Review | Bad Manners at Engine Rooms, Southampton: Sore heads and sore calves for the middle-aged crowd the morning after
READERS of a certain age may recall a certain Buster Bloodvessel in frilly dress and big boots, doing the can-can enthusiastically on Top of The Pops in the early eighties.
Others will recall his trademark tongue, hairless head and ‘large physique’ which raised concerns that his stage name may turn out to be prophetic.
At Engine Rooms Buster was on stage with the latest incarnation of his band Bad Manners. Support was from Max Splodge of Splodgenessabounds fame (look it up kids) with a varied set of punk classics and the inevitable Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Please to close the set and get the large crowd jumping.
After an extended intro by eight of the nine piece band, enter Buster looking pretty much how I recall him 40 years ago. Early tracks included This is Ska and My Girl Lollipop and had the crowd bouncing and singing along from the start. Other highlights included Frankie Valli’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, which had me wishing I was in the middle of the crowd with a beer in my hand rather than standing at the side taking notes. Skinhead Love Affair and Special Brew closed the set.
The inevitable encore included Wooly Bully, Lip Up Fatty and finally The Can-Can.
Judging by the amount of leaping about that took place, I suspect there will have been a lot of late-middle-age ska fans nursing not only sore heads but sore calves the next morning. This was my first show at this venue and if the atmosphere is always like this, I’ll be a regular visitor.