SPIZZENERGI + GUITAR GANGSTERS + THE PHOBICS – THE PRINCE ALBERT, BRIGHTON 8.12.24
A few months ago Spizzenergi announced that they would be heading out on a 15-date UK tour during November and December and this would see the band travel the length and breadth of the country, with the final date here in Brighton at The Prince Albert courtesy of ‘An Alternative Gathering’ promoters, and this would be a matinee concert. The tour was intriguing titled “The First Farewell Tour 2024” and this certainly sets minds racing as to whether after 45 years of being an independent act, that the band were getting ready to call it a day!
For those that are unaware, Spizzenergi is the band centered around the extravagant London-based vocalist Spizz. Throughout the years, the band has had a number of different names, from Spizzoil and Spizzles to the somewhat lengthy Athletico Spizz 80, but the music has always remained the same, a mix of punk’s energy and the futuristic vision of its singer, a man still hoping the future will deliver us from the miserable present.
The first ever UK Indie Singles Chart appeared on 19th January 1980 and the number one single that week was a mere 2 minutes and 17 seconds in length and had been released on Rough Trade Records in December 1979 and it stayed put for a further six weeks – that record being ‘Where’s Captain Kirk?’ by Spizzenergi. What a fabulous milestone for the band! No-one will ever be able to take that away from them!
Spizz himself is exactly what the music industry needs – a real eccentric, but loveable character! There’s just something very British about Spizz’s psyche. Battling on in his own inimitable style and not taking a blind bit of notice of what anyone else thinks. His amount of eccentricity within our British society overall is equally balanced in proportion with his vast courage, his mental vigour and his genius. I can’t understand why he isn’t based in bohemian Brighton, where he would no doubt reside within a folly or something similar.
Recent releases have included ‘Christmas In Denmark Street’ in 2020, followed up with a cover of David Bowie’s ‘Valentine’s Day’ in 2021, with both singles being mixed by Bowie’s long-time producer Tony Visconti; now not many acts can boast that!
Not wishing to miss out on the action, our chum Ian Bourn went along to The Prince Albert on Sunday afternoon to report on Spizzenergi’s performance as well as the two support bands. So without further ado, here’s his account……
From the moment I stepped inside the venue, I could feel the energy of the crowd. Everyone was buzzing with excitement, eager to see these three bands take the stage, Spizzenergi, Guitar Gangsters and The Phobics. The air on a rather chilly Sunday was electric with anticipation, and I knew this was going to be an afternoon to remember.
The venue was full as it was a sold out show! People were eagerly waiting for the Spizzenergi set to begin. The sound of chatter and laughter filled the air as fans shared their excitement with one another. The lights went up as Spizz made his way to the stage and the crowd cheered with excitement. The stage was set, and the anticipation was high.
There was certainly no messing about as they launched straight into ‘Airships’ and then a sizzling cover of David Bowie’s ‘Hang On To Yourself’. That’s how to do it! Damn that was fun. Spizz and the guys were all looking great and sounding sharp. The energy was infectious and it was impossible not to get swept up in the excitement. The bandmembers, dressed in their rock attire, looked out at the crowd with big smiles on their faces. There was evidence of much guyliner on display, and the heavy make up was on for Phil Ross tonight.
The lead singer, Spizz, greeted the crowd and thanked them for coming out to see them play. The audience responded with even louder cheers, and it was clear that Spizz and the band always have a special connection with their fans. Spizz has an incredible stage presence that keeps the audience engaged from the moment he stepped on stage in his red dotted face. He encouraged audience interaction throughout the show, often prompting us to singalong. For many in the audience, seeing Spizzenergi live is a trip down memory lane. The band played most of their classic hits, transporting us back in time. That being said, we were given a couple of newer songs, the aforementioned ‘Christmas In Denmark Street’ and a newer song ‘Death Of The Free Man’.
The setlist for this show was jam packed with our favourites and as the night went on the band delivered hit after hit. Next up, for tune three we were treated to the newer track ‘Shallow End’, which was followed by ‘Mega City 3’, and then they played the aforementioned ‘Death Of The Free Man’. ‘City Of Eyes’ followed and most of the crowd did not stop dancing, singing and fist pumping the air. Each song was a reminder of why Spizz and his band were such an important part of the music landscape in the late 1970s and early 1980s. A couple of absolute classics followed in the form of ‘Soldier Soldier’ and ‘No Room’.
