| Search God Save The Sex Pistols with freefind |
The Philistines Mr Kyps, Poole 7th December 2002 Well, another cold & wet Saturday evening in Poole, nothing to do? I don’t think so! A couple of us popped along to see this band called The Philistines, featuring a certain Mr Matlock. We watched the support acts, Bad Penny & The Lillettes, both very good with an attitude to impress. The crowd numbered small, but you know what they say, quality not quantity. On come The Philistines, a definite change in atmosphere, people suddenly crowd the stage. The music starts… Whose side are you on? - Ducking and Diving - Sound of Swinging London - Mugs Game - Ghosts of Princes in Towers - Idiot - Better Start Getting Used To It - Suck It and See - Sad Meal for One - Burning Sounds - Stepping Stone - Rattle Your Cage - On Something - Pretty Vacant. Encore: Treat Her Right & All Or Nothing. The set was played with real gusto, from the heart of Chris’s drum set through Terry’s keyboard, all along Steve’s lead guitar, to the tip of Glen’s bass. A good balanced blend of four people playing in Rock ‘n’ Roll harmony, with tracks from all of Glen’s incarnations. After the last chords of All Or Nothing died away with the crowds singing, we had all been treated to a master class of musical professionalism. I think if any band wants some songs written for them, contact Glen, you are bound to be a hit and you won’t be disappointed. It was then time to do the usual bartering with John T. for the merchandise, a good deal as it happens, plus a chance to meet the band. It’s a bit embarrassing for a late thirties man being star struck!!!!!! But, what the hell. Autographs done. Time to go home. As I said at the start, quality not quantity, these four are definitely QUALITY. When they arrive in your town they are a must!!! Review by Paul Payne Glen Matlock and Ian McLagan VIP Record Fair, Wembley, London 1st December 2002 Hello Old Friend / OK Kiddo / Debris (Ronnie Lane song) / Pretty Vacant / Get Yourself Together (Steve Marriot / Ronnie Lane song) / On Something / Cindy Incidently / Burning Sounds / Been A long Time (Ian McLagan song) / All Or Nothing It has been well documented that Glen loves The Small Faces, so this gig was perfect for him. Ian had appeared on stage a couple of times with The Rich Kids over 20 years ago, so on paper it looked an ideal pairing, and it was. The whole set was very relaxed with loads of good banter on stage. They shared the vocal duties, which worked well. Although a couple of songs, including Get Yourself Together, seemed to be under rehearsed, it was all good fun. The mix of Glen's guitar and Ian's keyboard style really worked well. Ian still has that Rod Stewart / Ronnie Lane charm about him, & he kept joking that Matlock and McLagan sounded like a firm of accountants. Both had a healthy queue of people before and after the live set for the signing sessions. Hopefully they can get together again for the Wembley Record Fair next year for more of the same. Review by Ray Morrissey Homage to Catalonia Glen Solo in Barcelona, Saturday, 9th November 2002
Glen was the star pull and was busy all weekend signing stuff. From time-to-time the main man - Jordi Tarda- would make an announcement about the ‘famous Sex Pistol’ and whoa … feeding frenzy time. It seems the norm in Catalyuna to storm the table with 50 or so people at a time thrusting their entrance tickets in Glen’s face for his trademark glitzy gold signature. Language barriers overcome, we now know the top 20 most popular names in Catalonia. That would be Jordi, Xavi, Toni …. Glen’s little gig was late: 6:45 in the evening and he followed a bunch of local bands - mainly Stones and Bon Jovi tributes. But Glen was clearly the star and this resulted in him playing what has to be the biggest solo gig of his life! There were so many people crowding the stage that I could only take crap photos from a distance with a wimpy flash. Jordi told me to say that in excess of 1,000 people watched Glen and he should know. There was a proper PA as well and so Glen sounded much better than the rather low-key efforts at Olympia and in Newcastle earlier in the year. He was introduced by a local radio DJ and I couldn’t understand a word of what he said … apart from Sex Pistol, Iggy Pop, Johnny Thunders. I think he was running through Glen’s history and detailing the times Glen had previously played in Barcelona. It was a great build-up - the only problem was Glen was still squatting down tuning his guitar as the crowd roared into the welcoming applause. But
