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| THE CLASHED - The Ultimate Clash Tribute Band | ||
The Forum - Dec 11 2004 Written by Dan McKeown - NEWSPRINT - Published 4 January 2005 "Armless Denim Jackets" THE FORUM, DARLINGTON - 11/12/2004 The Clashed are the regions premier Clash tribute band, providing high-energy renditions of some of the most brilliant songs to emerge from the Punk era. Basing their first set around the Clash's eponymous debut album, a rip-roaring collection of potent, speed-fuelled anthems, which began with "English Civil War" and ended about 13 songs later to a rapturous, sweat-drenched audience screaming as if it were the actual band reincarnate. Not a bad start to the night then! As with all bands of this calibre, they recreate the feeling, and not just the sound, of the band so closely that it's easy for people to forget it is a tribute band after all. A 30 minute interval, during which time fans enjoyed an eclectic array of tunes as played by Mikey Dread during the Clash tours, with the intent of exposing skinhead punks to a more refined (or certainly more varied) type of music. In fact, Paul Simonon has been accredited with boosting reggae's popularity in particular, among many involved in the punk movement. This incorporation of different styles and cultures was reflected in the second set, which featured such diverse gems as "Police and Thieves" (originally a hit for Junior Murvin) the seemingly ubiquitous "London Calling", and many other superb tracks from the milestone album of the same name. The Clashed, armed with effective flag collage backdrop, genuine punky armless denim jackets, sweat, spit and vitriol, gave a classic performance. A superb rendition of "Clampdown" cemented the appreciative audiences loyalty, and in dedicating the final encore, surprisingly not actually by the Clash, to the late, great and completely irreplaceable John Peel, they managed to soften even the hardest skinhead heart. As the final chorus of "Teenage Kicks" rang through the PA, The Clashed left the stage - COME ONNNNN!!!!
The night kicked off with "Safe European Home" by support band 'The Clashed' - a tribute band to 1970s punk band The Clash.
The punks loved the sounds of the 3 guitarists and drummer, Paul Lewis provided plenty of beats for the punks to pogo to!
The band kept the crowd wild by offering the mic round for fans to add their own unique piece to the night.
With such energy and life theres no wonder the crowd wanted more from The Clashed, but it was time for the big boys.
59 year old, Charlie Harper stepped on stage and there was a sense of energy in the atmosphere, which left a sweet taste of electricity
on your tongue.The Subs played with all their energy and up got the punks.
The pogo-ing was endless and the smiles on everyone¹s faces were proof that they got what they wanted.
The end soon came, The Subs were cheered on for more and it's certain that everyone wanted more from support band
The Clashed with many individuals saying they were better than the band headlining the gig!
Those unsure of the punk scene were sure to have had their spark of rebellious nature lit! - Well done Lads
I arrived early to a half full venue and watched it fill up with a wide spectrum of different
people,some of which wont have been around when punk was at its high.
The Clashed hit the stage around 11 o'clock with a barn storming opener,
English civil war, followed by London's burning, I fought the law,Tommy
gun,London Calling and every other Clash classic one after another. Was I in
a time warp? Was it 1977 (they played that too), the front was a full on
mosh pit. I have to give credit to The Clashed they not only sound like the
Clash but they recreate the same ball busting energetic show on stage as
Strummer,Jones and co excelled at.
The crowd knew every word to every song and sang along as they danced the
night away,although some of the older ones having to stop for a drink and
catch their breath, which give me a chance to speak to a few of them.
F***ing brilliant seemed to be the main response.
The band announced the last
song then launched into a full throttle version of capital radio which seem
to raise the mosh pit to another level.They returned to the stage with the
cheers from the crowd for an encore and played one of my personal
favourites Complete Control.Then came an amazing version of Straight to Hell
but they left till last the song the crowd had screamed for from the start -
White Riot - the band and the crowd went into overdrive for the last song.
What more can I say other than make sure you see The Clashed next time they
are in town.
This band has been going for just under a year (when this was written) and has only just
started to become popular. I now know why everyone's talking about the
bouncy 'give it their all' band.
About a month ago I went to see the lads perform at The Cornerhouse in
Middlesbrough. I'll be honest...at first I really wasn't too keen on
going as I'm more of a pop/r n b girl, so this punk rock scene wasn't
really my thing! I knew that this night was going to be an experience but was it going to
be good or bad? I can tell you for sure the venue was great, a nice
sized dance floor for the punk's to pogo on, a bar for those who preferred to just watch.
'1,2,3,4...' they were off and I have to admit I was absolutely
outstanded by the performance of these five guys. I have never been to
such a fantastic event, which to this day I would definitely go back for
more. The lads were on for about an hour and a half, and for not one
minute of this time did I want to leave that dance floor.
'Should I Stay or Should I Go Now' and 'Tommy Gun' (now one of my
personal favourites) were some of the songs the guys thrashed out. I
didn't know the words and I had no idea how these punks danced, yet I
still had an absolutely fantastic night out!
Each guy brought an individual flair to the music, whether they were
singing to the crowd or 'pogo-ing' around the stage! Each created such
an energetic pace, which the crowd seemed to be made about and screamed
for more.
Take it from me, if you're looking for one hell of a good night out with
all the high expectations then this is without a doubt the band to see.
Whether you're a young pop lover like myself or a mad middle-aged punk
rocker you'll have an absolutely smashing night out which I guarantee
you will thrive for more.
Bass player David Cannings hit the crowd hard with his quality guitar
playing as well as bouncing around the stage giving it all he's got and
so much more creating some rocking notes which pumped through my body
making me want to get up and dance!
Drummer Paul Lewis has a fantastic entry into numerous songs, really
hitting the beats hard, creating an amazing sensation through your body,
and creating a huge energetic rush.
Lead Guitarist/Singer Anthony Osbourne and Rhythm Guitarist/Singer Mick Clemence were
banging out their 'Clash' tunes on their amazing guitars.
During the rocking performance there was even people getting up on the
stage adding their own bit of pure punk rock to the night, whether they
were helping with the singing or simply pogo-ing around. It was obvious
everyone in that club was having a great time!
This is what makes 'The Clashed' one immense band. Getting the crowd
involved, loving the cheers, creating a drug-like rush through your body
and of course, smashing out their punk Clash tunes. They are definitely
a must see. The lads have just started to take their gigs further and have recently
been asked to perform over in Belfast. I'm certain this band is going to
be big, so why miss out when I'm letting you in on this amazing
experience.
'The Clashed' will be playing back at The Spot in Hartlepool on March
30, so I'll see you there.
Nobody knew the whereabouts of the five band members at almost 8.50pm
and I had hopeful expectations that at least one of them would go the
whole hog and arrive an hour and a half late with a bottle of whiskey,
bottle of Tequila, two six packs of Heineken and eight large pre rolled
at the ready, as Joe Strummer once did for an interview with Bill
Burroughs. Sadly, this was not to be.
Reassurance came with a nod from Oz, the lead Guitarist and at 10pm the band made their way on
stage. Alcohol driven eagerness pushed the crowd, now packed shoulder to
shoulder, forward and a frenzied mosh pit splintered from the pack.
Large loud speakers filled the small, smoky, sweaty room with classics
that the enthusiasts had been waiting for White Riot, London Calling
and Rock the Casbah included. An excellent taster of the punk era that
this was a tribute to.
Those unsure of what to expect were sure to be impressed. | ||
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