The Rezillos offer a real treat (From Dorset Echo)

The Rezillos offer a real treat

1:10pm Friday 5th December 2008 in

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The Rezillos offer a real treat ONE of my fondest memories from the punk era is the evening of December 19, 1977, when I travelled up to the Glasgow Apollo to see The Ramones.

‘Da Bruddas’ were every bit as mythic, cartoonish and glorious as their legend suggested, but they very, very nearly had their asses kicked by the support band that night: a hyperkinetic quintet from Edinburgh called The Rezillos (The Brook, Southampton, Wednesday, £15 advance/£17 at the door, tickets from 023 8055 5366).

The impact they made is still seared into the deepest recesses of my tired and feeble brain. Guitarist Jo Callis, bassist (extraordinaire) William Mysterious and drummer Angel Paterson, sporting a natty pair of wraparound shades, sprinted out on stage and simply tore into the double-time, pell-mell riff of Flying Saucer Attack. Shortly thereafter, vocalists Fay Fife and Eugene Reynolds emerged, manically doing the frug or the watusi or the mashed potato, from opposite ends of the stage – and every jaw in the building hit the floor.

God, they were incredible: tight as a reef knot and as awesomely powerful as atoms splitting, an exhilarating Technicolor explosion full in the face. They could, and should, have been massive – Top Of The Pops and the stunning swansong Destination Venus enjoyed promising chart runs – but dismayingly, they split up after just one album (two if you count the live album, featuring me squeaking my approval among the audience).

Now, against all the odds, they’re back, with their original line-up four-fifths intact (whatever did happen to the aptly-named William Mysterious?) and new material in the pipeline. You can hear the new single No 1 Boy on the current tour, as well as the epic Can’t Stand The Rezillos album in its entirety. If there’s a better pre-Christmas treat than this, I can’t rightly conceive of it offhand.

If you’re partial to a spot of ye olde punke rocke but can’t wait until Wednesday, you might be interested in checking out Ade Edmondson & The Bad Shepherds (The Brook, Southampton, tonight, £15 advance/£17 at the door, tickets from 023 8055 5366). That’s right, the Ade Edmondson of Young Ones/Bottom infamy, who will intriguingly be performing acoustic, celtic folk versions of punk-era standards with a crack band including ex-Fairport Convention/Jethro Tull stalwart Maartin Allcock.

Further along the pop culture timeline, get your tickets in now for the forthcoming appearance by Skaville UK (Corn Exchange, Dorchester, Friday, December 12, doors open 7pm, £12 advance/£15 at the door, ticket information from 07515 596193, tickets from Harmony Music, Rock And Pop Guitars, The Wellington Arms, Bridport Music).

Something of a ska supergroup, Skaville UK feature ex-members of Bad Manners and The Selecter, and are fronted by ex- Bodysnatchers/ Special AKA vocalist Rhoda Dakar – whose astonishing single The Boiler remains one of the scariest things I’ve ever heard. Sterling support is provided by Boy Le Monti.

Further still along the pop culture timeline, early booking is strongly advised for the remarkable triple bill of Bonehead, Butterfly Bangs and The Dirty Sleeves (Lazy Lizard, Weymouth, Friday, December 12, doors open 9pm, £5 advance/£6 at the door, tickets from 01305 766901). That’s right, the Bonehead, ex-guitarist with Oasis, who will be presenting a live DJ set with peerless support from two of the classiest bands to emerge from this neck of the woods.

Now, as the festive season gathers pace around us despite crippling odds against, here is encouraging news from The Dolmen. The band have just released a Yule single, Bringing The Outside In, which couples a metaphor for the re-emergence of old pagan ways and beliefs into mainstream acceptance with a stonking, Marc Bolanesque riff structure.

The single, which has been available for download since Monday, is registering at the top of the chart for the 7digital instore download site and features the band with guest musician Damh the Bard. Get downloading now at indiestore.7digital.com/thedolmen Finally, thanks go to Weymouth’s Chantelle And The Koppy Kats for sending in their own Christmas single, written by Laurence Merritt, called Santa Man.

Commendably, Chantelle wants to ‘spread Christmas cheer around Weymouth’, and interested parties are directed forthwith to www.dorsetecho.co.uk/leisure/music/ banddemos where the song can indeed be heard.