04 March 2010 (gig)
11 March 2010
The Islington academy is swarming with people. As I stand at the bar a man begins to talk to me about the enormity of the evening he predicts. 'It’s going to be amazing' he says to me with a glint of excitement in his eye. I agree that the evening will be interesting, but I feel an element of skepticism growing in me as the fans around me get more and more rowdy. I have often thought that the American Pop-Punk scene seems a little forced and I can’t help but feel that tonight may be another occasion to sing about teenage years and partying. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Having interviewed Tony Sly and Joey Cape before the show I was shown a side of the two singers that I have never seen in their previous work with 'No Use For A Name’ and 'Lagwagon’. During the interview Duncan Redmonds, of Snuff fame, interrupted us and proceeded to talk to Joey about the track that he needed to learn for the set. This led me to believe that a lack of preparation may be present and that they may not be taking the solo sets as seriously as they perhaps should. It also reminded me of the kind of reckless abandon that is demonstrated and celebrated throughout their careers in Punk.
Having carried out the interview, I made my way out into the crowd and watched the set by Duncan Redmonds. The set was delivered with passion and conviction. Halfway through the set Joey Cape made his way out to duet with Redmonds, performing the track 'Whatever happened to the likely lads’ to rapturous applause. However, I wasn’t sure why the headline act was playing with the first supporting artist. It was around this time when I realized that tonight’s show might not quite be what it seemed.
When Tony Sly took to the stage the crowd were even more excitable. The venue had turned into an enormous sing-along, reminiscent of the campfire evenings spent with an acoustic guitar and a bunch of friends, only this time the group of friends were enormous and the campfire was the stage where they gathered. Tony Sly has stated that his intentions for his new album were to recapture the honesty and soul of the old albums he listened to as a child. His performance captures this perfectly. His modesty on stage reflects the beliefs he has and his lyrical structure accompanied by his guitar played out melodically and maturely. His new album, produced with Jamie McMann, is based on the destruction and rebuilding of a relationship. It is also based on the quest for love and hopefully finding it in music.
The evening progressed into a one set show, with the three artists eventually being joined by Jon Snodgrass and the group taking it in turns to play together and solo when they could. It is a brilliant display of talent and camaraderie that breaks the conventional method of gig structure and entertainment. Tony Sly plays songs from his latest album, highlighted by the songs 'The Shortest Pier’ and 'Toaster in the Bathtub’. These songs show that the theme behind his solo campaign is accessible and relevant to everyone. The fact the album is a fresh release doesn’t appear to affect the crowd’s ability to sing along and relate to every song on a personal level that is hugely refreshing.
Tonight demonstrated how the talent on display was able to recreate well-known songs, along with a number of new ones, in a way that translated effectively and confidently. It also showed how these people from an electric, fast, Punk background were able to stand on their own and maintain strength and emotion perfectly.
