Band:
Sigue Sigue Sputnik Venue:
The Studio, Hartlepool, UK Date:
21 July 2001
Hitting the
stage at 10.20pm precisely the band that captured our imaginations in the
mid 80's with their outrageous looks and equally bizarre songs presented
themselves before us.
When we told people who we were travelling down to see tonight we were met
with sniggers and laughter. Why? One thing you have to admit is that this
band was always up for a good time and was also quite musically talented,
even if their subjects were a little corny.
We fully expected to see the room full of new age Cyber Goths. How wrong
we were! Instead the room was stuffed full of a much older crowd who
looked more like old style punks with their bovver boy combats and mohican
hair cuts.
We began to wonder if they realised who it was that was going to be
playing here tonight, not only that but would the place go up in fury once
the band hit the stage.
We needn't have worried because as soon as the band appeared the place did
in fact go up, only not quite as we expected it to. Instead the hardest
looking chaps you have ever seen ran, yes ran! to the front and started to
bop about!
This continued in a frenzied manner throughout the whole night. To say it
was a very surreal scene is an understatement.
Onstage we had 3 blokes looking more camp than a field full of boy scouts
and then gazing up in wonderment at them were these really dangerous
looking chaps.
On lead vocals we had Martin Degville dressed in bleached denims and a
silver sparkly sleeveless top. His hair was bleached blonde and his fringe
reached out from the front of his head about 4-5" at least in a huge
rock-a-Billy quiff.
On Bass we had Tony James with his flamingo pink tressels.
Looking like an extra from Miami Vice we had guitarist Neal X.
Lastly tucked away at the back of the stage was the lovely cyber-rock
goddess herself Jenny Z.
The band started with the wonderful 'Sex Bomb Boogie', which had the whole
room jumping. It didn't take long before we realised that we had made the
right decision to come here tonight to see this band perform.
Perform they did and it was not simply a case of singing a few songs and
managing to play the right chords to the right songs. No these guys gave a
PERFORMANCE.
What's the difference I hear you ask? Well if you had seen their
flamboyant costumes and they way they really hammed it up for the crowd
then you would have realised that they are not only very talented
musicians but also give their fans a show to remember.
The person operating the smoke machine must have been a bit excited to see
this all happening here in Hartlepool as he went a bit wild with the old
smoke machine, a problem a lot of bands seem to have during their
performances.
However once the smoke had cleared you could actually see the band as well
as hear them.
The band played on and the crowd went mental. How many other lead singers
can thrust and swivel the way Martin can? The spirit of Elvis looked like
it had possessed this man.
The band went through songs old and new and thrilled their fans with each
and every one of them. It wasn't long before they invited a female fan up
onstage to strut her stuff with them. During which they broke two strings
and laughed it off by saying that you'd pay £85 to see Madonna in concert
and you wouldn't get it as good as this.
Tonight's gig had cost us a measly £6 and I have to agree these guys are
soooo much more fun to watch than old Maddy would have been.
The whole gig was full of hilarious moments like when someone tried to
sabotage the gig by setting the fire alarm off and the bands power was cut
mid performance. It didn't take long to reset the system but it was rather
amusing for all who were there.
The band seemed to take it in good humour too. This and their groupie
female fan who's dress barely managed to stay up much to the approval of
guitarist Neal X who's eyes were out on stalks as he watched it fall
further and further down her ample bosoms.
The thing is with this band they really do give you a good show, not only
musically but also visually.
They have more than handful, more of a bucketful of songs that would go
down a storm in the clubs we have around today. And yet you never hear
them mentioned let alone played at any of these places, why?
Is it because they are not seen as serious musicians? Is it because they
looks like a bunch of grown men who have decided to play dressy up with
their kid sisters Girls World?
Whatever the reason they clubs should be ashamed of themselves as they are
depriving a lot of people out of a lot of great fun cyber rock.
Soon it was
time for the legendary 'F1-11', the song that really shot the band into
the big scene back in 1986. There wasn't a TV programme or magazine cover
that didn't have these guys on back then.
They still have what it takes to give you a thrill and I have to say that
tonight's performance was a one I will not forget for a long time for so
many different reasons.
I liked the cover of The Rolling Stones 'Pleased To Meet You' which they
slotted into causally in the middle of 'F1-11'.
The set was completed with an encore, which strangely enough sounded very
similar to a Brian Adams one, although I doubt that's what it was.
A stage invasion took place as the room on mass ascended onto the stage to
see the night off with the band.
Great fun! Can't wait to see them again at the next one!
Setlist included:
Sex Bomb Boogie
Everybody Loves You
21st Century Boy
Alien Christ
M*A*D
Teenage Thunder
Suicide (?)
Virginia Plain
Jayne Mansfield
F1-11
Atari Baby
Rocket Miss USA
The band played on and the crowd went mental. How many other lead singers
can thrust and swivel the way Martin can? The spirit of Elvis looked like
it had possessed this man.
Soon it was
time for the legendary 'F1-11', the song that really shot the band into
the big scene back in 1986. There wasn't a TV programme or magazine cover
that didn't have these guys on back then.
