The Philistines: Glen (bass & vocals) / Chris Musto (drums) / Steve New (guitar) / Terry Edwards (keyboards).
Set List: Open Mind / Ducking And Diving / Sound Of Swinging London / Mugs Game / Idiot / Suck It And See / Sad Meal For One / On Something / Rattle Your Cage. (Burning Sounds was originally in the set, but the band forgot to play it!).

A 30 minute, 9 song set, comprising of solo material, which included 'On Something' from Glen's forthcoming album. Despite no details in advance on the posters or ads for the gig, the band went down really well. The songs from Glen's second album get better and better.

During the opening song, Glen had a bit of a shock when his guitar strap came off. He had to more-or-less balance it on his thigh, until the end of the song. Steve New's guitar sound was superb.  Terry Edwards was immaculately turned out in a checked suit.

Considering this was a one-off show, there were only a couple of bits that did not come over as fully together, so a proper tour would iron out those kind of problems. An excellent, short but sweet, set.
Glen must be given credit for not taking the easy option of playing Pistols and Rich Kids songs.
Although the second album has been out a while, a few more UK dates to promote it would be a good idea. Also, plans to release it overseas could result in more promotion, sales, & live dates. It would be great to see Glen and the band headline this venue in 2002, with the Philistines performing a full set.

Review by Ray Morrissey

Dead Men Walking

Guildford Festival
5th August 2001

Set List: The Stand (Mike), Burning Sounds (Glen), Come Back (Pete), Westworld (Kirk), Rain In The Summertime (Mike), Ghosts Of Princes In Towers (Glen), View From A Tree (Kirk), Heart As Big As Liverpool (Pete), Spirit Of '76 (Mike), Stepping Stone (Glen), You'll Never Take Me Alive (Kirk), Story Of The Blues (Pete), 68 Guns (Mike), and Pretty Vacant (Glen). The encore was All Or Nothing (Glen).

Even though Reef were headlining on the main stage, the marquee was packed with 2,000 standing, which must be DMW's biggest 'proper' gig to-date.

They appeared a few minutes late on stage, which meant their 80 minutes set was cut to 70 due to the festival curfew. They strode on with Pete Wylie completely overdressed, (considering it was a lovely hot day), in drape jacket, slicked-back hair and shades, and he admitted his dress sense was just a bit of fun. Kirk Brandon stayed sat on his stool all through the show and did not seem to get as involved as much as the other three. Pete Wylie was still doing most of the talking and as usual it was mentioned how Mike and Pete went to see the Pistols at Eric's in Liverpool 25 years ago and how it changed their lives.

They really are four mates that have got together to play, hang out, and have some fun.
Mike Peters did loads of mouth organ solos on non-Alarm songs like 'Burning Sounds', and it was really good to see everyone getting involved in each other's songs by doing backing vocals and playing tambourine etc. It seems like they have a main set of songs they always play, however they don't play the same set twice very often, that's for sure.This can only be a good thing for the fans.

This was a short but great set with minimum stoppages for tuning up etc. It was non-stop great songs, one after the other, but sadly there were no Glen solo songs this time. The crowd loved it all and as usual gave their singing voices a good airing, especially during 'Pretty Vacant'.
The band really are cooking... for a great night out check out a couple of the shows on the forthcoming tour.

DMW easily proved tonight they can handle big crowds. As the venues get bigger these great songs will get the audience they deserve.

Review by Ray Morrissey

The Witchwood Ashton-under-Lyne
28th June 2001

The resistance starts here. What a revelation the show was! I wondered what the chemistry would be like between Messrs Matlock, Wylie, Brandon, and Peters. The guitars might have been acoustic, but the buzz was electric.To start with, the Witchwood was packed, with fans of a combination of one or more of the Dead Men all mixing together.

