Anti Nowhere
More than 20 years since they played at the Gaumont the Anti Nowhere League are the most recent to grace the stage.
It was a busier than usual Railway, probably due to the fact that it was the League’s only East Anglian date of the Pig Iron tour.
Unfortunately one of the support bands, Guns On The Roof, couldn’t play because of illness. So it was down to More Than Normal to warm the crowd up, which they did brilliantly. Formed 6 years ago in Dover, this 3 piece delivered song after song of some of the best punk rock I've heard in a long time. They sound like a mixture of the better of the US bands (Rancid, Greenday etc) and classic British punk (Clash, Buzzcocks etc) Whilst this didn't sound out of the ordinary, what set it apart from other bands of the same style, was their pure energy and stage presence.
Whipping the crowd into a frenzy came easy for the charismatic frontman Ben. Bassist Gaz and drummer Al provided a solid backbeat, that powered each song perfectly. Standout songs were Fight Back, and Anything, Both of which appear on their cd “Honour Amongst Thieves” I was so impressed with More Than Normal, that I parted company with some hard earned cash for a copy. They continue to support the League for a few more dates, then they part company and headline a few shows. It’ll be good to have them back in Ipswich sometime soon.
Now, I’ve seen a few video clips of the Anti Nowhere League taken at this years Wasted Festival in Blackpool, and to be honest, for one reason or another, I wasn’t expecting to be impressed.
I was there at the Lyceum in 1981 where I had to pick my chin up off the floor when the axe swinging, chain wearing singer, Animal took to the stage. So they had a lot to live up to.
However, from the opening chords to We Are…The League, to the end of the show, my worries were totally dispelled. They delivered a high octane set of ANWL classics, mixed with songs from the recent albums, Kings and Queens, and Pig Iron.
Frontman Animal was on fine form. I was always surprised by his voice, and he still sounds as good as he did 25 years ago. Jez the guitarist and Shady the bassist were note perfect for the entire set, and PJ (the band’s original drummer who returned to the ranks in 2002) gave the songs the solid beat that made the songs sound like they used to. They stormed through old songs like For You, Streets of London and So What, interspersed with songs from the more recent albums.
The tiny dance floor was soon heaving under the strain of a sea of boots. I always think you play better in front of a crowd who are obviously enjoying themselves. I don’t remember thinking to myself that they missed out any songs. In fact the new songs are as good, if not better than anything from the earlier albums. The set was just about the right length, and the final song was delivered with no less enthusiasm than the first.
Despite the hoard of people who sneer at the re-appearance of punk bands of yesteryear, I’m glad the Anti Nowhere League are still with us. Long may they shock.
