Camden Assembly

The Blinders - Camden Assembly, London

The Blinders took to the stage last Friday at the Camden and then, then everything changed.

In three minutes of ICB Blues The Blinders have rendered The Wytches obsolete and made The Horrors classic 'Primary Colours' a footnote. Cabbage might be the frontrunners in the punkadelic scene right now but, make no mistake, The Blinders are its heroes in waiting.

From start to finish, this was more than a gig. It was a piece of art, it was pure drama and exciting as fuck. Frontman Thomas shuffles on stage as if the idea just occurred to him decked out in a John Motson fur coat and black face paint, everything about him screams your new hero. Meanwhile, bass player Charlie, parades around like the offspring of Nick Drake arching his bass at the crowd like Wilko Johnson. This is a band with style and substance.

There is a sense of theatre and poetical beauty despite the mayhem, especially on ‘Swine’. As Thomas decrees ‘I need not to be the man on the street’, a sold out crowd looks on wondering how he has ever been one of us. He is a god.

For 40 minutes tonight, it wasn't about hope or potential, it was about the present. That longing for something heroes to set alternative music lovers is over. Punkadelia has landed in the form of a vomiting, gut wrenching visceral juggernaut from Doncaster.

Sisteray - Camden Assembly, London

Sisteray have been making a lot of good noises with their newly released EP 15minutes and opened a memorable night the Camden Assembly.

The fast and furious ‘Who R Ya?’ opens with it’s Strokes-esque guitars meets the Buzzcocks . It encapsulates everything to love about Sisteray. Every time you have them pegged as a kick ass punk band, guitarist Dan Connolly fires a Pete Townsend via BRMC slice of swirling mayhem.

Social comment is tough get across to live audiences when you’re the second support band. However, with the election looming and frontman Niall Rowan’s charismatic aggression, the Camden crowd are braying for Tory and reality TV blood by the end of this set.

The most poignant moment of the set emerges on ‘Nostalgia Trip’. The QOTSA riot attacks the endless stream of bygone acts hogging the limelight and delivers the line ‘'it's a nostalgia trip I can't afford the ticket', a message not lost on the gig lovers present.

This is a good set with great moments, such as ‘A Wise Man Said’, a furious homage to The Libertines’ ‘Delaney’ or, halcyon rock n roll of ‘White Knuckle Joyride’. Nevertheless, Sisteray seem to have merely scratched the surface of meshing punk, rock n roll and lyrical sniping. This is a journey you must be part of!