Ugly Kid Joe, Duff McKagan's Loaded and Heavens Basement.
Let me confess one thing before I start properly – I have been a massive fan of Ugly Kid Joe for about 20 years now, so seeing them was always going to be awesome from my perspective. As such, when it was announced that the guys would be playing a special show at C103 with Duff McKagan’s Loaded and Heaven’s Basement, I jumped at the chance to grab a ticket and get down there to witness the show for myself. Two things were crucial about this gig for me:
1). Ugly Kid Joe were playing it.
2). C103 (formerly known as JFK’s) in Plymouth is the club where I celebrated both my 18th and my 21st Birthday’s so holds another special place in my heart.
With both of these factors combined, I cracked out my Get In The Ring 1992 t-shirt, donned some baggy jeans, and prepared to be transported back to the 90’s.
The first band on was Heaven’s Basement, a band that seem to be gaining momentum in their musical career, getting attention from major music press across the UK and recently, achieving live slots outside of the UK. Unfortunately I arrived late and only caught 3 of their songs, but walking into the club it was impossible to resist their blend of heavy classic rock riffs and dramatic stage presence. Testament to their success was the fact that hardly anyone was at the bar, everyone was stood watching and enjoying the music that was playing. However, there was one downside. I didn’t know who the support band were as I’d not looked at the site before the gig, so asked several people around the venue who they were and not one person could tell me – which seems a shame. Given how accomplished these guys sounded and how much the crowd was enjoying their show, it would have been nice to see more people acknowledging who they were- but at least I’ve found out now.
It should also be stated that their sound was perfect, and I mean better than pretty much anything I’ve ever come across – definitely a band you need to check out if you haven’t (check out their Facebook page HERE).
1). Ugly Kid Joe were playing it.
2). C103 (formerly known as JFK’s) in Plymouth is the club where I celebrated both my 18th and my 21st Birthday’s so holds another special place in my heart.
With both of these factors combined, I cracked out my Get In The Ring 1992 t-shirt, donned some baggy jeans, and prepared to be transported back to the 90’s.
The first band on was Heaven’s Basement, a band that seem to be gaining momentum in their musical career, getting attention from major music press across the UK and recently, achieving live slots outside of the UK. Unfortunately I arrived late and only caught 3 of their songs, but walking into the club it was impossible to resist their blend of heavy classic rock riffs and dramatic stage presence. Testament to their success was the fact that hardly anyone was at the bar, everyone was stood watching and enjoying the music that was playing. However, there was one downside. I didn’t know who the support band were as I’d not looked at the site before the gig, so asked several people around the venue who they were and not one person could tell me – which seems a shame. Given how accomplished these guys sounded and how much the crowd was enjoying their show, it would have been nice to see more people acknowledging who they were- but at least I’ve found out now.
It should also be stated that their sound was perfect, and I mean better than pretty much anything I’ve ever come across – definitely a band you need to check out if you haven’t (check out their Facebook page HERE).
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Duff McKagan’s Loaded were up next, launching the crowd into a frenzy as they appeared on the stage and immediately setting the bar for the rest of the night. Standing and watching it was impossible not to be captivated by Duff live on the stage, his thin figure strutting around on the stage and controlling the crowd, bantering between songs and generally showing why he’s as popular as he is. Track after track flowed off of the stage, each one sounding amazing and each one getting the crowd involved from start to finish. Even throwing some Guns N Roses tracks into the mix as well as a cover of Attitude by the Misfits, this was a set which showcased not only his band Loaded, but his influences as a musician and the sort of music he loves to play. The closing moments of So Easy (the GnR track) was without a doubt a high point for me, showing the longevity of some of the tracks from those days, and showing where the driving force in GnR actually lay.
Closing the night was of course, Ugly Kid Joe, a band I’ve listened to since the tender age of 10 and a band I’ve always wanted to see live. Pushing my way to the very front of the crowd to witness this, the excitement amongst the crowd was clear from the moment the sound man got on stage to sound check and opened with ‘America…fuck yeah’….getting the crowd joining in even before the UKJ intro track began. This all built to a whole new level though as the intro track kicked in and the crowd took to the stage, Whitfield Crane immediately taking control of the crowd and making the stage his home for the upcoming set. |
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Now, as I said before, I was looking forward to seeing these guys live, so as the intro track came to a close and we were launched into VIP, then Dialogue, then Neighbour, then C.U.S.T….I was more than a little excited. Each track flowed off of the stage, each track sounded better than on the actual albums, each track sounded fresh, new and the band sounded tight – in short, it was amazing. Classic after classic came from the guys, finishing their set with Everything About You and a huge singalong as well as an appearance from a chap in the crowd who looked just like the lead singer of Saxon….spinny!
Encore wise you couldn’t have really asked for much more, but the guys took things to a whole new level, inviting Duff McKagan back on stage and hammering out Dirty Deeds followed by the Ace of Spades – now I confess to being more than a little tipsy by this stage, but closing the show the guys seemed as fresh as when they began, and the crowd as excited as before the band came on. |
Plymouth has started to get a fair few gigs over the last year or so, attracting the likes of Machine Head and Soulfly over time, but this has been a whole new step. This was a gig that those who attended will remember for life, if not for the music but for the atmosphere in the club, for the beers that were flowing, for the women getting chucked out of the mens toilets – in short, one hell of a night that I could happily relive over and over again.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Words: Dave Nicholls