once he got to the microphone, it was full-on entertainment. Maybe the crowd were
a little quiet and, as usual, were too shy to help out on the choruses but they
clapped Glen back for an encore. So, what did we get this time? Here’s the
set list: What’s that I hear you cry? An acoustic version of GSTQ? Yes, Glen learnt the words and worked out some guitar parts specially and made a good job of it. He sang it straight but convincingly. It was effing good actually. He might do it again. Some of the show was recorded for local TV and Glen’s going to try to get the video for his web site. Glen sounded really good over a good PA, the monitors giving him more confidence in his voice. And his trademark Don Partridge-style guitar was pretty convincing. No fluffs, no bluffs and guess what … a bunch of people suggested afterwards that Glen puts out an acoustic album. A good idea in the heat of the moment but I think the Philistines will keep their jobs! Over the weekend, Glen also found time to do loads of interviews - TV, radio, magazines (watch out for Rock’N’Roll Popular in Spain) - mainly in this room where Glen started fancying the job of President! He also asked me to correct something I wrote in the Newcastle report back in October - they’re “lowlights”, not “highlights”. Sorry. Juan Xavier di Francesco Thurlow (Barcelona Correspondent) The Philistines 100 Club, London 25th October 2002 Set List: Whose Side Are You On / Ducking And Diving / Swinging London / Mugs Game / Ghosts Of Princes In Towers / Idiot / Better Start / Story Of Your Life / Suck It And See / Sad Meal For One / Burning Sounds / Rattle Your Cage / Open Mind / On Something. Encore: Stepping Stone / All Or Nothing The Sex Pistols and the 100 Club will always be inextricably linked. Fittingly, during this Jubilee year, Glen Matlock is making his second appearance at the venue within six months, retreading the boards with The Philistines. Due to Pistols activity this was the first Philistines concert since May, but with a settled line-up of Glen, Steve New, Chris Musto, and Terry Edwards, the quartet slipped effortlessly into gear. The show kicked off with 'Whose Side Are You On', the first of three numbers from Glen's forthcoming album performed tonight. With plenty of energy and lyrical attitude, it's a song to challenge the listener's outlook. As a songwriter Glen attaches equal importance to both the music and the lyrics which has allowed him to carve out his own niche, with a series of ballsy, tuneful, and thoughtful songs. The other two new songs on show tonight have already become crowd favourites over the past year, 'Better Start (Getting Used To It)' another song with a bucket load of attitude, and 'On Something', which became a regular of the Dead Men Walking live set. The three new songs are enough to remind you who was the tunesmith in the Pistols and to convince you that he's still at the top of his game. Having a settled band has paid dividends for Glen, as the group are focused and direct, which suits the material. Drawing primarily from the Open Mind album, The Philistines belt out the Matlock standards, 'Ducking And Diving', 'Sound Of Swinging London', 'Rattle Your Cage', with the pace only slowing for 'Idiot' with its infectious 'shit for brains' chorus. The Rich Kids are never overlooked with Steve New in the line-up, both 'Ghosts' and 'Burning Sounds' sounding as fresh as ever. The closing 'Stepping Stone' & 'All Or Nothing' (again a favourite from the Dead Men Walking set) provided a rousing finale, and made a pleasant change from the all too predictable 'Pretty Vacant'. With the new album getting closer (which on tonight's evidence is another essential purchase), hopefully The Philistines will treat us to some more evenings to remember. Is a regular slot at the 100 Club out of the question? Review by Phil Singleton Glen solo appearance / signing University of Northumbria Music Fair, Newcastle 12th October 2002
The
real nugget was a short live performance which Glen gave us at 1:00pm. He played
his trusty Guild acoustic for around 40 minutes and treated us to (I think): The Philistines 100 Club, London 30th May 2002 Set
List: Better Start / Ducking And Diving / Swinging London / Ghosts of Princes
In Towers / Mugs Game / Idiot / Story Of Your Life / Stepping Stone / Sad Meal
For One / Suck It And See / Burning Sounds / On Something / Rattle Your Cage /
