There aren’t many guarantees in life, especially in these fucked up dystopian times when Trump does whatever the fuck his perverse addled brain tells him and fuck the consequences while over here Starmer continues to look like a rabbit in the headlights without a clue what he is doing, ultimately both of them acting as the puppets of Netanyahu…
One thing in life that is guaranteed however is that when you see a gig being put on by Shrunken Head Promotions you just know there will be a party atmosphere from the off, with a vibe that says everyone is welcome and no one is left behind. I’ve learnt the hard way over recent years that you have to grab every opportunity to let loose and just fucking enjoy the things that bring you pleasure. There is always a friendly face or two, or three… you get the point, at a Shrunken Heads gig to make you feel that you are part of something bigger with an uplifting vibe that will envelop you like a proverbial hug just when you need it.
Just to add to that inclusive vibe, Audio is a great wee venue too, somewhere that allows you to feel part of the buzz and atmosphere no matter where you are. Whether you’re happy to stand and soak up the atmosphere or you feel the pull of the music and need to get involved in some wrecking “down the front.”
There is never an assumption or a stereotyping about the music that is on offer either, with this gig being no exception, kicking off with a selection of tunes with a collective social conscience in the firm of the music of aggressive Dundee anarcho punks Aftrshocks followed by the rabble rousing high octane marauding buccaneer Celtic punk of Gallowgate Murders. Two ballsy and intoxicating sets to set the scene for the main event.
The Termites, in their current form, Kenny Mitchell on vocals, Scott Ballantyne on guitar, and Ewin Murray on drums with Dougie Ritchie of Three n Eights fame taking on stand up bass duties and of course John C Grant aka Johnny Fiddles, on, well isn’t it obvious, played an electrifyingly blinding set, with nary a chance to take a breathe for the entirety of their set. A set which was a heady brew of intoxicating and rampant fiddle infused manic Psychobilly including a tribute to their original late bass player Gerry Doyle. It was as if the last 40 years or so had never happened as the music stripped the years away… an edifying rejuvenating experience. If I though my aging bones could have taken it, I would have been in about the melee, a heaving mass of bodies in a boisterous pit of youthfully exuberant wreckin’ and rollin’ in a set bookended by their Mama songs…”Crazy” setting the scene for the night with “Say” part of a raucous conclusion of a rabid set that had Johnny Fiddles getting in about the pit like a whirling dervish in a performance that would have guaranteed a victory against the devil in Georgia…The blistering set was packed with Termites favourites including a fervent Fuck the World that feels more relevant than ever and a blistering and entirely appropriate Rockin’ All Night. An exuberant and high adrenaline night and a most welcome intense injection of rejuvenating energy. Nights like this should be available on prescription…
