Groovie Ghoulies / Consumed / X-Rays

Derby Victoria Inn,

October 3

Well, the mood is no better. Probably worse. The Goose Fair is happening just down the road from my place and I need to get away from people. So I decided to head to this gig. An unexpected twist occurred however, as when I got there, not only were the X-Rays already playing, but they were playing to a pretty packed venue. Still, I was able to skulk around at the back and avoid people. Nothing new there then.

The X-Rays seemed to be a garage punk band. Pretty pure in many respects, though lacking in any really memorable songs. Though I may not have really been willing to take anything in from them. Nothing to inspire me.

Consumed on the other hand, have really grown on me. They do play a pure metal/punk hybrid, if that’s not a contradiction, but that’s how it is. I heard the utterance BC Rich - Metal from behind me in reference to the guitar that Mike plays. And that’s how it is. The pure punk won’t like them, because there is metal involved. Metal won’t like them cos they’re too punk. And all the skate kids won’t like them cos they ain’t American. That they piss over a lot of the offerings coming over from the States that are trying to play this type of music is almost irrelevant. They blast through tracks such as Heavy Metal Winner, the wonderful Stand Under Me, Twat Called Morris, New England, and more in 30 minutes of music which is just so good. Straight forward. No messing around. No misjudged ska breaks. Just good music that it seemed quite a few people enjoyed. If only that will translate to bodies returning to see them in the future when they headline here again. If you like Snuff. If you like FatWreckChord bands (their label), then check them out.

And so, the Groovie Ghoulies, who I knew nothing about, but the name conjures up images. Though not the ones I was presented with. Now, I bought a CD at the end of the gig, cos they were good. On that, the bassist is attributed as the vocalist. Tonight, the drummer stood for the entire gig and sang! Yep! With barely a pause for breath. He also said they had a new drummer who didn’t have a passport, so they came without him. Whether that means the drummer is actually the bassist, well I don’t know. Whatever, it was bloody good. Ramones-esquq I’d say, but I also kept thinking of the The Cramps. The songs were good time rock, with an emphasis on ghoulies. Groovy ones at that. Graveyard Girlfriend, which is on the CD I bought was excellent. The rest just passed in a blur. 2000 something's was another song, but I’ve forgotten what the something's was. The set did seem to sag a bit in the middle, due to the presence in the room of unfamiliarity, but picked up again towards the end, and finished on a strong note with Punk Part 2. The band from Sacramento, yes, home of Deftones and Far, then did an encore of 53Rd and 3Rd, by the Ramones, in tribute to the, er, Ramones Tribute band of the same name that are due to play here soon. And then they were gone, and it was time for me to buy the CD, and head back home. Slightly better frame of mind, due to the power of music. And I didn’t knock any of the Goose Fair crowd down. Which I think was nice of me.