Artist:  The Toilet Boys

Venue: Fibbers, York

Date:  31 January 2002 

After a last minute panic when the bands gig at our local haunt was cancelled due to a mix up by the venue's promoter, we decided the only way we were going to witness the band play this far North was to pack the car full of bodies and drive on down to Fibbers. For years we'd heard so much about this band and their outrageous behaviour but as they'd never ventured this far North before we'd never been given the opportunity to see them in all their glory.

In fact a rival trans band who are trying to claim the big apple as their home even try to warn us off the band. They called them freaks and fakes and said that they were a disgrace to the trans community and that they were only in it for the money. Well, after being told that how could we keep away? We had to see with our own eyes what all the fuss was about. Did the music really stand up strong on it's own, or was it the glitter and the fireworks that blinded the crowds into thinking the band were good? Tonight we would find out once and for all.

After a surprisingly good set from the support band the Sonic Boom Boys, The Toilet Boys took to the stage. Camera's at the ready the venue was split into 2 distinct crowds of fans. Those that stood shoulder to shoulder with me and my friends crammed tight against the stage barrier, and those who stood well back around the bar area trying desperately to look like they'd just wandered in off the street and had no interest I the band at all.

The crowd at the front knew this wasn't true because we saw them check their cameras the same way we did when the lights went down and the dry ice started to flow across the stage and out into the hot sticky room. It may be January but this venue has some freakish climate where it's nigh on tropical all year round. Must be all that wood cladding or something.

Anyway back to the band! Looking every inch a goddess Guy (formerly known as Miss Guy) stalks across the stage to take at look at the crowd. Not quite a man, not quite a woman, who cares what Guy thinks s/he is, whatever it is it's god damn gorgeous. Dressed a-la Rocky Horror with a ripped black t-shirt embossed with a picture of Marilyn Monroe covering his slight boyish figure, and one leg clad in tight black lycra while the other was torn black fishnet, as the show began we were entranced.

Before I go any further I have to say that hand on heart Guy has THE most beautiful face I have ever seen on a man. In fact Marilyn herself would have killed to looked as perfect as this. No matter how much make-up has been added to this face, the truth remains that this is one naturally beautiful person. These are the sorts of looks a supermodel would kill for.

Starting the set with 'Party starts Now' the party did indeed start there. It didn't take long for us to come out of our shells and party on back with the band. While Guy slinked around the stage like a Siamese cat, the rest of the band were intent on taking prisoners.

Starting the set with 'Party starts Now' the party did indeed start there. It didn't take long for us to come out of our shells and party on back with the band. While Guy slinked around the stage like a Siamese cat, the rest of the band were intent on taking prisoners. To the left of the stage we had to ever popular Rocket, the man who regularly takes the time to keep the hoards of hungry fans up to date with what the band are up to.

Sporting a very closely cropped hairstyle with just a whiff of blonde sprouting out the top he played like a man possessed. Behind him was the lovely Eddie, such a gentle character but such an absolute animal when he gets behind the skins. Don't be fooled by this gentle giant, this chap really knows his way around the drums and isn't afraid to let loose when the song permits.

To the right of the stage we had Adam on bass. A strange person who looks out right evil if you ask me. The sort of person you'd buy a dodgy kebab off after a few pints too many. Even when he was playing along to the songs he looked really evil. The sort of person you really don't feel comfortable making eye contact with because he makes you feel unclean and dirty.

Striding around the stage as if glued to Guy's hip belt was a Sean on guitar. What a performer. Wow! Isn't he a big boy! How he didn't knock himself unconscious on the stage roof was a surprise to all of us. Tall is an understatement here.

The songs came thick and fast and so did the dry ice. At times it was hard to see the band but I think the problem was more the lack of ventilation than an over enthusiastic operator on the smoke machine. The temperatures rose ever higher as the band launched into 'Rock n' roll Whore', a track from their new album. Little did we know that before long the real 'hot stuff' would begin.

One minute we were quite happily singing along with the band, the next we were leaping out of the way as a plume of fire shot out across the stage and what felt like millimeters from our heads. Bodies screamed with shock and dived out of the way with fright. We knew they had a penchant for fire works and pyrotechnics, but when the stage is this small and the crowd are so close they can actually reach out and touch you, never in a million years did we expect to see the full show performed here.  Bloody Hell!  We didn't see that one coming.

Those of us that had crowded to the front now stood warily to the sides of the barriers; between us we had more than enough hairspray to make a very nice blowtorch. If you don't mind we'd just stand well back over here and watch from a safer distance. Perhaps the people at the bar knew this was going to happen. Somehow I think not as they seemed to instantly leap forward when this happened as opposed to backwards and downwards like the rest of us.

Goaded on by Guy, Sean really is a bit of a maniac when he sees a naked flame. This chap certainly knows how to put the maniac into pyromaniac! I have to say in all my years I've seen some sights during stage shows. Everything from fireworks to pyrotechnics, from grinders to fire eaters, but never before have I witnessed anything like this before, and most definitely never quite so close up and personnel.

Even when I saw the mighty Kiss perform at the Newcastle City Hall during the 80's they never had anything like this to wow us with, and that stage was 20 times bigger than this if not more.

I can only compare this spectacular to the huge arena shows that I've seen the likes of Kiss do in the States where everything explodes into a millions fireworks and there's flame throwers everywhere. This is what The Toilet Boys did on this tiny little stage here before us tonight. Size obviously doesn't matter to them, and somehow I get the feeling safety doesn't make much impact either. Not that I think they would deliberately set any fans on fire of course. But hey, that really was a close one.

Playing songs from both their debut album and their new album they gave the fans everything they could have ever hoped for. All the favourites were there as well as the best of the new stuff. Rather aptly perhaps the band actually finished the set with an encore - 'Deuce' by Kiss.

They band looked great, they had all the special effects you could ask for and a whole lot more, but more importantly, and this is the crux of the matter, they actually played and sang really well. It wasn't all lipstick and glitter, they weren't fakes living off the effects, they ARE rock n' roll superstars.

OK so their image is sleazy and trashy, so are the topics for their songs. But, if you want to see a gig you will never forget, if you want to learn how to really party, then get yourselves along to one of their gigs next time they tour. In fact we won't just be going to one gig, we'll be going to as many as we can possibly travel to. They really are that enjoyable.  Don't believe what others tell you about this band, go along and see for yourselves just how good a really good rock band looks and sounds.

Setlist included: Party Starts Now, GOGO, Rock n' Roll Whore, Runaway, Ride, Another Day, Saturday Nite, You Got It, Millionaire, Deuce

 

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