Published in Sounds, 27th March 1982
Gathering Of The Clans | Gig Review | Glasgow Apollo 1982 | A VENUE like the Glasgow Apollo is not exactly the best place for any up-and-coming band, or any punk band for that matter, to establish any kind of link with the punky hordes.
The stage is unnervingly high, and the actual venue is a cavernous affair more suited to Abba than any band on tonight’s bill. But as soon as the Threats burst into their first song ‘Passivity’ it was obvious to everyone that they were not about to be put off by anything.
Their own brand of power-punch punk appealed to the majority, although most people decided they would save all their pogo-ramic energy for the more established bands. Among their finest was the catchy ‘Can’t Stop Me’, but their undoubted best was ‘Afghanistan’, which, if l am correctly informed, is soon to be released on Rondelet.
‘Writing On The Wall’ showed a definite versatility, and was instantly reminiscent of early SLF, although a trifle too long to receive mass applause.
Next up were Wood Green heroes Infa Riot whose set opener ‘Emergency’ was greeted with a shambolic, pogo-rific mass rapidly heading in the direction of the stage and the petrified bouncers.
Gathering Of The Clans | Gig Review | Glasgow Apollo 1982
Infa Riot were debuting to most of the punters, and what a debut it was. As soon as ‘Each Dawn I Die’ was recognised, the kids went wild, the band soon drowned out by their aspiring young emulators chanting along to the awe inspiring chorus.
Infa Riot were very immobile and statue-like on stage (was Lee frightened he’d fall off and mess his lovely locks?) but for everyone the music was more than enough.
A rally-rousing cry met Madame Bondage as she led her Vice Squad out into the void. The new single ‘Out Of Reach’ came over as powerfully as a herd of stampeding elephants, and was met by a reaction also similar to a herd of stampeding elephants.
The gruesome Shane pounds away madly and ‘Evil’ is under way, during which Beki (in the process of cajoling her crowd) comes dangerously close to being pulled off the stage by an over enthusiastic fan, who gets roughed up and thrown out by the bouncers, as is usual with the Apollo.
The Squad’s anthem ‘Last Rockers’ bursts forth at a blistering pace, and makes an excellent finale to an amazing set.
Disease ridden pensioners (well almost) the Anti-Nowhere League crawl onto stage in an obviously inebriated state (so what’s new?) and the droves of ants again flock to the front.
Animal slithers and walks and runs about the vast expanse of wood and metal pitifully disguised as a stage. ‘I Hate People’, as the title suggests, is the band’s philosophy of life and leads one to wonder if the ‘Punk’s Not Dead’ on most punk leathers will soon be erased and replaced by this wonderful (yet pathetic) saying.
Gathering Of The Clans | Gig Review | Glasgow Apollo 1982
The actual song was excellent though, as it blended a gut-crushing powerhouse of a tune with exciting and philosophical lyrics, which seems a bit naive at times.
‘So What’ was a definite improvement on their awful rendering of same at Christmas On Earth, and ‘Streets Of London’ was met with rapturous applause also, though unfortunately time would not allow an encore.
The star attraction predictably, were met by “Exploited Barmy Army” chanted by the multitude and they returned the cacophonic barrage by bursting into ‘Punk’s Not Dead’ which had the whole hall singing along.
Their best new song, and their best song to date, was ‘Alternatives’ which Wattie introduced with “This one’s for all o’ ye, coz ye’r all gonni get called up and ye’r all gonni die”, and it summed up the feeling of everyone in the hall, the tragedy of kids’ lives wasted because of conscription and National Service, and nobody wants it.
Gathering Of The Clans | Gig Review | Glasgow Apollo 1982
‘Alternatives’, the title says it all, and the song puts everyone in danger of haemorrhaging, controlled chaos at its finest. This is an excellent singalong chant for 1982, and hopefully their next single.
‘F*** The USA’ has the crowd feverishly pogoing, and no wonder. This song is a real cracker, worthy of vinyl, although I get a strange feeling that Anti-Pasti won’t like it.
New stixman Danny proves to be more solid than a Sherman tank, and after only two days of rehearsing with The Exploited shows signs of knocking Dru Stix for six (and he ain’t got long hair either).
This year has been a great year for punk, and the Gathering Of The Clans and the Glasgow crowd prove it. (John Hamilton)
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