Miracle of miracles this show is part of Wasted Youth's tour to promote Neo Noir the band's first new album since 1981, a fact that makes many of the bands long time fans, like myself very happy indeed.
First on tonight is Jamie Perrett who opened his set by playing the first three songs solo, What The Doctors Say was played slow and a little bit cautiously, like he was worried the diagnosis might go against him. God Is Praying makes some very succinct points about the state of the world, wondering if God is really all powerful why so much evil is committed in his name, Jamie wrung the emotion out of his guitar, even if parts of the audience weren't totally attentive. When You Hear Her Name was a song of love and loss that was designed to pull at your heartstrings a touch.
Jamie then brought out his two accompanists on Drums and Bass for the rest of the set, they added muscularity and a good bit of power on Lion's Share that really woke the M.O.T.H. Club up. Born To Suffer was the song, that most sounded like it could be by his dad's band The Only Ones, with some guitar magic from Jamie and plenty of raw emotion. His single Nepo Baby had a lot more edge to it than the last time I saw Jamie at the M.O.T.H. club back in March, he skewered the truly ridiculously rich and over entitled kids.
Glory Days looked at a relationship, that at least had the Glory Days before falling apart and the guitar sound was really quite edgy. He closed his set with a caustic version of Got It Wrong that was full of admissions of guilt at his side of the arguments that drove you apart set to a full-on assault from the drums and bass.
After the break we welcomed to the stage the current 5-piece line-up of Wasted Youth who were soon ready to launch into the classic Paris France that sounded magnificent with Ken Scott staring imperiously at us during the instrumental sections. Ken having thanked us all for showing up led them into Little Jack that had some great interplay between Rocco Barker and Josef Rosam's guitars.
Ken told us the next song was off the new album Neo Noir as he introduced I'm In Love Again the dark brooding intro began and then Rocco was signalling something was wrong, they stopped he fiddled with his guitar and then they launched back into it, it seemed built around Sabrina Amade's bassline and Ken's impassioned vocals while he shot glances at Rocco.
Fishes was the next new song, they brought on the bands Violinist Rachel Isherwood to add to the bands signature dark edge, it had rock solid drumming from Alan Temple who was locked into Sabrina's bass with Rachel's Violin adding a few extra layers to the sound.
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Not sure what the next song was, but then Rocco didn't seem to either, Ken was shouting at him to look at the setlist, from the shaky intro a fully formed magical song emerged that had bags of groove. I guessed the next song was Am I Crazy and Ken was throwing glitter all about and smearing it over his face and arms that gave the song some added theatricality. Rocco then tried to start the wrong song again, after some more grumbling from Ken they launched into Maybe We'll Die With Them, well if looks could kill Rocco was done for, no matter what magical notes he twisted out of his guitar.
Jealousy took them back to the bands early days and still sounds brilliant live, with the addition of Ken's synth. I'll Remember You sounded exactly as it should and no matter how much tension was brewing between Rocco and Ken the rest of the band carried on being as tight as they possibly could, ready for the set defining version of Man Found Dead In Graveyard that had bags of velveteen intensity, brilliant backing vocals from the band and a centre section that included a couple of verses of Roadrunner and a verse of Sister Ray before going back into the main riff that seem to get more and more powerful.
If Tomorrow felt like a high wire duel the sparks were ready to fly and just made it seem all the better. As curfew approached Ken asked what we wanted next and Wish I Was A Girl won out, perfect for most of us to sing along with them, when it broke down into the acapella section it seemed like détente was almost in sight, that they could once again do there make up together and go looking for a girl to kiss. They then closed the evening with a stomp through Do The Caveman and a promise of another Wasted Youth show in London before the year is out. Don't miss it whatever you do they are still a miraculously brilliant live band, no matter what mistakes may have happened on the night, everyone I spoke to afterwards loved this set.
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