Open Mind Well it's hot and sweaty inside, yes it must be the 100 Club, London, where Glen Matlock And The Philistines are playing a special jubilee week gig at the legendary venue where the Pistols played 26 years ago. Amazingly the venue has hardly changed from those good old days. Who’s in the Philistines at the moment? It’s a veritable punk supergroup. Chris Musto from Johnny Thunders Heartbreakers (and many others) behind the drumkit, Steve New from the Rich Kids on guitar and Terry Edwards (look up his pedigree on the web!) on a very small keyboard but it’s got a midi interface and he makes some very big sounds. Considering it was London, the crowd were into it from the start with a good few dancing near the front. Many know all the songs from the Open Mind album, and eagerly mouth the lyrics. As he has been doing recently, Glen has dusted off a couple of Rich Kids numbers and songs from his 1996 Creation album “Who Does He Think He Is When He’s At Home”. Plus, of course, a few new songs which will be on his next opus. Ghosts of Princes was particularly memorable with Terry Edwards adding some keyboard fills which had Glen smiling across to him. Glen seems to really enjoy everyone shakin' their butts to these songs, so by the time it comes to playing the anthem that is Pretty Vacant he enjoys playing it more than we have seen him do for ages. Classic sing-along on the chorus but when the crowd shout “And we don’t care” Glen responds with “Yes, you do”! A great show and probably his last with The Philistines for a while until the new album comes out .. probably in October. Faces in the crowd included Rusty Egan (Rich Kids, Visage, Blitz, …), Mike Thorne (Sex Pistols early days producer) and John Hellier (Small Faces Fan Club). Review by Ray Morrissey & John Thurlow The Cavern Club Liverpool 5th May 2002 Another barnstorming performance by The Philistines! This particular gig seemed to have a good vibe about it during the build up. The Cavern Club is invariably lively, especially at a Bank Holiday, and this helped give the evening a positive feeling, with a crowd that had come to appreciate and enjoy the band. Kicking off with the catchy newie Better Start (Getting Used To It), the band interspersed classic oldies such as Burning Sounds with tracks from Open Mind, plus a taster of Glen's forthcoming album such as On Something, which is fast becoming one of his most memorable songs. The band are also happy to deviate from the set list, hence following a shout for Ghosts Of Princes In Towers, the band delivered the said song for the happy punter. As ever, Steve New's lightning guitar was a joy to behold as he ripped through the most amazing licks. With Glen pounding out the rhythm on his Filthy Lucre 61 Fender Precision bass, Terry Edwards augmenting the band's sound with some great keyboard playing, and powerhouse drummer Chris Musto providing a thundering backbone, The Philistines gave the audience an evening to remember. Of course, Pretty Vacant always goes down a storm, but there is far more to The Philistines than just this one song. The band has pedigree, style, and perhaps most important of all, know how to deliver no-nonsense rock'n'roll. The crowd here tonight loved it. If the band come near you, get out there, give them the support they deserve, and have a great night into the bargain. Now
get down to Coventry Jailhouse on Thursday (9th May) & Worcester
Marrs Bar (10th May). Review by Phil Singleton Solo Acoustic Set VIP Music Fair, Olympia, London 4th May 2002 Set List: A Different World / Burning Sounds / Story Of Your Life / Sad Meal For One / On Something / Idiot / Stepping Stone / Pretty Vacant Glen was at a Music Fair at London's Olympia on Saturday & Sunday, 4th & 5th May 2002, for a personal appearance/signing session hosted by his friends at Music Autographs. He was signing his book, latest CD and the limited edition posters created by Music Autographs .. plus many, many album covers and single sleeves that fans brought in. He had agreed to perform a short acoustic set at the Fair on the Saturday after signing stuff for a couple of hours. Glen will not mind me reporting that he was nervous about the show, not having done this type of thing before. In fact, if he been given an opportunity not to do the set he would have taken it! But, ever the professional, he tuned up his newly strung Guild guitar, had a little think about what to play and went for it! He started confidently with "A Different World" from his 1996 Creation album "Who's He Think He Is When He's At Home", suggesting that the timing of the release was perhaps not the best given the Sex Pistols tour that year! He appeared to stumble during the second number and admitted