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The Crown and Anchor, lovingly known as the CRANKER, squeezed the glam rockers Laced In Lust between the mighty punk trio Wolfpack and hard rock slammers the Dead City Ruins. I have an affliction where I am capable of listening to glam, say the mighty Queen pre-1982 recordings, but completely unable to listen to the American cock-rock glam of Poison, Motley and the other transgender bands of that era. The only exception is Twisted Sister, who have a reprieve because Dee Snyder had the balls, ironic I know, to stand up to the censorship of Tipper Gore. So it’s etched in my mind that metal is the work of the devil and therefore good but men in lingerie and enough hairspray to create a Greenpeace incident are not good. So when I hear that the next band up are glam I have to chat to the guitarist Vivian Jones.
So let’s start this carefully before I blurt out, ‘Do you play Poison or Cinderella’. So I find out that the band have two EPs out and are currently recording their first album. They intend to play a couple of tunes from that recording tonight. Excellent start, so I ask about touring habits and find out the band have been all across Australia, through Germany and played a gig in the UK. They have plans to return to Germany and are finalising a spot at the festival. You know, it’s time to ask the question, ‘Do you guys play Poison’. Luckily I get the answer I was hoping for, ‘No WAY! Fuck Off!!’ Excellent let’s get the gig started.
The band fire off a couple of new tracks and it’s a bit rusty. Big effort, but a bit of a misfire at the beginning but then it clicks and they are into it. Hold on this isn’t cock-rock. The guitarist Sex Pistols t-shirt is a bit of a giveaway, and there is a real aggression in the riffs that the four piece put together. Having a vocalist that plays guitar as well certainly helps things along. It’s all going well and the vocalist’s Skid Row t-shirt is not having the negative affect that I was expecting.
Then we get the best song of the night which was, ‘Pretty Fucked Up’. This isn’t a comment on the performance but the title of the winner for the night. On vocals for this one was bass player Oopie, who delivered the song with a Joy Division approach which suited me just fine. Great performance. When that song finished they just seemed to gel and they were off. Power stancing, posing, arse wiggling, strutting and every other glam stunt was performed with an enthusiasm that got everyone going. Yep, there he is, Jake from Dead City Ruins having a bop in the middle of the room, just letting it rip. This is glam, but not as I know it. Okay, so the vocalist looks like he has come to the gig direct from the 80’s, having just left the sunset strip, but the guitar riffs are punk bites and the bass is far too accomplished and recognisable as bass in the mix to call this American glam. The drummer also appears to be able to complete a song without screwing it up so it’s definitely not cock rock glam.
Anyway, who am I to judge this because this band have proven themselves tonight, and in gigs across Australia and in Europe. We have to remember that these guys had to follow Wolfpack, then do the lead in for Dead City Ruins. The audience enjoyed it and not only am I appeased, but I am converted to their version of glam. I’m urging you to check out Laced In Lust, and look out for them at a festival near you, they deserve to do well.
In a night of many firsts for me, this is also the first time that I have received a setlist on Hello Kitty stationery. You are all class guys.
The setlist for Laced in Lust was:-
Lip Service
Party’s Over
On Parole
Firing Lines
Pretty Fucked Up
Black Heart
Hot to Trot
I’m Alone
Fire
Laced in Lust
Torsten Steel – Lead Vox/Guitar
Vivian Jones – Lead Guitar/Vox
Oopie- Bass/Vox
Russell Boyd – Drums/Vox
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Reviewed by: Craig Grant
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