Music > Live Reviews

Theatre Of Hate

The Adrian Flux Waterfront

29/11/18

 On a wild and windy night, it is off to the Waterfront Studio to see post-punk/proto-goth legends Theatre of Hate. In the early 80s, Theatre of Hate built a reputation as an alternative to the street punk of the UK82 movement, with a sound that was martial, dark and ominous but still danceable and anthemic. Having disbanded in 1983, there were sporadic reunions in the 1990s and a seemingly permanent reactivation in 2005.

Now, being honest, I am not a huge fan by any stretch. I am here because their set supporting Stiff Little Fingers a while back was met with high praise from people whose judgement I trust, sheer curiosity, thoroughly enjoying Spear of Destiny (who share two members with ToH) earlier in the year and the presence of Adrian Portas. More on that later… 

So what did I think? Well, it was good but not excellent and I can’t really put my finger on why I did not enjoy it more. The band are great musicians and there are some cracking songs. Kirk Brandon’s voice is still a force of nature that is as powerful and wild as it was nigh on forty years ago. When the guitar of Portas, the bass of Stan Stammers and the sax (of the stand in for the absent John Boy Lennard) click together it is truly magical. Danny Ferrani’s drums are thunderously militaristic. And yet it just didn’t get me going in the way that I had hoped.

Maybe it was the sound, which for a good portion of the set, wasn’t great. Maybe, after 61 gigs/festivals with 176 different bands/artists playing 198 sets so far this year, I am getting gigged out? Maybe it was turning up at the venue to see some unnamed special guests only to find that there was no support act? Or maybe it is just that I didn’t know that many songs? Certainly, there were people around me losing themselves in the music in a way that I couldn’t.

Then, just as the main set came to an end, everything clicked into place and Theatre of Hate delivered what I wanted. “Original Sin” and “Do You Believe In The Westworld” were just magnificent and the two song encore maintained that level.

And finally, they say don’t meet your heroes. Sometimes I’d agree but not tonight. Before Theatre of Hate, Adrian Portas was the leading light in Dollface. Back in 1995, Dollface released Giant, which promptly became one of my favourites of that era and still gets played regularly. Tonight, Adrian was more than happy to sign my copy, have a good chat about a band that should’ve been massive but weren’t and put up with my fanboy fawning. What a thoroughly good bloke and what a great end to a decent evening.