I arrived at the venue the roundhouse, famous for that of the meninblack themselves but themselves were not appearing tonight, it felt a little bit odd beeing inside the venue knowing that the only previous 3 times i have been to the venue was to see them. I thought they owned it but they occassionally let other people play on their stage. However tonight was a first for me of seeing Punk legends Ruts DC. The 50 minute set was mixed with your punk classics such as "Babalyons burning", "in a rut" & "Jah wars" with the set mixed with their regaee style of songs (which i must admit im am not really into) & the ruts version of it hasent done anything to turn me onto regaee. But the other one they did that i know of was "Staring at the rude boys". The reggaee style songs was one about heroin and another about wrongfull arrest. A bonus song we apparentley got tonight was a song called "society" i had never heard it before but it was ok. I enjoyed the songs i knew and everybody knows "babalyons burning and in a rut" at the end.
Up next was Theatre of hate and i no absouloutley nothing about them,they diddnt really do anything for me as you couldnt hear anything. But the crowd enjoyed them
I'll have to agree out of the 3 gigs and 3 songs from the Damned i have to say this has been the best time i have seen them. No more coming on at Silly hours like they did at the London Astoria on the "Machine gun ettiquette" reissue tour in 2007 and the sound sounding awfull. No this was a slick and professional performance in celebration of the day "Friday the 13th". Opening with "Sanctum sanctorium" from 1987s "Phantasmorgria" which is a very brave way to start a gig & into "Don't cry wolf" which was brilliant. As sir elvis says the first three songs from each of their best works were played with the first of the lot was from 1980s "Black album" 'Wait for the blackout", "Iivley arts" and "Silly kids games" , we were also treated to "2 for one dr jekel and mr hyde" also one of my favourite singles of theirs "The history of the world". Next up my most favourite part of the evening the fantastic "strawberries" for ignite we were orderd for some auidence partisipation from the captain of "ignite" who said "See if you can do better than leeds last night". I thought just beeing in london would do that myself
, "generals" and my all time favourite Damned single "Stranger on the town" best song of the night. Now we all like a good old rant and the Captain is no different in calling everyone he doesnt like a CNUT!!. Cliff richard took most of the flack. so now its time for "Machine gun ettiquette" part of the set "Love song", "Plan 9 channel 7" and dave decidcates "I just can't be happy today" to Morrissey saying hes a laugh a minute. The hit parade of "New rose", and "neat neat neat" obviosuly followed before it was time for the scheduled encores.
After a while of standing on the rail a certain mr dave Vanian appears infront of myself and mr Elvis he says to us "god its a bloody hot one tonight isnt it?" of which i am just staring at him but mr elvis is cool enough to shake hes hand and off he goes back onstage to deliver the encores. "Curtain calling" thanfully not all 21 minutes "jet boy jet girl" of it then another one of my highlights "ANTIPOPE" it was awesome. The show finished of with "Smash it up". Before "Smash it up" someone through a mask of Cliff richard up onstage and he put it in his pants saying 'He might like it down there". It was a great setlist if the stranglers manage to pull something off like this in march ill be very happy. I wont be waiting 5 years to see my fourth damned gig. A great night out.
