A triple header with The Priscillas, Love Parade, and Explode The TV to raise funds for organ donation charities and concussion research
Tonight, the Camden Club plays host to a charity gig in aid of the Tom Wilson Memorial Fund. Tom Wilson was a young man who tragically died from an accidental blow to his head during a hockey training session, and was found to have previously volunteered to donate his organs – enabling him to unknowingly save or vastly improve the lives of several people. His mother Lisa is in attendance tonight, and she quite rightly encourages us to consider doing the same; check out https://tomwilsonmemorialfund.co.uk for more details.
Explode The TV frontman Bentley’s silver jacket pairs well with his band’s shimmering post-punk guitars. He cuts a highly watchable Jarvis/Morrissey-esque figure, and boasts a decent set of pipes to boot. A cover of Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance’ is a smart, inclusive move, but such is the calibre (and groove) of the likes of ‘Revolution Baby’ and ‘London Prayer’, that a couple more of their own tunes would have been equally welcome. Check out their ‘Unbreakable’ album as soon as possible.
We spend most of The Priscillas’ set in awe of the stamina of drummer Jola, particularly as she performs ridiculously long and intense drum rolls on the penultimate ‘Plastic’. Are her band glam punk? Garage punk? Power pop? Who cares when the songs are this good? They’re veterans of this gigging lark, and – as ever – they don’t waste a minute, ripping through the adrenaline-infused ‘The Dream’ and the stomp-tastic ‘Oh Keiko’ with plenty of youthful energy and no little panache. Their set seems to fly by in a blur of glorious melodies, and as all great live bands do, they leave us wanting more.
Unfortunately, we have to leave halfway through Love Parade’s headline set (damn early last trains!), but their synth-laden tunes certainly hit the spot. Overall, this evening has shown the power of music to unite people for a worthy cause, and kudos are most certainly due to everyone involved.
Main Photo Credit: ALEX GOSMAN
Need more Punk In Your Life?
EP review: Year Zero’s new release ‘The Louder You Scream’
From the West Midlands, UK, Year Zero are the punk band for the 21st century, playing electrifying Rock n Roll. They released their latest EP
Live review: The Hip Priests, The Black Heart, London, 8th Nov 2024
The Hip Priests are a band who have got better with time – and they weren’t exactly sub-par when they started out all those years
Album review: ‘Burn Down Tomorrow’ the incendiary new release from Department S
Since reforming in 2007, Department S have continually pushed forward with new material, and this latest studio album ‘Burn Down Tomorrow’ showcases them at their
Laurie Wright’s second album launch with Super Swamp Jellyfish / A.R.T / The Molotovs
A new venue for me tonight; London’s Scala, which is a stone’s throw from Kings Cross station and not far from Euston Square, where Laurie
Eville unleash anti-misogynist new single ‘Ballistic’
With 35k+ followers on TikTok and Instagram, Eville are turning the new generation of fans onto the 90s nu-metal scene and standing at the vanguard
Desperate Measures / Split Dogs / Dead Fun, London Water Rats, 6th Nov 2024
Tonight’s bill features three bands, none of whom outstay their welcome, and there are only 15-minute breaks between their sets. Of course, such antics wouldn’t
I spend my days teaching English to foreign students, and my evenings attending as many gigs as possible. Raised mainly on a diet of 90s third-wave punk, my tastes have grown to include just about anything from trad ska to thrash metal. The Ramones are my musical gods.
Did you know that we are 100% DIY? We run our own game. No one dictates to us, and no one drives what we can or cannot put on our pages – and this is how we plan to continue!
