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Quireboys + Crash Kelly

Edinburgh Venue, 1st September 2003

In 1990, when the Quireboys released their debut album, 'A Bit Of What You Fancy', they were the undisputed kings of rock'n'roll. A dishevelled misfit crew of long-haired drunken layabouts, they were rock's last stand before Kurt Cobain and Nirvana swept it all away in a tidal wave of grungy guitars and suicidal lyrics. Now, thirteen years on, rock is Back. The Strokes, The Cooper Temple Clause, The Darkness et al are once again proving that it's cool to look like Johnny Thunders and rock like f*ck. And here I am, standing in the Edinburgh Venue just three feet away from blue-eyed, gravel-voiced sexgod Spike, the Quireboys legendary frontman. Thirteen years ago I'd have sold my schoolgirl soul to be in the same position. Sadly his partner and mine are standing possessively between us. Sigh. I guess it was never meant to be.

On stage are support act Crash Kelly, who also rock like f*ck. And boast a bassist who not only looks like Johnny Thunders but wears his picture on his T-shirt, just in case we don't get the message. Frontman Sean Kelly is more your Marc Bolan type, while the guitarist tends towards Thin Lizzy's Phil Lynott (and again has the T-shirt to prove it). Together they make wonderfully exuberant, sleazy glam metal, a little bit T-Rex, a little bit Alice, a whole lotta fun. Stand out tracks 'Rock Me Electric' and '11 Cigarettes' are sexy, exciting and catchy as hell, whilst their cover of Rainbow's 'Since You Been Gone' is inspired. Bet they rue the day they didn't call themselves 'The Crash Kellys'. I buy their CD anyway and get them to sign it for me - it's that kind of night.

And so onto the main event - eventually. Spike, Griff and Nigel may still be living the rock'n'roll lifestyle (and how!) but most of the 30+ crowd have work in the morning and the 'Boys don't hit the stage 'til around 11.30pm. The frontman, guitarist and seriously sexy bassist (and hey - after thirteen years Nigel's hairstyle is finally in fashion!) are all that is left of the original line-up, with the additional band members definitely appearing to be hired hands. However, Spike and co. know their audience well, and the bulk of the set is still taken from A Bit Of What You Fancy: 'Misled', 'Hey You', 'Whipping Boy', 'I Don't Love You Anymore', 'There She Goes Again', 'Sex Party' (which was always a stupid song, even in 1990) and of course '7 O'Clock' all get an airing and sound as fresh and gutsy as ever. More recent tracks like 'This Is Rock'n'Roll' and 'You Can't Park Here' don't deviate from their trademark Stones/Faces bluesy riffs either, but would we really want them to? No.

And whilst the NME may claim that Justin Hawkins has invented flamboyant showmanship, tonight only goes to prove that he's just one in a long line of heroic tight-arsed singers that definitely includes our Spike amongst their number. Bantering with the band and cadging drinks off the crowd, he's the consummate frontman, all swirling microphone stand and skinny strutting legs. The band finish up with a triumphant rendition of 'Mayfair' and as the crowd rock out it's sad to reflect that the Newcastle venue to which the song refers in fact closed down about three years ago. And then it's all over. The Boys were back in town. They rocked. And they'll be back.

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