REVIEW: Punk Off: The Sounds of Punk and New Wave – Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Who’d have thought that the tonic we need on these cold wintry nights would come in the form of a celebration of a music genre that exploded on the scene nearly fifty years ago. Rarely revisited, Punk Off: The Sounds of Punk and New Wave, charts Punk from its nascence to its zenith, giving the music its true place in the history of rock, outlining just how it has shaped the best in British music.
Entering the auditorium to find the famous Camden Lock sign bisecting the stage and the sounds of the city all around, we have a tantalising glimpse of what’s to come.
It’s a time of darkness, dole queues, strikes and music charts full of insipid ballads. There’s no one on the scene saying what young people in Britain really feel. Our narrator, actor and musician Kevin Kennedy strolls on stage and announces “It’s about to get loud” as the opening bars of The Sex Pistols Anarchy in the UK blast through the hall. He continues to weave a thread through the evening, charting how the itch began and the spark was ignited that lit the fire that spawned punk. It shows the connection from Bowie’s Rebel Rebel through the Punk scene in the US to its kidnapping by Malcolm McLaren who “stole the vibe” from these American dreamers and misfits, and “put it in his suitcase and brought it to the UK”.
The words are given weight by Kennedy who was a real participant in the scene (he was a member of The Paris Valentinos with Johnny Marr and Andy Rourke, later of The Smiths) and his personality is energetic and engaging throughout.
We move from The Sex Pistols now legendary first gig at Manchester’s Free Trade Hall and the 40 souls who got to witness musical history (including some who go on to punk stardom) to a music scene that smashed every barricade on its way to popularity. Kennedy charts the infamous Bill Grundy TV interview with The Sex Pistols that sparked the Daily Mail headline The Filth and the Fury and how these spiky haired rebels said what people really felt. How women were given equal standing in the movement.
And what about these anthems for an angry youth? What most, who only see the surface headlines won’t realise is what belting tunes Punk produced. We are treated to the best of The Pistols, The Clash, Buzzcocks, The Ramones, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Stranglers, The Undertones, Sham 69, The Jam and Scotland’s Skids and Rezillos. There are a few more novelty numbers including Jilted John’s Gordon is… and Plastic Bertrand’s Ça plane pour moi complete with baguettes.
As with any mercurial scene, things changed, and New Wave came to the fore, bands like Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Blondie, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Squeeze and The Pretenders brought a more commercial sound. The Clash and The Stranglers brought a fierce intelligence to the music.
To deliver this music with power and conviction needs a fantastic band and the on-stage three piece are phenomenal. The musicianship just jaw dropping, but it’s the sheer sustained energy that is most impressive. There isn’t a weak link from start to end (or a moment to breathe).
For a movement that really only lasted two years, the legacy it left behind is impressive. We wouldn’t have had Joy Division, New Order, The Smiths, The Stone Roses, Oasis, and a world-beating British music scene, nor a sense that young working class people could conquer the world.
The rousing finale has the concert hall on its feet, all feeling that the years have melted away and we’re back in 1977 again. This is a joyous celebration of the best of Punk and New Wave. It leaves you enlightened and enlivened and wishing for a music revolution once again. Don’t miss it.
Continues on tour | Image: Contributed
