Punk on folk instruments

Family Ents presents Adrian Edmondson & The Bad Shepherds at the Komedia, Brighton on Wednesday November 23 at 7.30pm.

The Bad Shepherds play punk songs on folk instruments. Not as a gag, but because they really like the noise. They think the songs are better than people remember.

As spokeswoman Kairen Kemp explains: “They love folk instruments. It works. They do songs by The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Stranglers, The Jam, Sham 69, The Undertones, The Buzzcocks, The Ramones, The Specials, Talking Heads, Squeeze and others, even Kraftwerk! Alright, they’re not all punk, but they come from roughly the same era.

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“They’ve mostly given the songs a kind of Celtic feel, and they’ve stuck in the odd reel and jig here and there. But occasionally they just thrash! I’ve always thought the excitement of a reel taking off is the nearest thing to the excitement of watching punk live in the 70s!”

Also coming up at the Komedia in Brighton, courtesy of Family Ents, are Nine Below Zero and Dr Feelgood, on Thursday, November 24.

Formed on Canvey Island in Essex in the early 1970s, Dr Feelgood remains one of the most popular rhythm and blues acts in the world.

“The raw and uncompromising style of their performance resulted in the album Stupidity that immediately went to the number one position in the U.K. charts”, Kairen says.

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“Dr Feelgood have also enjoyed global success with a string of hit singles including Roxette, Back in the Night, Milk And Alcohol, Down At The Doctors, She Does it Right, Going Back Home and See You Later Alligator - which gave the group their first gold record. The band continues to tour extensively throughout the world.”

Kairen added: “In the mid-1970s, Dennis Greaves and Mark Feltham arrived with their South London R&B-fuelled Nine Below Zero and impacted on Britain’s stagnant music scene like a cold shower. For high-energy, blues you can dance to, 9BZ will not be beaten, They feature the two original members plus dream-team rhythm section of Gerry McEvoy and Brendan O’Neill from the Rory Gallagher Band.”

Booking : 01273 647100.

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