The Vibrators and 999 play The Citrus Club, Edinburgh Sat November 27th 2010
Photos and review by Steve Gunn
Walking into this venue for the first time, I thought,’ Where does the band play?’ as this small venue wasn’t big enough to swing a cat. But walking through a passageway, it opened up to a bigger area holding over two hundred people.
The Vibrators have been going since February 1976 and were one of the original punk bands hailing from London, consisting of vocalist/guitarist Ian ‘Knox’ Carnochan, bassist Pat Collier, guitarist John Ellis and drummer Eddie. Their first gig was supporting The Stranglers at Hornsey Art College in North London, supported The Sex Pistols at the 100 Club. The following year they supported Iggy Pop (with David Bowie on keyboards) on a UK tour. They have toured and recorded relentlessly since then, changing with Knox and Eddie being the only ones from the original line up. The band were first on and from the first strum of ‘Guitar Riff’ had the audience singing along. The band are continually on the road with 140 gigs this tour alone. They played a mixture of older and newer material with their new album ‘Under the Radar’ mixed into the set. Lead singer Knox told me that playing constantly for 35 years does take its toll on you but to see the fans turn out night after night after all this time makes it worthwhile. Drummer Eddie claims he’s also ‘part time comedian – according to the others’ and kept the crowd going in between songs with his comic banter. The newer member, Pete (bassist), was the most energetic on stage. With his jumping around, he constantly used what stage space he had. Although he gave looks that would kill, offstage he was always happy to talk and get photos taken with the fans.
999 were up next, with the band just making it back from Fraserburgh with all the snow. They took to the stage in a pace that never relented until they had finished 21 songs later. 999 were also one of the first punk rock bands formed in London in 1977. Due to their successful self-financed debut single, 999 were signed to United Artist Records along with the Buzzcocks. They’ve continued to tour and record, despite breaking up twice. Their touring of minor towns in the USA particularly opened up punk music in an unprecedented way. As music journo Dave Thompson says: ‘For many Americans, they were the first to actually bother with the backwoods, playing places which other Brit bands hadn’t heard of and returning to them again and again. And while no one knows how many American bands were first inspired to take up arms by 999, those that did still wear their loyalties loudly.’
999 still command such loyalty in Scotland. After playing a mixture of the old and new songs, the older crowds were in fine tune as Nick Cash often handed over the mic to them. Having alos seen the band two nights earlier in Dundee’s Hustlers, I loved the way they interacted with the fans – only too happy for a few to join them on stage.
Nick Cash and Guy Days may have put on a few pounds and gained a few wrinkles but, make no mistake, these guys know how to play to the fans who aren’t young punks themselves anymore. With bands like these still on the go, there will always be a place for the music we call punk rock.