afterwards that nerves had got to him and his legs had turned to jelly! The second number was the Rich Kids classic "Burning Sounds" and once Glen had overcome the nerves, got the guitar and audio balance worked out, he really started ripping it up. He became very animated marching to and from the microphone delivering the vocals with real intensity and strumming the life out of his new strings. Next, he tackled a moodier number "Story Of Your Life", again from the 1996 album, and then introduced the next number with a longish explanation of how it came about - shopping at Marks & Spencers, seeing guys in Armani suits with their Rolex watches (Glen noting that he wears a Timex himself), double-parking their BMWs on double yellows and buying individual meals. As he stepped away from the mic to start picking out the intro he muttered "then I realised I was doing the same" . cue "Sad Meal For One" from "Open Mind". But he failed to do the whistling bit at the end, doing it as "dum de dums" instead and telling us that the whistling on the track on "Open Mind" was very difficult to do and took a number of hours to achieve. This was followed by a smokin' new song called "On Something" which must be on the new album Glen's currently working on . it's a strong song and Glen clearly enjoyed playing it. Then he asked for requests and Anni, one of the people who had been working with him on the Music Autographs stand, called out "Idiot" and Glen, who was now obviously enjoying himself, turned to her and said, "You talking to me?" Then it was onto audience participation time for the old chestnut. "This is an old Monkees song and I need your help, can you sing I, I, I, I, I, ." Maths not being Glen's strong point, he counted this as three "Is", then after a re-count decided it was four . I think it's five Glen! We had to sing it louder and louder before he was satisfied and then he complained when some people sang his "Stepping Stone" bit. Time for the climax - his Dead Men Walking-style acoustic take on "Pretty Vacant" which got the crowd singing again; Glen tailed it off with the outro quieter and quieter as he backed away from the mic . then it was all over and he received healthy applause from the fifty-plus fans who had gathered around him for the gig. Great value for the £4 entry fee to the Music Fair. Then it was a bit more signing and off home to chill out, very deservedly as he had driven back in the small hours of the Saturday morning from the Philistines' gig in Macclesfield and was due to do more signings on the Sunday before setting off back up north for Sunday's gig in Liverpool. Review (and photo) by John Thurlow (Music Autographs) Dead Men Walking The Witchwood Ashton-Under-Lyne 30th March 2002 The Wild One. Pete had the shits, Kirk sweated blood, and the audience were fuelled with booze. The Witchwood crowd are not renowned for their restraint, and tonight's show was no exception. Pete was feeling ill, and consequently a little more subdued than usual, although he was moved enough by the crowd response to remark 'this is the best gig on the tour.' Such was the passion of Kirk's delivery of Westworld, the closing number of the first set, he developed a nose bleed, but finished the song in true DMW style! Thankfully the bloody nose didn't re-occur in the second half. What did occur in the second set was an ever increasing mass of movement and noise, which went ballistic during 68 Guns, Pretty Vacant, and the encore All Or Nothing. As with all shows on the tour, Pete announced that when they first got together as Dead Men Walking, it was on the condition that he got to do the introduction to Pretty Vacant. Pete perched his foot on the monitor as Glen counted in '1, 2, 3, 4', before the unmistakable opening riff began, and the mayhem continued. With people surging, falling over monitors, climbing on shoulders, it makes you wonder, if the music is about people over 25 still having a good time, where these veterans get their energy from! Time to put some TCP on the leg wound. Review by Phil Singleton The Charlotte Leicester 28th March 2002 A narrow venue, with a low ceiling ensured a loud, claustrophobic performance that delighted the fans. The band on stage and the audience were both tightly packed with no escape from the energy. DMW played their standard set, but following requests from the crowd, played Pete's Your Mother Must Be Proud in place of Stay Free. After much ribbing from Pete during the tour, drummer Roy Martin decided to set the record straight tonight, and came up to the microphone