A
bona fide original punk legend makes a first-time visit to the ‘Don, so, given
that Logan and I had travelled to London a couple of years ago to see him rock
the Camden Underworld (April 2022, gig 1,218), I’m sure we can shlep it up the
hill to the Vic! Sci-fi referencing, surf-punk mutant dayglo nutcase Spizz (the
legend in question), announced a “First Farewell Tour” for November 2024,
taking in a few more far-flung spaces than his usual North London stamping
grounds, and we were up for it, myself having been a fan since my “epiphany”
night at Under-18 Brunel back in 1979, when my 14 year old nascent punk-loving
self was first exposed to the ramshackle classic (and Spizz’ signature toon) “Where’s
Captain Kirk?”
Unsurprisingly, Swindon’s own dayglo punk rock legend, our Debs, was up for it too (wouldn’t surprise me if she’d chatted up Spizz at the Blackpool punk festy Rebellion to play the ‘Don in the first place)… Debs was unable to drive due to a recent eye op, so we picked her up for the trip up the hill, grabbing a drink in the main bar before the openers at 8.30. “We’re Death Pop and we’re from all over the shop,” announced the veteran vocalist after a couple of short, snappy proto- punk openers, initially recalling those swathes of primitive second division first wave punk bands, such as The Drones, The Shapes et al, with intermittent sax from Debs’ mate Saraan giving them an X-Ray Spex/ Essential Logic feel. Not too bad, but overall, I preferred their slower tracks (a moodier, gothier and well-constructed “Fall From On High” recalling UK Decay for me) and their one-liners, such as “Tomorrow we’re having a rehearsal! That should be interesting…” and closing line “we’re Death Pop so you don’t have to be!” Kicked In The Teeth, next up in short order at 9.20, were a more incoherent howl, veering towards the superfast hardcore/ UK82 end of punk rock, basically the type of “punk” that drove me away from the genre in the first place. This time it just drove me and Logan back to the bar, hanging out with Deb and her crazy mates Amy and Emily!
We all wandered back into the happily full and anticipatory back room for the arrival of the black-clad band just after 10, the rotund Spizz strutting on last, fluorescent rings flashing from his fingers, the man nailing his influences to the mast somewhat with an early rambunctious cover of David Bowie’s Ziggy-era “Hang On To Yourself”. Puzzlingly no more than a cult punk act back in the day, never reaching the dizzy TOTP-level heights of the likes of contemporaries Siouxsie, Buzzcocks etc. Spizz nonetheless retains punk hero status in the ’Don thanks primarily to his 70s/ 80s’ Under-18 Brunel Amphi dancefloor-packing taut, rhythmic masterpiece “Soldier Soldier”. And a very punked-up, harder-edged version of this particular choon formed an early highlight double with the ascending swirling fanfare of the soaring and brilliantly powerpoppy “No Room”, prompting a compliment for Swindon from the man himself before “another dystopian song – I seem to have a lot,” the moody military march of “Here Come The Machines”.
Spizz
was in fine fooling tonight, interacting with the crowd (commenting, “we’ve got
some ladies dancing down the front – it’s been 1,000 years since that happened!”
before another Bowie cover, a deep cut “Valentine’s Day”) in his fey, slightly “Carry
On” Kenneth Williams persona, baked up by a remarkably tough, well-practised
and together band. He donned his trademark diagonal sunglasses for the “All The
Young Dudes”-esque “Christmas In Denmark Street” (a lament for the old Tin Pan
Alley) which prompted Logan to do the same with his green-framed versions,
Spizz commenting at the end, “give that man a hand!”. Another couple of mutant
punk covers later (Kraftwerk’s punked-up “The Model” and the amphetamine-fast
and repeated ending of “Virginia Plain”, Spizz challenging us to be noisier
than Stoke!), the terrace chant of “Clocks Are Big” segued, with a slight
hiccup, into the inevitable, brilliant and rabble-rousing “Where’s Captain Kirk”;
then the toughened-up cod-reggae verse and speedy gabbling chorus of “Spock’s
Missing” and another cover, this time the classic fist-pumping bad-boy anthem “I
Fought The Law” (can’t fault Spizz’ taste in covers!) rounded off a superb and enthusiastically
received set from a highly proficient band and a supremely entertaining
frontman.
A quick chat at the merch stand with the man (getting both my list and Logan’s sunglasses signed!) before bidding Debby adieu, and home just after midnight via the kebab van for late supper. Great night – the band were superb, and Spizz as ever was a total natural. One of the most “fun” gigs I’ve been to in ages… if this is actually Farewell (“First” or otherwise), then Spizz is going out on the highest of high notes!