With all four on stage simultaneously (with the occasional exception), it was exciting to see them playing one another's songs. The rousing opening of 'The Stand' set the tone for the evening. Alternating lead duties helped provide a good balance to the set. Glen gave us punchy renditions of 'Burning Sounds', 'Open Mind', 'Sad Meal For One', 'Stepping Stone', 'On Something' and 'Ghosts Of Princes In Towers' (which Mike Peters admitted was the inspiration for The Alarm's 'Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke' which they then proceeded to play). Alarm fans were in raptures as they were treated to the likes of 'Spirit of '76' and 'Rain In The Summertime'. Amongst Kirk Brandon's highlights were the ever popular 'Westworld' and my personal favourite Brandon song, 'You'll Never Take Me Alive'. What can you say about Pete Wylie?! A mad Scouser! Enthusiasm oozes out of this man, as does his sense of humour. Taking the piss out of himself and others is second nature; no one is safe including the audience and his fellow band members! It all makes for great fun. Needless to say, he delivered passionate versions of 'The Story Of The Blues' and 'Come Back', well known to all the crowd. Special note should be made of an outstanding new composition 'Your Mother Must Be Proud Of You'. Brilliant.

'68 Guns' and 'Pretty Vacant' closed the main set. This was swiftly followed by the encore of 'All Or Nothing', which for tonight's show had Glen, Mike, and Pete sharing lead vocals, with Kirk providing distinctive backing. By the time they left the stage we had witnessed a show lasting two hours. Terrific value for money. They promised they would be back later in the year with an electric version of the show, and equally as exciting, an album.

If you are in the least bit interested in any of the four Dead Men Walking I can only urge you to check the show out. I just hope they can keep this going and stick together, because like Pete stated, 'the resistance starts here'. It's time to put your name down and sign-up.

Review & photographs by Phil Singleton
Photos; top - Glen 'Burning Sounds' / middle - Mike & Pete / bottom - Kirk gives Pete a V-sign as Glen hits the tambourine

Dingwalls London
25th June 2001

Glen Matlock, Mike Peters, Kirk Brandon, Pete Wylie.

Four acoustic guitars and four blokes from famous bands in the 70s/80s took to the stage, to a respectable but by no means sold out Dingwalls, just after 9pm, and did a set lasting nearly 2 hours.

It's a great idea where they each in turn sing their own songs with the others providing the backing. There were a few names in the crowd; Mick Jones (The Clash), Charlie Harper (UK Subs), as well as Chris Musto and Steve New from Glens 'proper band', The Philistines.

The highlights were; The Stand (Mike), Burning Sounds (Glen), Westworld (Kirk), Come Back (Pete), Open Mind (Glen), Sinful (Pete), You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory (Pete), Unsafe Building (Mike), Sad Meal For One (Glen), Spirit Of '76 (Mike), Ghosts Of Princes In Towers (Glen), All You Young Men (Kirk), You'll Never Take Me Alive (Kirk), Story Of The Blues (Pete), 68 Guns (Mike), and Pretty Vacant (Glen). The encore was All Or Nothing (Small Faces) sung by Glen.

It was a really enjoyable show with lots of on-stage banter, especially from Pete Wylie. I suppose it would have been nice to hear all the biggest songs from each artist, but I don't think that's the route they want to take.

Review by Ray Morrissey

Glen Matlock And The Philistines

Liverpool Lomax
19th September, 2000

Set List: Rattle Your Cage / Mugs Game / Burning Sounds / Suck It And See / Sound Of Swinging London / My Little Philistine / Story Of Your Life / Regular Ray Of Sunshine / Sad Meal For One / Something For Nothing / Open Mind / Speed Of Sound / Encore: Pretty Vacant

After a day of constant rain and a petrol shortage hoax, seeing The Philistines live was the ideal tonic. Technical problems had resulted in the support band starting about half an hour late, and the difficulties continued as the venue was clearly having problems with setting up The Philistines equipment.

Matlock, Barber (minus his 'Borderline' chin strap beard, but now with red hair), Stevenson, Edwards, and Musto, trooped on. As the band roared through 'Rattle Your Cage', James Stevenson's guitar cut-out, resulting in a mid-song guitar swap without the group missing a note. This technical hitch was barely noticed as Glen's acoustic guitar kept the energy going. Thankfully further technical faults didn't materialise, although James was keen to switch back to his favourite 'gold' guitar as soon as was possible!