at the end of the show to state that he had never played in Flock Of Seagulls! (Roy did in fact play with Modern English in the '80s). The applause throughout was deafening and well deserved. But when do Dead Men Walking ever fail to deliver the goods? The honesty of their performances and accessibility to the fans continue to win them many admirers. Review by Phil Singleton Zodiac Oxford 27th March 2002 A dark venue with a high stage. Prior to the show the band were filmed performing two songs during the sound check. Yet again a great turn out, but for some reason the crowd seemed reluctant to come forward to the front, even when the band came on. This didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd, which included friendly heckling by a bloke who was so impressed he announced, 'I'd shag the lot of you!' There were no takers! No surprise that the band put in another solid and energetic show. Glen's On Something was very impressive tonight, a fact not lost on Kirk who acknowledged 'Great song'. At the end of the show as Pete announced, 'The resistance starts here' , Glen pointed to his own head remarking, 'The resistance starts here,' meaning it's a state of mind. Kirk nodded in agreement, and added, 'Without Glen, we wouldn't be here.' Review by Phil Singleton Underworld London 26th
March 2002 Review by Ray Morrissey Pete's three-day birthday bender Bar Cuba Macclesfield; The Lomax Liverpool; Yales Central Station Wrexham 21st / 22nd / 23rd March 2002 Main set: The Stand / Burning Sounds / Come Back / Young Men / Open Mind / Rain In The Summertime / On Something / Westworld / Sinful / You'll Never Take Me Alive / Pumpkin Man / Stay Free / Story Of The Blues / 68 Guns / Pretty Vacant. Plus encores. Dead Men Walking's previous outings have been predominantly all acoustic affairs. This time out the group have gone electric with the introduction of Roy Martin on drums, Glen strapping on his bass, and Pete Wylie reverting to full time electric guitar. Kirk Brandon and Mike Peters still sport their acoustic guitars, which maintains a clear link to their earlier shows. The night before the band had played in Hull. Before leaving Hull on the morning of the Macclesfield show, Pete decided to treat himself to a new colourful (pink / Paisley) guitar, on the pretext that it was his birthday tomorrow, the day of the Liverpool gig. About 100 gathered in the Bar Cuba, which was a comfortable amount for the venue, although the band deserve more support, no matter where they play. With the drummer having had one sound check to get to know the material before the tour started three days previously, the electric incarnation of DMW were taking a chance by tinkering with the tried and tested acoustic performances. The acoustic only nature of DMW had helped them carve out a successful niche for themselves. However, when the opener The Stand kicked in, any trepidation was thankfully dispelled. The rock'n'roll rhythm proved an instant hit with the crowd as most of the material was written with this in mind. And what a fantastic collection of songs the group has between them! It's difficult not to enjoy such a strong set. How cool it was to see Glen playing his 'Filthy Lucre' bass again with customary style. For the Glen fans we had Burning Sounds, Open Mind, and the only unrecorded song currently in their set, On Something. A song with suss. Catchy with sharp lyrics, which lament the need to take things easy, when at times you really would like to be 'On Something'. The acoustic element is still an integral part of the group. A large percentage of both Kirk's Spear Of Destiny and Mike's Alarm material has always been acoustic based, ensuring the mix of rock and acoustic will remain a feature of Dead Men Walking. Just listen to Kirk in full acoustic flow during Pete's Come Back. Terrific. Early during the show Pete broke a guitar string which gave him the perfect excuse to strap on his brand new purchase, complete with price tags dangling from the neck! The group continue to have an interval in their show, during which they mingle with the crowd signing autographs and chatting etc. Pete had been insisting that we should all be nice to him as his birthday was the next day. He was on top form with his Scouse banter and deflected chants of 'You fat bastard' with the question, 'When was the last time anybody thin made a decent record?' He also announced that 'Pop Idol', Gareth, had been arrested by the police but would not be charged, as the judge felt he would not be able to finish his sentence! Ouch. A