The Spitfires: Live in Southend

Watford​ three piece The Spitfires returned to Chinnery’s in Southend this past Saturday.

They came on the trail of their new single ‘Enough is Enough’, would it be enough to keep them in the hearts of Essex’s mods?

Roaring out of the traps with crowd favourite ‘Last Goodbye’ and ‘The New Age’. The fury of The Jam and melodic rumble of The Rifles combined with their playfulness to kick-start the dancing. A word that became omnipresent throughout.

New single ‘Enough is Enough’ took the defiant spirit of Hard-Fi’s debut ‘Stars of CCTV’ and threw in, well, everything! The brass, at times hinging on the love of Frankie Knuckles and at others, drawing upon ska, funk and soul they have become famed for. It’s such a raucous carnival affair that, it sets frontman Billy Sullivan freer than ever before.

Remember, their 4th album is imminent, this isn’t a band with a new sheen, this is one with crowd favourites. Nothing touched the vibrancy of the crowd’s reaction than on ‘Enough is Enough’.

Speaking of crowd favourites, ‘Something Worth Fighting For’ was sounding more desolate than ever, clinging to the last shred of hope in a world gone bat shit. Meanwhile. The blistering guitar solo on ‘Return To Me’ and the euphoria of ‘On My Mind’ defy all logic of the working classes in recent years. Social comment and escapist rebellion should always meet these standards!

It’s fair to say, they left Southend as favourite adopted sons

*Image coutesy of Tony Briggs