Glen's current line-up delivered the set in their usual energetic and slick fashion. The recent addition of James Stevenson was an inspired move. His laid-back precision and delivery is great to watch. There's no lack of passion in the group, with Glen's switch to acoustic duties seemingly giving him more freedom to expel his energy. Stalwarts Tony Barber and Chris Musto turned in their usual solid performances. Terry Edwards appears to have settled in, his contributions to tracks such as 'Regular Ray Of Sunshine' being paramount to the overall sound.

Unfortunately, one of my abiding memories will be of the fan from the Isle of Man repeatedly shouting 'I love you Glen, never mind what Johnny Rotten says!'

Next stop Manchester........

Manchester Life Cafe
20th September, 2000

Set List: Rattle Your Cage / Mugs Game / Burning Sounds / Suck It And See / Sound Of Swinging London / Story Of Your Life / Regular Ray Of Sunshine / Sad Meal For One / My Little Philistine / Idiot / Something For Nothing / Open Mind / Speed Of Sound / Encore: Debris / Ambition / Pretty Vacant

The Late Room at the Life Cafe is billed as a club/restaurant/bar, and consists of a low stage and a number of booths and tables from which the audience sit and watch the 'show'. Not entirely conducive to raucous rock'n'roll, but nevertheless perfectly suitable for Granada Television to set up their cameras and film the gig! Granada filmed the show to be transmitted in 2001 as part of a feature titled 'They Swear They Were There'.

With audience response confined to applause and/or bopping in their seats, The Philistines might be forgiven for showing a lack of enthusiasm. However the unusual setting did not deter the group from putting in another rousing performance.

This set list varied slightly from the previous evening with the addition of 'Idiot' ("for Chris Musto!"), Ronnie Lane's 'Debris', and 'Ambition'. It was also a novelty to see James singing backing vocals! The rapport between the band members is clearly evident, lending a positive feel to the show which is repaid in kind by the audience.

It is to be hoped that the forthcoming TV exposure will make more people sit up and take notice of the strength of both the group itself and of Glen's current material.

If you've not been bitten by the Glen bug yet, it's time you did yourself a favour. Don't miss out.

Reviews by Phil Singleton

Leeds Borders Bookshop 25th August 2000

 

Glen's first ever acoustic show

Borders Bookshop, Oxford Street, London
17th August 2000

Set List: Burning Sounds / A Different World / Open Mind / Sad Meal For One / Ghosts Of Princes In Towers / Pretty Vacant / Regular Ray Of Sunshine / Ambition / Sound Of Swinging London / Speed Of Sound

The show got underway at 7pm, half-an-hour later than scheduled. Glen had been delayed sound checking for the evening show at the Borderline Club. Rather than becoming frustrated, the crowd seemed happy to wait, some people taking the chance to read the copies of 'I Was A Teenage Sex Pistol' on display.

Glen was apprehensive about these one-man acoustic shows (see interview), so he must have been thrilled at the excellent turnout (including Pistols sound man/producer Dave Goodman) - the highest ever at Borders for an equivalent event.

Seated on a high stool and equipped with a brand new acoustic guitar, Glen apologised for the delay before launching into 'Burning Sounds'. Glen concealed any sign of nerves and seemed to have settled in to this style of performance with ease. The audience certainly appreciated it. Each song was received with gratitude and applause.

Glen introduced his songs and explained the background to his newer material from 'Open Mind', the tale behind 'Sad Meal For One' causing much hilarity. He displayed the same humour after dropping his plectrum at the start of 'Regular Ray Of Sunshine', remarking that it was the same colour as the carpet as he searched the floor.

Glen often seems to make his task harder than it needs to be; this time he turned up without a planned set list so the performance was very much impromtu but nevertheless came across as polished. Glen was happy to respond to shouts for 'Pretty Vacant' halfway through the set. What a great moment this was: 'and we don't care' sang the crowd, either sat on the floor in front of him or stood around the side of the bookshop's reference section! Terrific.