birthday cake was presented to Pete, and Glen led us all in a rendition of Happy Birthday. What would happen when his birthday actually arrived?! The current set includes a performance, by Pete, of The Clash's Stay Free, which suits his emotional delivery. Pretty Vacant closed the main set on a guaranteed frenzied high. An encore of All Or Nothing followed, and it was time to start looking forward to the Lomax, Liverpool. Whereas Bar Cuba had been a fun show, there was a sense that Pete's birthday homecoming would eclipse it. It did. The Lomax is a compact venue, and it was heaving, with plenty of Pete's mates in the crowd, including Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Paul Rutherford. With the venue packed, the atmosphere was buzzing. You could sense it was going to be a great night. Pete still hadn't removed the labels from his guitar and was determined to make sure everybody knew he'd just bought it! He also gave the full reason for covering Stay Free. It involved supporting The Clash and lots of sulking! Glen was again on top form, with On Something sounding stronger with each performance. As it was a birthday celebration, Glen told of a previous visit to Liverpool in the late '70s with Iggy Pop. It was a matinee show, on Iggy's birthday, and he was greeted on stage by Cub Scouts in the front rows, singing 'Happy Birthday dear Iggy'. Iggy replied 'Fuck You'! With Pretty Vacant again sending everybody nuts, the band returned for not just one encore, but four! Blitzkrieg Bop, Stepping Stone (vocals by Glen), All Or Nothing, and a passionate Heart As Big As Liverpool. An incredible night. Top that Wrexham! Yales Central Station, Wrexham is a comparatively spacious venue compared to the Lomax. The venue becomes a nightclub after 10:00pm, so the band had to be on and off before the time they'd taken the stage at Bar Cuba! I had doubts that last night's excitement could be repeated in this setting, although a previous visit had produced one of the band's own favourite DMW shows. Nevertheless, the venue quickly became busy with a superb turnout. The sunken dance floor allows the audience the choice of viewing the band from raised areas at the sides and back, or for those with a sense of adventure, the option to get down on the floor. Highlights included an exceptional rendition of Westworld which closed the first half of the show . Drummer Roy was excellent throughout, putting in a particularly strong performance on a rocking version of Glen's Open Mind. There was plenty of dancing down the front which at one point included an indescribable routine by one person seemingly intent on dispersing the crowd by a combination of leaning on the stage and movement of their arse. 'Break dancing for lazy bastards' is how Pete described it! Oh Yes, Pete also asked us to be nice to him, after all, it was his birthday yesterday! Again DMW went down a storm, with the response easily on a par with the previous night. The 10 o'clock curfew meant that the band were given the nod for one encore only. They ignored this. Blitzkrieg Bop ran effortlessly into Stepping Stone with barely a break, and no one was going to stop the closing All Or Nothing. The crowd down the front showed their appreciation by a mass pogo and communal singing. Dead Men Walking are far more than just a greatest hits package. They are sincere musicians with a lot left to say, and perhaps most importantly, they deliver a great night's entertainment. After all, that's what it's all about. Review by Phil Singleton Glen Matlock Up All Night at The Studio, Charing Cross Road 27th
February 2002 Review by Ray Morrissey < Newer Reviews | Older Reviews>
|
Hola!
Glen did another one of those Music Fair things this past weekend - you know,
signing stuff and playing a solo acoustic set. But wait, this one was in Barcelona
and was rather different from UK Music Fairs. This was huge (the organizers -
Radio Catalonia - claim that around 75,000 people visit the three day show), there
were live bands playing all over the weekend and it was wrapped up with a memorabilia
auction on the Sunday evening. And it wasn’t really a collector’s fair
with transpotterish types trying to find that elusive disc, it was a family day
out for people simply to browse bargains, hear bands, eat good food and …
mainly … to meet Glen.
Glen
appeared at a Music Fair in Newcastle on Saturday, 12th October. Glen officially
opened the show, which was held in the Student's Union building at the University
of Northumbria, signed autographs and performed a short acoustic set.