Simon Rushworth
@ Bubbles, Ashington, July 20 2009
Entering unchartered territory, the mighty music machine that is Dirty Rock And Roll continued their quest to conquer south east Northumberland with a debut set at Bubbles.
Regulars on the Blyth scene, it was finally time to take their punk rock to drummer Steve’s home town of Ashington. His family was out in force – as were many of our fave DRnR standards. Yet this was a far from perfect night from a band which boasts more than enough original material to finish their set on a high and yet continues to rely on two/three covers to close most shows.
Sure, their versions of Beyonce’s most famous hit and the oh-so clever Abba/Sex Pistols hybrid are proven crowd pleasers but one is more than enough. Why Adam and the boys don’t have more confidence in their own songs is anyone’s guess when tunes like Yea Yea Yea and the infectious La La La (if that’s what it’s called) get old fans and newbies alike in the mood to get Dirty.
With no Bullet and no Colours, those of us expecting a thorough ear bashing were left largely disappointed. Then again, from the ashes of an otherwise average display rose a cracking version of Ink – proof that when these boys are on the button nobody else comes close.
With the public at large yet to sample the delights of Tyneside’s best unsigned band it’s fair enough they want to win new fans the easy way – by cramming in those canny covers at the end. But to forget the hardy few who love the band for being vibrant pioneers of the local rock scene is a dangerous move indeed.
It’s back to Blyth next week. Let’s hope it’s back to business as usual for the biggest noise north of Watford.