HYBRIDMAGAZINE.COM | January 2002
U.K. Subs/King Rat/8 Bucks Experiment
Lion’s Lair, Denver.
10-10-01
Having witnessed The Damned skip
years of material several days prior, I know the impact a
returning guitarist plays on the setlist. Being a nostalgic
near codger myself, this means I am pleased to hear the opening
drums of early Oi "CID", the first song from the
debut record. Another Kind Of Blues is well represented
with "I Couldn’t Be You", the still relevant "Crash
Course", the fist-pumping "Tomorrow's Girls"
and the set closer, "Stranglehold". 1980’s Brand
New Age brings us "Left For Dead", "Rat
Race", the ever-popular "Emotional Blackmail",
"Endangered Species", and the huge favorite, "Warhead."
These are interspersed with later Harper/Garratt works
like "Cyberjunk" and the sing along "Riot".
Singer Charlie Harper is all smiles, when he steps back and
glances at Nicky Garratt perform his acrobatics. Bearing down
on the guitar, Garratt does his manic splits and jumps, threatening
to clock himself on the ceiling. Harper takes in from the
revelers as much as he puts out. Early on, his voice is unexpectedly
youthful, much more so than his speaking voice would let on.
Unaccustomed to the huge separation the bar puts between he
and the audience, Harper bridges the gap by extending the
mike (stand and all) over the bar for vocal assistance. Brian
Slutcher keeps up with Garratt, providing wild rocker
gestures and faces. His bass sound is in thumping good form.
The Yank Jason Willer on drums bashes the cymbals to
our complete delight, perhaps aware of the stellar drumming
we’ve seen tonight. Garratt mugs and shouts with a fiendish
intensity. The founding members begin to shame the youth,
as Willer begins to drag the last few songs. Unable, it seems,
to keep pace with the elder statesmen.
History is made for me at least, in the first encore I’ve seen at the Lair. The Urban Dogs song "Limo Life" is a real obscure treat. Garratt makes use of the tiny stage by parading back to the persons in the stage-level booths. Naturally, this inspires some to join the band. Plenty of jostling of performers ensues which amuses Charlie. Willer is rested from the break and back up to speed as Slutcher waves his menacing bass. An impromptu pit forms in the ill suited bar and dissipates when sense returns to the instigators. But not before a bearded burnout is upset from his stool and disappears behind the counter. Onstage, Garrett flings his axe behind his head and rips out screaming riffage so jaw-dropping that I lose track of the last two songs, "NY Police" and "Party In Paris". As the lights come up the crusty rights himself at the bar dazed, but a better man for it.
- Ewan Wadharmi
HYBRIDMAGAZINE.COM | January 2002