The Godfathers

This is the first Godfathers album since 2017 – the fabulous ‘A Big Bad Beautiful Noise’ – and there have been lineup changes since then. The current lineup is Peter Coyne (vocals), Jon Priestley (Bass & Vocals), Billy Duncanson (Drums & Vocals), Wayne Vermaak (Guitar & Vocals), Richie Simpson (Guitar & Vocals). Priestley also produced the album.

So what have we got here? Attitude in the megahertz band, snap and punch to the bands playing from the beginning of ‘Bring On The Summer’ to the last knockings of ‘Despair’, punk attitude and heaps of sass.
There really isn’t anyone else around at the moment that makes a noise like the Godfathers.

The album has real songs, possibly moreso than in the past, and while much of this is maximum attack and full on “bootinyaface”, on tracks like ‘Midnight Rider’ there is a softer side. On the other hand ‘OCD’ is full gonzo and ‘Bring On The Sunshine’ has a narrative value and catches the spirit of both the MC5 and the Beach Boys in a way that makes you want to listen.

To an extent, the Godfathers carry forward the spirit of the early Stranglers, especially in Coyne’s spoken vocals, and they are very much a “city” band, all street and no field.

Priestley and Duncanson make for a formidable rhythm section and everything seems to spring forward from them while the twin guitars of Vermaak & Simpson scream when they aren’t punching out a funky riff.

The Godfathers are an anomaly. They combine attitude, a sneering view of the world and a wish that things were better than they are. It’s difficult to compare them to anyone today but I would say, that in this world of bland and anodyne rock & R&B, they are a total blast of air conditioning.


‘Alpha Beta Gamma Delta’ will be released Friday 16th September but is available to pre-order NOW via here.