In addition to their classic hits, Spizzenergi surprised the crowd with some lesser-known deep cuts and rarities that left us all pleasantly surprised. ‘Here Come The Machines’, ‘Red And Black’ and ‘European Hero’ highlighted the band’s ability to experiment with different sounds and styles. Also getting a reasonably rare live outing was David Bowie’s ‘Valentines Day’. Spizz informed us that Tony Visconti had produced the original and also the Spizzenergi version.
After the terrific ‘Central Park’, things got a tad festive for ‘Christmas In Denmark Street’ which is a stunning, thought provoking and atmospheric ballad that showed a softer side of the band. Having said that, Luca laid down some superb fret work as today’s version was quite heavy this afternoon. I would love to see Luca strap on an acoustic for that one and hear it done almost unplugged.
The epic ‘Amnesia’ was next and was followed by a couple of decent covers, with the first being their take of Kraftwerk’s No.1 hit single ‘The Model’, and followed by Roxy Music’s ‘Virginia Plain’, for which Spizz restarts of the chorus as he wasn’t going to progress the song until he was satisfied that we all joined in with “What’s your name…..VIRGINIA PLAIN!”. The energy in the room was electric as everyone joined in, creating a sense of unity and community that only live music can provide.
Spizzenergi closed the set with a rousing rendition of ‘Clocks Are Big’/’Where’s Captain Kirk’/’Spock’s Missing’. The crowd sang along with every word, and as the final notes rang out, we were all left with a sense of nostalgia and a renewed appreciation for this legendary performer and his band. Time for one more? The Prince Albert crowd wasn’t ready to say goodbye just yet, and their take on ‘I Fought The Law’ closed the performance. Stunning!
Spizzenergi:
Spizz – lead vocals
Luca Comencini – guitars, vocals
Phil Ross – guitars, vocals
Alan Galaxy – drums, vocals
John Woodward – bass guitar
Spizzenergi setlist:
‘Airships’
‘Hang On to Yourself’ (David Bowie cover)
‘Shallow End’
‘Mega City 3’
‘Death Of The Free Man’
‘City Of Eyes’
‘Soldier Soldier’
‘No Room’
‘Here Come The Machines’
‘Red & Black’
‘European Heroes’
‘Valentine’s Day’ (David Bowie cover)
‘Central Park’
‘Christmas In Denmark Street’
‘Amnesia’
‘The Model’ (Kraftwerk cover)
‘Virginia Plain’ (Roxy Music cover)
(encore)
‘Clocks Are Big’
‘Where’s Captain Kirk?’
‘Spock’s Missing’
‘I Fought The Law’ (The Crickets cover)
Now let’s get onto the support artists…..
The Phobics were formed in Deptford a few years back by punk survivors and misfits with a love of raw rock n roll ‘LAMF‘! The Phobics are in no way shrinking violets! They hit you full on as soon as they hit the floor. It’s a beautiful thing! These guys have combined energetic vocals with punk fuelled melodies, hitting you with finely crafted pure, raw rock n roll, and embedded are those crafted sentiments, observations and stories the song lyrics portray and deliver. It is a special thing.
The Phobics were back in Brighton to give us a polished show and they put on a real performance that us punk lovers could lose ourselves within. These guys are passionate and it shows from the get go. When I last spoke to Tom Crossley, I said I really hope you are planning more gigs on the South Coast and two years later here they are! They have some cracking new material following the sublime album ‘Burnt Rubber’ and a new album ‘Gimme Cyanide’ is about to drop…
The Phobics took to the stage to warm-up proceedings with their 13 track set and they really did do a great job. A celebration of all that is great about punk and rock’n’roll was about to be unleashed, kicking off with ‘My Best Friend’, ‘Hang 10’ and then that new title track ‘Gimme Cyanide’. What an opening salvo, followed by a chat from Tom introducing the next one ‘Brand New Jag’.
The Phobics play super catchy pop-punk rock that sits somewhere between the Heartbreakers, Buzzcocks and New York Dolls. The tunes are off the charts and we were treated to tracks from the soon to be released new album. There is barely a second’s pause between each song. It’s as if the five-piece – with splayed legs and guitars raised aloft. In the middle of The Phobics mayhem is the cool, calm and collected frontman Tom, who continued to deliver the songs and engage with some fine humour and chat. The Phobics have a great sense of humour, never forgetting that music is supposed to be fun!
