Tonight is a big occasion. It is the album launch party for the Zipheads third platter: Rock and Roll Renaissance. Coming nine years after the band’s Z2: Rampage, this has been quite a wait, but it has been worth it, as I am sure that the very handsome turnout at the band’s maiden headline show at the iconic Underworld will attest.

This evening’s proceedings get off you a very good start thanks to a typically raucous performance from the rather good rock and roll band the Dead Shout. Built around the superb rhythm section of Gary Voodoo, of the Urban Voodoo Machine, on drums and Darren ‘Eddie’ Edwards formerly of the Klingonz and Demented Are Go on slap bass, the band is led by the extremely talented guitarist and growling vocalist Jack Elfick. The band get’s off to an excellent start with the punky ‘Just You Wait’ before unleashing the western flavoured ‘Drag You Down’ and the punky ‘Love Story’ both from the band’s eponymous release. Indeed, I would thoroughly recommend that 7” platter. Then Eddie takes over vocals for a rockabilly number, Crazy Cavan’s ‘Boppin and a Shakin’, that is well executed and that goes down well with the punters. The next song has an excellent riff with lyrics that are spat out, it is the lead song from the band’s first ep, it is called ‘Jump Yer Bones’ and features some knock-out guitar playing. This is followed by a rather tasty instrumental with the words ‘she’s got ice creams in her pocket just to be cool’ spoken to link the sections together. Then a somewhat unexpected but very effective cover of George Harrison’s ‘I Me Mine’ from the Let It Be album, replete with double time sections and an excellent vocal performance from Jack. ‘Spring Clean’ is a song from Jack’s old band the Bikini Bottoms and is an up-tempo rocker of a track. Then it’s a stompy rendition of a song called ‘Wanted Maniac.’ ‘Dead Man’s Party’ an Oingo Boingo song follows before the set is closed in fine form with ‘Going Cold’ taken from the band’s Eponymous Product EP. This has been a really, excellent set, from a band that is more impressive every time that I see them.

To the main event: the Zipheads. As the magnificent three take the stage it is evident that all three are wearing something round their necks, at first glance it looks rather like a keffiyeh, perhaps a political statement in support of their Palestinian brethren, but no, closer inspection shows it to be an Elizabethan style ruff to chime in with the whole renaissance theme of the album. The band launches into ‘How Do You Like Me Now’, but it is evident that there is no guitar, as Ray subsequently points out, what could possibly go wrong bearing in mind that this is Friday 13^th? The song, however, from the new album, is magnificent. ‘Welcome to the Real World’ is belted out with considerable venom. ‘Rock and Roll Renaissance’ first movement is then belted out with Will Bennet’s drums being quite epic in the breakdown section. Then without so much as a pause for breath it’s into ‘Happiness’ with guitar failure the band continues the song valiantly. Back up and running, Ray admits that it’s taken nine years to put the album out, but reassuringly guarantees that it will be fewer than nine years until the next one. ‘Hold Tight’ is a splendid piece of up—tempo rockabilly with superb instrumentation. ‘Funny’ demonstrates further the strength of the new album with fine dynamics. ‘Everybody Knows’ is country-flavoured rockabilly at its finest. ‘Manslaughter’ is reggae-flavoured splendour. ‘Emergency on Planet Earth’ rocks like nobody’s business. ‘I Still Believe’ is a wonderful pop tune. According to Ray St. Albans, where both he and Will are from, is a very small place, everyone has banged everyone else there, Ray declares that he has had sex with Will’s girlfriend, sister, mum and dad, this is by way of introduction to my favourite song on the new album ‘Incestuous’ which is probably best descried as pop-punk but it is an absolute cracker of a song. This is then followed by my favourite Zipheads’ song, ‘Don’t Pretend’ which is my idea of rockabilly heaven. ‘Dinosaur Rock/Prehistoric Beat’ from the first album still holds up magnificently with Ray’s vocal delivery being first class and goes down a storm with the assembled. ‘Top of the World’ from the new albums has slight echoes of ‘Manslaughter’ and is a banger. The band the plays a track that I was initially a little hesitant about, but the band’s ska-infused take on Jackie Wilson’s ‘Lonely Teardrops’ is a classic in the making. A wonderful rendition of the Damned’s ‘Neat, Neat, Neat’ closes a wonderful set.

This has been a cracking set from one of the very best bands around.

Reviewed by Nick Kemp