Ed Banger & the Nosebleeds aka Rabid Dogs
Star & Garter Manchester – 22 Feb 2013
Friday night in The Star & Garter & it’s bloody freezing outside though, inside isn’t much better. The Garter as basic & bleak as it ever was, well that’s no big deal, punk rock was born in such establishments without the luxury of a decent sound system which the Garter has. However the temperature inside is just about to improve thanks to the opening band on tonight’s bill and the reason why I’m here, Ed Banger & The Nosebleed as or, as they are billed tonight, ‘Rabid Dogs’. Mr Gerrity ascends the stage with his 3 brothers in arms, welcomes everyone to the room & launches into ‘The Bitch’ followed by ‘Now I Know ‘.
It’s the 1970’s again instantly, this is brilliant. The enlightened of you will, of course, have spotted that these are straight from the Slaughter & The Dogs back catalogue, Ed’s band in the ‘Bite Back’ period. Gerrity then launches into ‘Hell in New York’ and boy is this band on fire. 30 years are gone in the blink of an eye, it’s all about the moment, the wall of sound & some of the best tunes to emerge from the whole punk period. The band, boot boy Mass Centi on guitar & Manchester stalwart Steve Wilson on bass, spit fury from their weapons of choice whilst the whole attack is held down by the steamhammer Mad Muffet, veteran Slaughter & the Dogs drummer. We are then treated to ‘Victims of the Vampire’ & ’Kinell Tommy’ , ‘ Ain’t Ever Been to Music School’ &’ Fascist Pigs’ from Ed’s Nosebleed days.
Next we have what for me is one of the top 5 punk songs of all time – ‘Cranked Up Really High’. I’ve got a video camera in my hand & want to throw it away, to throw this ageing frame into some pit action. The delivery is blistering,, this band plays like it’s been together for years even though this is this particular line-up’s first outing, the first of many I hope. ‘ Cranked’ is a tough song to follow but hot on its heels we have the incredible ‘Where have the Boot Boys Gone’. Take a look Ed, one of them is stood next to you playing guitar! Then we have Slaughter & The Dogs version of ‘the New York Dolls ‘Who Are The Myster Girls’, a rare cover I always thought better than the original & I’m a Dolls fan. The last song in a near perfect set is ‘Boston Babies’. This was a short & amazing performance from a band who owned the songs & breathed a fire into them I’ve not witnessed in years. To borrow from one of Manchester’s punk contemporaries, this punter felt 16 again.
Simon Collier
thekaboomroom 