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Review: 'Dealing With Damage The Charlemagnes Charley Stone'
'Live at the Hope And Anchor Islington'   


-  Genre: 'Punk/New Wave' -  Release Date: '8.1.22.'

Our Rating:
This is my first gig of 2022 and I hope this year will allow me to see a lot more bands than I managed in 2020 and 2021. This gigs line-up changed a few times and was a bit last minute but was a good chance to see some well-known musicians in their current bands.

Sadly due to some guyliner malfunctions we didn't make it in time to see Lenie Mets opening set as I have always loved seeing her live ever since she was the frontwoman for Mambo Taxi.

Still we were in time for Charley Stones solo set and I haven't seen her playing solo since the Myspace days and earlier still with Salad, I think I last saw her playing with Keith Top of The Pops, either way it was nice to see her live again. She opened with I'm Gonna Start Now that had many false starts and was quite funny.

Letting us know we all needed to have a drink seemed essential before she sang her Hangover Song about well struggling to get up you're that hungover. Not Much Time made some wry points and had some cool guitar even as Charley mucked about with the switches on her guitar and her array of pedals.

Does She Mention Me had a good list of questions for the guy she's having an affair with as to whether his missus knows about her, this was a good take on the wronged woman blues song updated to be the wronged woman indie song. Not Your Number continued the wry humor and made me wonder if maybe she grew up with Blyth Power and Brigandage posters on her wall.

The Intro to Mountain Top explained where it was coming from and no matter the inspiration it was a cool song, before she closed with one of the songs she wrote in her first band the Frantic Spiders that I think she said was called A Scream it was a good end to a very enjoyable set.

Next on were The Charlemagnes who feature Senseless Things Guitar legend Ben Harding alongside Thee Faction bassist Chris Fox and with a Sgt Bacchus (Lee Ingelby) Lookalike on vocals to bash out a set of Garage rock, of the sort a band called The Charlemagnes ought too.

From the opener 3d Girl they brought some good guitar interplay and looked like they were having as much fun as the audience. I think they next song was Grey either way it was great watching Ben bending the strings and sounding great and back playing in Islington where I saw the Senseless Things a few times back in the day. Honey certainly sounded like the sort of sticky situation song that no amount of harmony backing vocals was going to help.

They had a good jokey intro into That Girl's A Mess that asked the question should we call her a Woman rather than a girl either way what a great tune that was almost as messy as the girl in question.

I'm sure they wanted to erupt like a Volcano all over that girl but instead sang the song Volcano. It seemed appropriate as Sgt John Bacchus was always Antagonistic that his lookalike would sing a song called The Antagonist and it had some great effects from Ben Harding that made sure we all had a sense of the kind of Gratification this band sings about.

I'm still trying to figure out if Achilles Girl was a love song or a not love song either way it was lots of fun and the next song Oh No You Don't didn't have a pantomime call and response section thankfully just more great power pop garage rock guitars and some sold drumming.

They played the bands most recent single whatever it was called and then finished by covering the only Larry Wallis song anyone seems to cover yep they got us all singing along to Police Car once more and sorry for any guess work on the song titles as this lot are bags of fun live.

Finally it was time for Dealing With Damage one of the bands to feature James Sherry on the drums who you may know from Done Lying Down, The Snivelling Shits or Desperate Measures alongside Paul Grier on bass, Andy Myers Guitar and Vocals and Ed Wenn Guitar and lead vocals and I know I've seen most of them playing live in other bands but which bands?

They opened with Stop Everything a fast an furious punk pop rampage that was followed by a song I have down as Red! and before long with a bit of in-between song banter they were insisting we should Write It Down which was exactly what I tried to do in my as ever messy as hell notes.

They then claimed that First They Ignore You which when a band is this in your face isn't easy to do, but one or two faces at the back did there best. While they did everything to amp things up and with a few false starts were soon properly Speeded Up and playing at a frantic pace.

Bombs To Feel Safe I think is the title of the great anti arms race tune they unleashed on us next like a scud missile careening through the bowels of the Hope and Anchor. Worlds Within A World flew by like and amphetamine freak after a couple of grams too many.

They dedicated John's Gone to producer John Hannon who was one of many Musical good guys we lost last year and it was a fitting tribute.

Then somehow in the dark they managed to see a Slow Shadow moving across the room, it was only slow in the way they had slowed to playing at about 80 mph instead of 110 mph it still had loads of propulsion to keep us all bouncing along with them.

There was a good bit of banter before they were singing about someone who was Grey Eyed, they then closed the night with the song I have down as I Believe but it's probably Sharkbait or something completely different either way it brought a great fun night out to a fitting close and here's hoping every gig I go to this year leaves me smiling as much as this show did.
  author: simonovitch

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