London in February tempts you out - then Skeletal Family drags your pulse into a dark basement, alive, urgent, and unapologetically forward.
Opening the night were Brigandage, survivors of the early-80s positive punk underground. Peel Session alumni from Leicester, they delivered a lean, insistent set free of nostalgia’s safety net - clipped rhythms, coiled tension, and songs that still meant something. The audience was sparse, but Brigandage played as if the room were packed - exactly how bands of that lineage should behave.
By the time Skeletal Family hit the stage, the 100 Club had filled a little, though never to capacity. With only Karl-Heinz Taylor and Roger “Trotwood” Nowell from the original line-up and a new drummer adding fresh muscle, the band now operates less as a revival unit and more as a forward-leaning machine. Stan Greenwood’s absence was noted, but not fatal.
Six tracks from Light From The Dark didn’t politely coexist with the 80s material - they challenged it. Taut, disciplined, with punchy basslines, crisp percussion and keyboards that enhanced rather than embalmed, the new songs carried momentum and clarity. The older tracks still bristle with wiry tension and cold intent, and fan favourite She Cries Alone slotted effortlessly into the set, greeted with enthusiastic recognition. Brand new Away From You arrived without preamble, all coiled rhythm and direct intent. No pandering, no past-polishing - just forward motion.
The show closed on another classic, Promised Land, leaving the audience singing along to a beloved anthem.
Anneka Latta remains the band’s focal point, her commanding presence and tango-like movements radiating vitality that may no longer tick every goth box - and so much the better.
Ending on a high and sticking around to meet fans afterwards, Skeletal Family proved longevity isn’t about preservation. It’s about pressure, purpose, and shedding your skin when the room demands it - lively, sharp, and unapologetically unquiet.
Setlist: New Horizon Move Edge Of A Dream Don't Be Denied Beautiful Desaster Restless She Cries Alone My Own Redemption Someone New Just A Minute Away From You Brewing Up A Storm Cry Baby Watch Me Promised Land
