Secret (label)
01 November 2010 (released)
25 October 2010
Taking the stage to the theme from Goldfinger and looking totally the part with Peter Coyne resplendent in black suit, black shirt and white tie and an expression that suggests that someone is due to get twatted very shortly – his first words to the audience are “Let’s ‘ave it” as the band rip into ‘Public Enemy Number One’ showing off the talents of new guitarist Del Bartle and with Coyne gazing malevolently at the crowd,
It strikes you that if they didn’t have the chops they could be a real joke band but no-one with the talents of Chris Coyne’s bass, Grant Nicholas drumming and Peter Coyne’s vocals should ever be taken less than deadly seriously.
This was the concert to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the bands first ever gig at the Embassy club and due to the confines of the 100 Club there is very little flashy camera work but that just makes the gig all the more real and you see everything from an audience perspective, getting a real feel for the band and the occasion – The Godfathers were made for venues like this but it was actually the first time they had actually played the venue.
The numbers are classic Godfathers - ‘I Want Everything’ and ‘Cause I Said So’ are hard, fast punk with all the aggression imaginable, ‘Love Is Dead’ is a great singalong number for the crowd and ‘Just Because You’re Not Paranoid Doesn’t Mean They Ain’t Going To Get .... YOU’ takes longer to say than play but rips out at you like poison.
They can slow it down as they do on ‘When Am I Coming Down’ but it gets more intense then rather than less and as it segues into ‘This Is War’ the restrained violence of the vocals is palpable.
With their less than liberal attitudes to male/female relations and power playing they have the feel of a cross between The Stranglers and The Jam but after a few minutes watching them you know that this is a unique bunch with their own sound and in Peter Coyne they really do have one of the great frontmen in music today.
This is an excellent record of a gig that got a five star review here in June – hopefully the 100 Club will still be there for their thirtieth anniversary, if it is I certainly will be.
