It was quite some time since I last visited the Water Rats and I was reminded of what a nice venue it is. A seating area outside of the venue, followed by a sizeable ante room with bar provide ample accommodation and a quieter environment for those wanting to chat, before heading through the double doors into the music venue proper. It was also apparent that the sound in the venue is very good. One might perhaps have expected a more conservative attendance because this was the bank holiday weekend, and one might perhaps have expected an exodus from the metropolis. Instead, it appears that many people opted for the staycation and the joint was a heaving.

As I made my way into the venue it was apparent that the Haunted Men had already begun their set. For those of you not in the know the Haunted Men are a garage band fronted by the very charismatic Criss Damage, who, in former incarnation was drummer for Demented Are Go. I confess that I really didn’t see this coming, but Criss really is a compelling frontman, which, incidentally, had nothing to do the fact that he was clad in nothing except for a pair of boxer shorts, sunglasses and fake blood. There are echoes of Mark ‘Sparky’ Phillips to Criss’ demeanour notably in his onstage stance with legs apart and bent double over the microphone, but Criss is his own man and possessed of an extremely good singing voice. Alongside Criss on guitar and wearing a dress was Toby, and on bass Haunted Dave, whilst sat at the kit was the mighty figure of Big Mike. The band’s set is an extremely enjoyable one beginning with the Cynic’s ‘Blue Train Station’, followed by Art Guy’s ‘Where You Gonna go’ which was, of course, also covered by Demented Are Go on the Tangenital Madness LP. Then came ‘Get Off My Back’ by the Henchmen, an original in the form of ‘Do the Right Drugs’, Hank Williams ‘Can’t Get Enough’, ‘Night of the Sadist’ by Larry and the Blue Notes before my favourite song of the set Wayne Hancock’s ‘Your love and His Blood’. The set concluded with GG Allin’s ‘No Rules’, minus the shit on stage, followed by the Scotch Greens’ ‘Goodbye’. Judging from the reception that the band received I was not the only one that was hugely impressed by this band. I really look forward to seeing them play again soon.

The next band on was Preston Sam’s Hyperjax. Located at the pop-punk end of the psychobllly spectrum, the band plays a high energy set propelled along, in no small part thanks to the relentless slapping of Daniel Clark on the ole doghouse bass. Playing material from their recently released and very good album Scars on the Horizon, as well as crowd favourites including happy pills. There is more depth to the Hyperjax songs than is true of most of the songs in this genre. Sam is also a very good guitarist. ‘Just Passing Through’ features a quite mighty bottom end, whilst ‘Whatever Happened to the Krewmen’ absolutely pummels along. This is an excellent set from a band that is firing on all cylinders. 

To the main attraction of the evening the Long Tall Texans. Fronted as ever by Mr. sunny demeanour, Mark Carew, and ably assisted by Laurence Hawkins on guitar and by a gentleman on drums who was not Anthony Theodotu, by the name of Will Moore, but who did a very good job. ‘Indians’. ‘Poison’, ‘Border Radio’, ‘Saints and Sinners’, ‘Get Back Wet Back’, ‘Girlfriend’, ‘What Part of Fuck Off Don’t You Understand?’, and ‘Bloody’ are all belted out with smiling faces until we find ourselves quite unbelievably at the final song of the set, a terrific rendition of ’Breakaway.’ Once again, the band has not failed to disappoint, the audience is rendered a seething mass of joyous humanity. Tremendous stuff!

Nick Kemp