Strangely enough this acoustic performance helped to display just how strong his new material is, and enabled the gathering to appreciate the excellent lyrics.

40 minutes, 10 songs, a great success.

Glen was quickly taken upstairs to begin a signing session, where both his book and new CD could be purchased. From there it was straight on to the Borderline Club for the evening show.

Glen Matlock And The Philistines

Borderline Club, London
17th August 2000

Less than an hour and-a-half after finishing his signing session at Borders in Oxford Street, Glen took to the stage with his band at the Borderline Club.

Glen introduced the band as simply 'The Philistines'. They were: James Stevenson on guitar, Chris Musto on drums, Terry Edwards on keyboards, and the big surprise - Tony Barber (with yet another new look!) on bass. It was originally planned for Glen to be on bass duties, but the last minute addition of Tony Barber meant that Glen could make further use of his brand new acoustic guitar! Glen played it with such fervour, James Stevenson had to be on top of his game to maintain the title of lead guitarist! The combination was instantly explosive as the Philistines roared through the rousing 'Rattle Your Cage', the amazing 'Mugs Game', and the Rich Kids classic 'Burning Sounds'. That was just the opening salvo!

The buzz from the earlier performance had carried over into the evening show. Another excellent turnout included Mick Jones, Wendy James, Pete Wylie, and a green haired Charlie Harper. Although we were treated to a couple of songs from Glen's earlier projects, namely 'Suck It And See' and 'My Little Philistine', Glen was intent on showcasing his new album, playing no less than 10 tracks from 'Open Mind'. Glen clearly has a lot of faith in his new material, and on tonight's performance this faith is justified. 'Sound Of Swinging London', 'Sad Meal For One', 'Regular Ray Of Sunshine', 'Speed Of Sound', were proof enough. Those that were able to appreciate the subtleties of the songs during the acoustic performance were now able to feed on their energy and passion. 'Ambition' may have been the slowest song of the night but there was no lack of commitment.

Tracey Hunter and Patti Palladin took the stage for the final three songs to reprise their backing vocal duties from the CD. 'Idiot', 'Ducking And Diving', and 'Open Mind' provided a fitting end to the main set.

The encore was inevitable. 'Pretty Vacant' was never going to disappoint, but what was even more pleasing was that the level of excitement was sustained throughout the closing 'Something For Nothing'.

I overheard a voice nearby state 'Glen's rocking tonight!'. Yes he was. The whole band seemed energized, producing a truly powerful and up-lifting performance. When have the rhythm section of Tony Barber and Chris Musto ever disappointed? Nor were Terry Edwards's keyboards out of place. A special mention must go to James Stevenson, whose guitar-playing was exceptional. Amazingly, this was the first performance of Glen's new line-up and tour. The shows will get even tighter and more stunning.

I suspect this is the start of a new and exciting era for Glen Matlock.

Reviews by Phil Singleton
Photo by Spencer Anderson

Glen Matlock Band

15th June '99
The Witchwood, Ashton-Under-Lyne, Manchester

The Personnel.. Glen, guitar and lead vocals, denim jacket, black vest, leather trousers, two-tone shoes, fixed stare, bulging eyes. Steve New, guitar and backing vocals, loose green T-shirt, jeans, fringe circa Rich Kids '78. Tony Barber, bass, head to toe denim, cool and functional. Chris Musto, powerhouse drummer, black T-shirt.

My first visit to the Witchwood. An intimate venue, bar at one end, stage at the other. With a crowd of approximately 100, it proved just the right setting. Two support acts later, and suddenly Glen and his troupe appeared on the small stage. The unmistakable opening strains of "Rattle Your Cage" kicked in as Glen beckoned the crowd towards him. I needed no encouragement and was right down the front as they ripped through "Rattle." followed immediately by "Mugs Game", the first of a number of unrecorded tracks aired tonight.

