By the third day of Punk Rock Bowling my knees and feet were in pain so I didn’t wander back and forth between the stages. I arrived around 5:00 in time for the English Beat. Though I’ve seen them many times, the last time was probably more than a decade ago.
They came on stage and though this is a band that’s been together more than four decades, the years have been kind to them. They all looked so good and sounded just as good.
They started their set with Rough Rider followed by Twist & Crawl, then Save It For Later. Dave Wakeling’s voice was in top notch, but it was Antonee First Class who I think stole the show. He provided backing vocals, non stop dancing, and all around crowd tantalizing, but his charisma oozed so thick, those up front must have felt like they were soaked in maple syrup.
When they did their famous, Mirror In the Bathroom, Dave got everyone to sing along with the chorus. Then suddenly their set was over way too quickly. They left me wanting more. It was so good to see them again. The current lineup of English Beat are, Matt Morrish. Sax/Vocals. Kevin Lum. Keys/Vocals, Minh Quan. Keys/Vocals (also very charismatic), Brad Engstrom. Bass/Vocals & Fritz Zar. Drums/Vocals.
My plans were to just hang out at the main stage and not go to the Street Party Stage. This year the stages were not adjacent to each other and as I mentioned, my feet and knees had had it. But I went to get something to eat and heard sounds coming from the Street Party Stage that intrigued me. Dinner could wait. Like a magnet I meandered to the front to see Bratmobile. Bratmobile, from Olympia, WA, is fronted by the very dynamic Allison Wolfe. Her hair was colored bright red and hung just past her shoulders. This was accented by oversized cat eye glasses and blue lame’ shorts and tank top. She bounded about and though they have that riot girl “motif” her voice sounded like a song bird. Bratmobile is two-thirds female and they’ve been around since 1991, but this is the first time I’ve seen them. I hope it won’t be the last.
After I grabbed a quick sandwich I ventured back to the Main Stage just as Northern Ireland’s Stiff Little Fingers came on stage and started playing suspect Device. Front man Jake Burns sported a completely shaved head and looked vastly different. His voice was the same though and following Suspect Device he sang my favorite Roots, Radicals, Rockers & Reggae. He told a story of a neighborhood he lived in in Chicago that decided to become a haven for minority groups after the election of Donald Trump and the increased violence against such groups. They called the neighborhood Hate Has No Home Here and created yard signs with that slogan. Jake himself became a US citizen in. 2016 so he could vote against tRump. This led into a new song called Hate Has No Home Here. A cover of the Specials It Doesn’t Make It Alright (an anthem against racism) was one of the highlights and they finished their set with Nobody’s Hero and Tin Soldiers. SLF are a long time favorite of mine that emerged from the original punk scene.
I stayed at the Main Stage and awaited Gogol Bordello. On tour to support their new album Solidaritine, they hit the stage like a bolt of lightning. Front man Eugene Hutz bounced and zoomed all over the stage constantly, often standing on a monitor to rile the crowd. It’s Pedro Erazo, the band’s multi instrumentalist, who almost stole the show. His unwavering charisma and talent to engage the audience make him a treat to watch. Erica Mancini who played the accordion oozed charm as well as she flitted about with her squeeze box. Sergey Ryabtsev fills their sound with his unique violin playing. Leo Minter (guitar), Gill Alexandre (bass) & Korey Kingston (drums) round out the sound. Every member of this band is a showman in their own right making Gogol Bordello one of the most fun bands to watch. I’ve seen them live many times and will hopefully see them many more times. I first saw them at Seattle’s Bumbershoot Festival in 2007 and I’ve been a huge fan ever since.
Then it was the moment I waited for — Madness. It was the announcement of Madness that made me decide to attend the fest again this year. Madness was due to play the fest in 2020 but we all know what happened that year. Madness played Seattle the night before I flew to Vegas but I’d waited more than 40 years to see them so I felt justified in flying to Vegas to see them again. Just before Madness came on stage the Star Wars theme piped through the speakers. Then my favorite ska band and one of my top favorite bands for the last 42 years came on stage and opened with One Step Beyond. There wasn’t a still body to be had. Front man Suggs (who’s real name is Graham McPherson) randomly blurted out, “what did the Romans ever do for us?” This band has made many Monty Python references over their tenure (Their video for Our House features Monty Python Gumbies).
They played some songs from their new album C’est La Vie as well as several classics including House of Fun and Baggy Trousers. The horn section (trumpet, trombone & sax) twisted back and forth in unison like a perfect ballet. Most the musicians on the stage are original members of Madness (from 1978). They were all teenagers when the band started in London. Suggs has aged very well. The end of their set brought Our House and Night Boat to Cairo (my favorite song). After they left the stage Monty Python’s Always Look On the Bright Side of Life. I couldn’t resist singing along. I’d said many times that I wanted to see Madness live before I left this mortal coil. And unless I get a time machine, my life is complete.
All in all the fest was well run. There was a good variety of food that was reasonably priced. Again there wasn’t enough water. They had one hydration station with one water tank. The first day it was empty by midway through the day. There was no ADA section. There was one tiny space next to the soundstage with ADA markings but there were no chairs and it was ground level making the view of the stage non existent. And as I said before the two stages were far apart. Last year they were adjacent with an ADA section that was elevated and had a clear view of both stages.
Other than those issues, I had a great time. I can’t imagine the fest can top a lineup that comes close to rivaling this year’s lineup.
This band is English Beat. All photos by Holly Homan:
