An invitation to Telford’s Warehouse in Chester to attend a celebration last night in honour of the venerable Mr Williamcheese’s upcoming ‘significant number’ birthday offered the opportunity also to witness & greatly enjoy a live performance by Vic Godard & Subway Sect, a band I’d previously seen & heard way back in the day some rather incredible-to-consider (with a slight shudder) 31 years ago, sandwiched, miscast then most inappropriately between the gothic melodramas of The Birthday Party & Bauhaus at the Royal Court in Liverpool (as mentioned here in the recesses of the archive).
On this particular occasion, Vic & cohorts were able to entertain, in a more intimate setting, a small but more appreciative audience with a selection of tunes from a career-spanning repertoire (dating thus from circa 1976) of Northern Soul-inflected yet angular, detouring post-punk toe-tappers – scratchy, trebly guitars, cheesy organ, sometimes off-key vocals & all - & a splendid job they made of it too, cooking up a rare old storm in suitably idiosyncratic fashion.
I must admit to finding such a sound enduringly charming & ‘homely’, it’s a place I know – am, indeed, ‘from’ - & have an abiding affection for, & Vic Godard & Subway Sect’s sheer persistence in ploughing their own particular furrow is to be much admired.
Inspired to research Simon Reynolds' essential ‘Rip It Up’, it was a pleasure to read again too the author’s & Vic’s words on the subject of his artistic philosophy, his influences, his commitment to his cause, his anti-star stance: it’s all good stuff, & thanks for a great gig & respect are due.
Update: September 12th 2012
After the fact, a drawing has been processed, re-mediated from a print of a photographic image of Vic Godard performing live, with accompanying text here:
coloured pencil & putty eraser/20x30cm
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