The unfamiliar material didn't dampen the crowd's enthusiasm. We knew the band could rock and responded accordingly. Glen introduced another newie, "Ray of Sunshine". The band launched into the song as cool as you like considering "A Different World" was next on the set list! Glen admitted his cock-up at the end of the song. No bother to the band who then dished out "A Different." from Glen's solo album followed by a bone shaking "My Man", another solo stormer. (Hands up, who hasn't got Glen's solo album yet? Shame on you.)

The only Rich Kids song of the night "Ghosts Of Princes." was announced as "a cover version". I was promptly brushed aside by adrenaline fuelled pogo boys! Great to see the song performed with zest by its two composers. Steve New, like Glen, seemed at home with the ballsy nature of the set. I expected the passage of time to have been less than kind to Steve, but the retro haircut appeared to have done the trick. 1999 or 1979, who could tell?! Detached bassist, Tony Barber, stood side-on for the entire show, I doubt if he looked at the audience once. Nevertheless, coupled with Chris Musto's skin thumping, the rhythm section provided a slick energy for Glen and Steve to work with. This was the first occasion I'd seen Glen on guitar duties. No fear, he can handle it!

Another unrecorded song, "Sad Meal For One", was followed by the superb single "My Little Philistine". Glen was wrong with his introduction; it wasn't a flop, not to anyone with taste. "No Lip" was perhaps the show's weakest moment, never quite getting into its stride, and ending up sounding a touch bluesy. Puzzled glances between the group summed it up! Two more new songs brought the show to a close, "Catatonic" and the cracking rocker "Speed Of Sound".

It had tasted good and left us with an appetite for more. The band stood just off to the side of the stage, taking a breather before reappearing for a two song blitzkrieg finale. "Suck It And See" and "Pretty Vacant". Strange to see Glen performing guitar on "Vacant", but why not? He wrote it. The adrenalin boys were back in action for this one. That was it. My shouts for "Walk It Like You Talk It" went unrewarded. Pity, it's a classic rock song by anyone's standards.

No matter. A testimony to the strength of the band lies in the fact that although much of the 13 song set was unfamiliar to most of the audience, they still went down a storm. Maybe next time Glen and friends are in town we'll get a couple more songs as well. A fantastic show.

Reviewed by Phil Singleton

Suits you, Sir.

CAUGHT LIVE EXCLUSIVE
By LINDA DUFF

Former hell–razor Glen Matlock stunned punk fans who turned up to catch his warm-up date before the Sex Pistols summer concerts.

He walked on stage looking like a bank manager!

Dozen of punks, complete with Mohican haircuts, ripped tops and safety pins, were amazed by his strait-laced look at London’s Water Rats club on Monday night, where he appeared sporting a smart designer suit and neat haircut.

The one-time rebel, who is now being backed by Oasis’s trendy record company Creation for a solo career, has ditched his old anarchic image and hard-drinking habits. And fans who expected to see him spitting and smashing up equipment on stage were disappointed.

The Pistols bass player, now 40, has shunned the wild side for a healthier lifestyle.

Glen, who could earn a cool £5 million this year if the Pistols’ 1996 reunion tour and album live up to the hype, has caught the imagination of a new audience of Britpop fans. The writer of punk anthem “Pretty Vacant” says: “I no longer feel I need a daft haircut to play my music.

And it’s true I don’t drink as much as I did. The stories of me gatecrashing parties after a few vodkas are legendary but luckily I can’t remember doing it."

Glen joins original members John Lydon, Steve Jones and Paul Cook at London’s Finsbury Park on June 23rd for the 20th anniversary “Filthy Lucre” tour.

He’s also tipped for solo success with his new single, “My Little Philistine”.

Glen says: “It’s a relief to have my record out at last.

I’ve been recording at home in my basement and I knew the neighbours were getting worried about me because it seemed like I was just shouting to myself for days on end as I worked on it."

Glen’s solo LP, “Who’s He Think He Is When He’s At Home?”, is out next month and the sex and booze autobiography, “I Was A Teenage Sex Pistol”, will be reprinted in June.

(Daily Star, May 2, 1996)