‘On Fire’, ‘I Can Tell’, ‘Dreamworld’, ‘Don’t Lay Your Flowers’ and ‘Give It A Go’ were their next selections and the bass at times was played like a lead guitar by Tony, with some hot guitar playing from stage left and right. There was also some very cool drumming from the man at the back, Charlie. They signed off with the quartet of ‘I Want You’, ‘Path Of Love’, ‘Nearly Man’ and ‘Burnt Rubber’. They all pulled off some damn admirable playing during their set. Five unique band members, a cool lead vocalist and put them together and you have The Phobics, who have consistently proved themselves to be a great band and I can only hope that they find time to come back soon. Great job yet again Phobics!
The Phobics:
Paul Mathie – guitars
Tony Moynihan – bass
Tom Crossley – vocals
Charlie Gurney – drums
Jeffrey Wallace – guitars
The Phobics setlist:
‘My Best Friend’
‘Hang Ten’
‘Gimme Cyanide’
‘Brand New Jag’
‘On Fire’
‘I Can Tell’
‘Dreamworld’
‘Don’t Lay Your Flowers’
‘Give It A Go’
‘I Want You’
‘Path Of Love’
‘Nearly Man’
‘Burnt Rubber’
Guitar Gangsters have played live in 28 countries including the USA, Brazil and Malta! They have toured England with Stiff Little Fingers and toured Europe with The Lurkers, 999 and TV Smith. Guitar Gangsters have been at almost every punk festival in Europe and continue to play with the poignancy and attitude that drove them to hang their guitars around in 1987. They still play like they have to save their own ass, or at least the future of rock ‘n’ roll as we know it!
Unique – what better way to describe Guitar Gangsters than by using that one word? If you have not already heard of this band, you have been deprived for far too long. The Gangsters incorporate several different styles into their sound. They’ve got a really modern tone with punk, some trashy blues rock and roll and some traditional heavier sections thrown in for good measure.
There’s no shortage of chunky and speedy riffs here as the guys dig back through their album catalogue. We were played a good few tracks of an extraordinary album ‘Fortune Favours The Brave’ and also an earlier album ‘Sex And Money’. Love this outfit and I have both albums, err, and a T-shirt!
Pete Ley is the lead singer/guitarist for the Gangsters along with Ed Sonsino who is also responsible for the powerful guitar sound. Phil Ley plucks at the bass and pulls off some classic bass player rock stances, and Chris Benton beats the hell out of the skins. Guitar Gangsters are really of particular interest because they manage to be quite heavy at times while still having the ability to bounce around with an almost early Green Day/Ramones/Pistols punk sound to touch your soul on some of their songs. The wonderful Pat Collier, who sadly passed away in July 2024, had a hand in a good number of the Gangsters tracks. Pure class.
The set opened with ‘Turn The Tables’, ‘Radio Shakedown’ into the brilliant ‘Fifty Dangerous Things’, and another back catalogue classic ‘Class of ‘76’. It’s an intense and uncompromising 30 minute performance that really slaps you in the face with soaring guitars, blistering bass and a solid wall of percussion. The songs are fast paced, the drum patterns and bass fills combine to give a heavy thrilling ride that won’t disappoint.
The lads thrash through ‘The Faithful’, ‘I Used To Be Cool’, ‘United We Fall’, ‘When The Razor Cuts’ and ‘Nothing To Shout’. They play a great set that perfectly fits in with the day with plenty of catchy, entertaining songs and some fine worthy lyrics. Many of the songs played just can’t be bettered. The set closed with ‘Fortune Favours The Brave’, ‘Obsession’, the superb ‘Shut Up And Get Me A Drink’ and finally ‘Undefeated’.
All of the playing during this set was top notch, it really was a loud and faultless set and all of the songs are a pleasure to listen to. There are no subpar outings in this set and every song stands out for its very own reason. I just wish they had squeezed in their cover of ‘The Sound Of Silence’!
Guitar Gangsters:
Pete Ley – vocals, guitar
Ed Sonsino – guitar
Phil Ley – bass
Chris Benton – drums
Guitar Gangsters setlist:
‘Turn The Tables’
‘Radio Shakedown’
‘Fifty Dangerous Things’
‘Class Of ‘76’
‘The Faithful’
‘I Used To Be Cool’
‘United We Fall’
‘When The Razor Cuts’
‘Nothing To Shout’
‘Fortune Favours The Brave’
‘Obsession’
‘Shut Up And Get Me A Drink’
‘Undefeated’
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