"Don't Moan At Me, I Didn't Fucking Vote For 'em"

Hello, and a quick welcome back, I must say it’s fantastic to be back. Yes, after all that hard graft I am highly relieved yet slightly disillusioned to report that my uni life is finally over, just the ‘real world’ left to face now (apologies for that God-awful cliché).  One thing is for certain though; I'm glad to get out of Stoke-on-Stench for good.

Just another quick post and update before I eventually get back into the swing of things again. I’ve decided that I’ll definitely keep writing the blog, and expect I’ll be writing a lot more especially whilst I’m in the process of job hunting.

Anyway enough banging on about complete bollocks, I thought I’d share with you a short review I wrote for my Final Project after seeing Sham 69 live last month…

Jimmy Pursey has had his fair share of criticism since he formed Sham 69 back in 1976. Notoriously outspoken, the frontman has attracted all kinds of attention, both wanted and unwanted.  So when it was announced last year that the original line-up were reforming, critics and fans alike were keen to see whether they would live up to the hype which surrounded them originally.

They were not to be disappointed. Although never the most sophisticated of punk bands, Sham 69’s reasonably impressive guitar skills combined with boisterous yet infectious football chants, certainly makes their live appearances entertaining and after all these years, it appears to be an art which they have perfected.

Unsurprisingly, there’s no shortage of entertainment value tonight, as Pursey embarks the stage with a slight spring in his step and the room instantly livens up.  Despite seeming somewhat haggard in his appearance, he is full of beans and seemingly in a good mood, and as he launches into the anticipated Borstal Breakout, his energy and enthusiasm are present in abundance.

Ripping through what seems to be a brief set (given that the songs are so short in duration), the band captivate the audience, many of whom appear to be on a nostalgia trip as they start a small pit in the centre of the floor. However, it’s not just ageing punk fans who are here tonight; there are a few teenagers and even a couple of young children, sitting on their parent’s shoulders and sporting almost comically oversized band T-shirts.

“Everyone’s fucking moaning about the Tories…” Jimmy spits into the mic towards the end of the performance "But don’t moan at me, I didn’t fucking vote for ‘em”.  The frontman then throws himself into the catchy If the Kids Are United, whilst seemingly conducting the crowd and mockingly gesturing at them to sing louder.

Soon after there’s a half-expected cover of The Clash’s White Riot, reminiscent to the “good old days”; this gets everyone in the room attempting to relive their youth, with somewhat half-hearted pogoing spreading across the floor like wildfire. 

Ending the night on the awaited 1978 top 10 hit, Hurry Up Harry, it’s clear to everyone in the room that the whole band are genuinely glad to be back touring together. Despite the complicated underlying issues between the band and their legal battle with former band mates over who has the rights to the name; it’s fair to say that the future of the original Sham 69 line-up is safe, for now.