14/11 at the UAE LCR
With Lemmy out of action with an injured hand and Matt Skiba falling of his motorbike before leaving to see The Damned, I checked to see there wasn’t a third cancelled Norwich gig this week! Mercifully it was still on and the night kicked off with the former Slits guitarist Viv Albertine. Viv has weathered the years well but her set was like a coarse Victoria Wood picking up a guitar for the first time. I hate criticizing performers but I was happy when her set ended.
This was a real toe in the water week, two gigs by bands I really didn’t know that well, I mean, everyone knows Neat Neat Neat and New Rose but that was it for me! Captain Sensible and Dave Vanian were instantly recognisible and by starting the set with Neat Neat Neat they swept the crowd away from the off.
It’s 35 years since Damned formed and they sounded fresher and more anarchic than Rise Against did earlier in the week! The set continued apace with more tracks from Damned Damned Damned and later material. I didn’t know what to expect from the gig but I left buzzing, where the modern punks had left me wanting.