Time don’t matter at all

So it’s not been too long since I last saw the UK Subs but it has been a long time since I saw them at what I consider to be an essential part of their DNA – the 100 Club in Oxford Street, London. It’s certainly over 25 years and I have special memories of those times. Ably supported by TV Smith who has been on an European tour with them for six weeks the current line up are fully committed and right on it from the moment they hit the stage. With plaudits ringing in their ears for their most recent album XXIV (they’re now up to letter X in their quest to release albums named in alphabetical order) they romped through a mix of newer material (‘Hell Is Other People’ and ‘Detox’) mixed with their ridiculously strong back catalogue (‘Warhead’, ‘CID’, ‘Tomorrow’s Girls’ – the list is endless). Charlie is the same as he ever was, beer in hand, mingling with the crowd before and after the show and watching the support bands. Alvin Gibbs on bass provides another welcome link back to those early Subs days. More recent but still long serving members Jet (guitar) and Jamie Oliver (drums) more than do justice to the songs. So the band do their part and I’m pleased to say the crowd do too. Those odd pillars in the middle of the dance floor, the stage that’s at a height where it’s easy to trip over it rather than slam against it – people were dancing around them all like it was 1982. Not that the UK Subs are stuck in a time warp – one look at their recent album shows they are still bang up to date and topical. They delivered a set full of energy and commitment and the crowd loved every moment of it. Seriously, if I learnt one thing from the night it was, as the band say, “There ain’t no age limit and no rules, time don’t matter at all”.

more pictures from the show:

Alvin Gibbs on bass

Jet on Guitar

Jamie Oliver on drums