Events for Charities - Punk and Ska - Maggie Mays - 05/05/12 (Glasgow)

I think I am getting too old for burning the candle at both ends.

On Saturday I was up at 7am for work, then from there I went home I grabbed a quick shower, got changed, and then ran out to meet Robbie and jump on the train to head to the bright city lights of Glasgow.

Once there we met up with KelC and Claire before heading straight to Maggie Mays to indulge in a night of punk and ska madness in aid of Yorkhill Hospital.

(A very worthy cause to throw some money at. If you are reading, and not from Scotland, then Yorkhill is our version of the world famous Great Ormond Street Hospital.)

It was pretty much none stop from there on in as we watched some of the cream of the crop of the Scottish ska and punk scenes.

The Jackhammers

First to offer their services for this charity event were The Jackhammers.

This was the second time I had seen them in a matter of weeks and once again I was left breathless at how shambolically tight they are.

Okay that's an oxymoron, but you wouldn't disagree if you were there to see them play.

While some bands have the attitude and the look they can often fall short on delivering the goods, but The Jackhammers have got it all, even if they pretend to be sort of laissez faire in delivering it.

Highlight was the homoerotic interlude when straight guitarist Bryan snogged an equally straight punter down the front.

In a couple of seconds the provided a real punk moment that probably made a large chunk of the room uncomfortable.

Challenging perceptions is never a bad thing, and if you can back it up with a soundtrack to match then I'm a pig in the proverbial.

The Skarsoles were next to grace us with their presence and showed off their talents with a heady brew of US styled ska punk.

It's a sound that would appear to have had its day to an extent, but when played well, as it was by these guys, it very obviously still has the ability to slap a smile on a punters face and have their legs jerking to the beat.

I have a vague recollection of seeing them before, but I was unsure until someone mentioned that they have played in support to a few well known bands, but the line up was different.

So that may explain my sense of enjoyable deja vu.

After The Skarsoles it was supposedly Fire Exit, but unfortunately lead singer Gerry was unwell and made a very rare cancellation.

While that was a disappointment the upside was that some special guests were drafted in and we were treated to the mighty 4 Past Midnight in their place.

Once again it is only a matter of weeks ago that I seen them play last and while I was suitably impressed with their return to playing live after a lay off this small venue and stage is somehow the perfect place for the lads to play.

It conveys a sense of the underground and that punk rock isn't really for the larger stages and venues.

It can be transported there and there is plenty of proof that punk can hold it's on in the stadiums, but its heart beats in the clubs.

This is where the bands cut their teeth and sharpen what they do.

4 Past Midnight were once again hitting it hard and on the basis of the last two gigs it isn't going to be long before they are back to being a force to be reckoned with in UK punk circles.

Following on from them was one of my favourite bands.

Not a favourite band in the Glasgow scene, or even the Scottish scene, but just simply one of my favourite bands.

I'm not going to say that I would slot in them into a top ten, but The Red Eyes are a band that I keep coming back to when I'm slipping on CDs.

Some bands and artists who I consistently return to are The Ramones, The Cramps, Clash, New York Dolls, Hanoi Rocks, Billie Holiday Johnny Cash and for some reason The Red Eyes.

Don't as me why as I wouldn't argue that there are better bands out there, but in the case of the Red Eyes I do go back to them more often than I do many other acts.

It's probably something to do with a comfort zone.

Their music is rooted in the sounds of the bands I've listened to all my life so instead of picking out ten albums from ten different acts I can just bounce around to The Red Eyes and get the same enjoyment for a fraction of the hassle.

When it's live they just take it to another level.

They should call their next album 'If Carlsberg did punk...........'

The one and only tribute acts of the evening were to follow them and I've got a bit of a soft spot for the Counterfeit Clash as there no real effort to look like the band and they certainly aren't a parody.

Instead it's juts all heads down and tearing into the Clash classics.

Sadly the fire wasn't set to roar on this occasion.

I'd put it down to the band just arriving back from gigging in Iceland and being a bit worn out from it, but none the less I have seen them much better.

It was still enjoyable, but fell short of expectations.

Lastly was Bombskare who jumped in and saved the night from finishing on an anticlimax.

Unlike the Skarsoles, Bombskare's ska is not of the US variety and more of a traditional style.

They are the undiluted sound of ska and it's as powerful as it is relentless.

By the second song my legs felt like jelly, but they just keeping rolling out punch after punch of the good stuff until the audience and myself were on the ropes.

There's no let up from them.

Aerobic gym instructors would flag and fall to the wayside mid set if they tried to keep up.

This is intense fun and not for the faint of heart.

It's music for the extreme sports fanatics.

As work outs go I'm too old for it, but there's also something compulsively inclusive to dancing to ska tunes.

You just can't help getting into it and pushing yourself to the limit as it plays out.

Once they finished I was glad.

Not because I was bored, or had enough, but instead because I had physically hit the wall. Second, thirds and fourth winds had been dredged up, but there was nothing left in the tank.

Brilliant stuff.

The night ended with missing a bus, having to wait for the next, getting in at 'is that the time' and grabbing about 4 hours sleep before heading out to do another twelve hours shift.

I'm only just recovering now.

Like I said, I think I am getting too old for burning the candle at both ends.

Huge respect has to go to James Edmond and everyone involved with Events for Charities for putting this on along with other gigs across the weekend in other venues.

It would be fair to say that regardless of what sort of music you are into then these guys had something for you, and all the cash went to an excellent cause.

If there were more people like James and those who helped him achieve this then the world would certainly be a brighter place

Events for Charities