Went to see Siouxsie and the Banshees tribute..Lizzie and the Banshees at Rotherham couple week back..at a small venue called The Chantry,tap and venue...an old brewery situated on an industrial estate...Went with some Sheff wed mates,old punks who decided they would pay a tenner and take a chance to see the band.
By way of background,I'd seen Lizzie and the band,who travelled down from Scotland,3 times before.at the Greyhound in Beeston Notts a few years ago.The Greyhound at the time was a full on Rock venue,...legendary in its day..I kept mithering the then landlord Paul,and his missus Vonnie to try and get a Goth tribute band to play at the pub; .Paul the landlord was not averse to the suggestion,he had a deep love of music and his background in rock festivals and live performance made him basically a font of knowledge for the live music scene.
Paul liked me,and did his best to get something a bit different for his very busy pub.It took him a year to find Lizzie and the Banshees,and he proudly announced that he had found a Goth band to play at his pub.i was made up.
Unfortunately, Paul fell ill with Cancer...and as the Banshees gig edged nearer it was touch and go...I'd been to see him in hospital and spent quite a bit of time with him and his wife upstairs at The Greyhound pub as he battled his illness.
On the evening of the gig,I walked into the Greyhound to see Paul,still very weak sitting at one of the top tables..he had used every ounce of energy in his body to ensure he came downstairs te saw the band that he had took so long to find,..play .
Lizzie and the Banshees rocked The Greyhound.
.some may not like tribute bands, but for me who missed the chance to see Siouxsie live,it meant everything.Paul and his wife Vonnie were impressed.They booked them again a year on,but Paul sadly died soon after....
I made sure Lizzie knew the background to how the band had ended up in Notts...one persistent ageing goth,and a wise,determined music God had made it happen
Back to Rotherham ....The 1st track,Israel was played at it's haunting finest,and the small but energetic crowd were soon bopping up and down to Playground twist Christine,Cities in Dust and of course Hong Kong Garden.me old mate Sheff wed Andy ,an original punk ,was hoping for Staircase Mystery..and went full on Siouxsie punk dance when the 1st notes were played of this popular track.
The performance of Switch ,was outstanding.
Lizzie recognised me from the stage and said hello and insisted on shaking my hand.. she literally stopped singing mid song to do this.
It was a great might,with great conversation with folk from all over the British isles.Real music folk.
If you get chance,treat yourself to a night of quality new wave/punk/ Goth...call it what you will
.it was the first time ,I think,I'd paid to see the band,but they were well worth it.
Hoping to catch them again soon.
Twas a Special Siouxsie night.
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