Completely deaf, exhausted, but totally happy to have gotten to see the Damned with PapaCat and Conroy.
The 10lb of boots I was wearing didn't stop me from completely spazzing out all night. Never thought I'd get to see them, never imagined I'd get to see them in a small club like the Black Cat, etc.
They rip it out like they were 20. Cap was wearing signature red beret and some killer cheetah print bondage pants, Dave in dapper black suit and shades. The keyboardist (Monty Oxy Moron) was a complete and utter spazz all night, was great. There was even a drum circle at one point, with Dave holding a tom for Monty, Cap on a snare, and Pinch on drums all hammering away with abandon.
Was insane. Was so loud I felt nauseous at certain points. Vocals weren't mic'd right and didn't hear as much of Dave's truly lovely voice as I would have liked by basically I left my face somewhere in DC.
A killer setlist, indeed: Love Song, New Rose, neat Neat Neat, Anti-Pope, I Fall, Eloise, Curtain Call, Stretcher Case, Melody Lee, Smash It Up, Jet Boy Jet Girl, and off the new record Dark Asteroid, Under the Wheels, and Dr. Woofenstein. They played more, that's what I remember right now!
Unexpected surprise: the second opening band, the BellRays absolutely blew me away. Totally. Was really hard rock/punk with an amazing singer laying soul over the top. Punk-rocked out soul, pure heaven. They were amazing--and have something totally unique going on. Check em out!
Overall, Super Cat says: F'IN AWESOME
FOR: LIVE STREAM OF TONIGHT'S SHOW IN PHILLY (TLA)
8:00 EST Electric Frankenstein
9:00 BellRays
10:00 The Damned
GO HERE:
http://www.tinyurl.com/qksuy7
ETA: Word from Roddy is that the Specials are planned in the US in 2010...waiting is gonna keel me! <grin>