing along to their newly purchased prized CD.

Thanks for the night.

Paul Newell

Pinch with some of the Fangbase

Thanks to Curtain Call for these photos!