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I arrived to catch the last few tracks of the first support act, It’s a Horse, But It’s Little. I have to say I didn’t feel like I had missed out on much. They openly state on their Myspace that “They don’t do singing, they don’t play good songs, but they have a lot of fun being shit”. Fair play to them in avoiding the pretentious air of many bands these days and having fun first and foremost, but the entirely discordant sound of the tracks I heard didn’t leave me desperate to hear more.
Almost an entire play through of London’s Calling later, the next support, Comply or Die, hit the stage. A massive hit with the crowd, they delivered an eclectic mix of heavy punk guitars and more chilled ska anthems as well as electronica influenced tracks. Front man Smell, not the last “punk” name of the night, had a startling stage presence that forced you to take notice. He made a real connection with the crowd and received the greatest response of the night. The band were tight and played flawlessly, keeping the pace up throughout the set, ending to violent clamours for more.
The long wait listening to the Clash earlier in the evening was in fact a great warm up for the Strawberry Blondes, who clearly see the Clash as an influence. The crowd seemed to have spent all its energy on earlier acts and so the Strawberry Blondes opened to a depleted audience and one that was predominantly passive to say the least! Those who didn’t get involved missed out, as the Strawberry Blondes were definitely the highlight of the evening.
The Strawberry Blondes are a punk rock outfit from Newport. On their Myspace, they are described as “the new face of punk rock in the U.K.” Having toured with heavyweights such as Rancid and Millencolin and attracted critical acclaim for their debut album including a review calling it “The best British punk album of the last 10 years” (Room Thirteen), I had high expectations.
The Strawberry Blondes crashed onto the stage, with the raspy vocals of Mickie Stabbs resonating throughout the venue. The band makes no attempt to cover up their influences such as the Clash and Rancid yet they still manage to put their own stamp on rock music and create something original. The band particularly benefited from the inclusion of a solo trumpet on several songs, as this added to the euphoric, anthemic atmosphere that had been building up.
Each song is a short sweet joyride. The Strawberry Blondes genuinely seem to enjoy performing and listening to their own songs. This authenticity is refreshing in an age where the music industry is increasingly cynical and calculated. Even with a disappointing crowd, they kept on delivering jolt after jolt of punk rock and it felt like they were playing for themselves as much as they were playing for a crowd.
Particular highlights of their set for me included “Beat Down Babylon” with its catchy trumpet refrain and rousing chorus culminating in a perfect pop song. “Rip It Up” was another favourite as it is a great example of the adolescent joy you get from The Strawberry Blondes. “Rip It Up” leaves you desperate for a stage to destroy; a home to wreck; a force to rally against.
To be honest, though, there wasn’t a bad or disappointing song in their entire set. The Strawberry Blondes have perfected the art of melodic punk rock songs in a way which more prominent bands have yet to manage. The Strawberry Blondes are hardly groundbreaking but who cares when they sound so good?
The Strawberry Blondes’ debut album”Rise Up” is on sale now.
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