LIVE: Club Lad!

It’s Friday night, we want to party, so we’re at the Purple Turtle in Camden, we’re here for Club Lad! A night that’s packed to the rafters with live music, banging DJ sets and some of the friendliest people you’ll encounter in London (not to mention tons of booze too).

Run by George Craig (of One Night Only) and Jack Flannagan (The Hares), the night has slowly built itself a reputation of having good music playing, and good people vibing. Becoming such a hit, that they’ve had to move from The Wheelbarrow to The Purple Turtle.

For tonight, and tonight only, the rocking Liverpool quartet, The Hot Melts, have reformed to blast through their self-titled debut album, from 2009, and all signs point to the performance being nothing short of spectacular.

As the lads take to the stage, the packed room turns towards them, and move forward as one. Will Bayliss (vocals and guitar), Jamie Otsa (Bass), Jack Prince (Drums) and Chris Melian (Guitar) never seem to have been apart, for as long as they have, as the whole band launch into what can only be described as a blistering set.

The band are tight, and Bayliss’s voice sings out clear and high, as the band rip through a fast paced, heart pumping set, of slick, hard hitting rock riffs, with some poptastic hooks.

Highlights include searing renditions of singles ‘Edith’ and ‘Red Lips’, as well as a gallop through the anthem that is ‘My Sweetness Is Making Me Ill’.

It makes you realise that after The Hot Melts split up, there haven’t been many bands around that could put a set together like this. Or, look and sound as good doing it; that’s one sad thing about tonight, as the lads are only doing this as a one off.

The fact is that the band, apart from some minor hiccups with a mic. stand, absolutely dominates everyone’s attention. They’re tight; you can visibly see them enjoying themselves, and most of all, the crowd loves every minute of it.

10/10

Written by: J.J. Nattrass

Tags: Club Lad!, George Craig, One Night Only, Purple Turtle, The Hares