The Poppies are back on patrol! This time round to celebrate their ‘94 indie-alt-punk-hip-hop opus Dos Dedos Mis Amigos! This could get lively! This was their swan-song record, pre the later reformation that’s spawned three more records, but there’s not been any new output in a decade… although maybe not for much longer it seems. That’s not stopped them touring though and to be honest with a back catalogue like theirs, they’re forgiven for reliving the past. Plus they are an excellent live act. PWEI were never the darlings of any scene, they were the perfect outsiders, but how many of their peers are still out on the road. No one really. There’s no one like Pop Will Eat Itself. They still sound as vital now as they did when they first appeared not far off 40 years ago. 40 years! Wow you’d think maybe they grown up by now… thankfully nope! They bounce on stage like excited children into a jam packed Academy 2. This is a devout crowd that’s remained over the years and is out in force tonight. They intro with a twist on ‘The Incredible PWEI’ which gets everyone limbered up, but when ‘Karmadrome’ follows it is something else. It’s like someone’s just hit the red button labelled Danger! Do Not Press. On the shout of “GO” the room erupts. Then the sirens go off and they hit us with ‘PWEIzation’. The beats are fast and heavy, the buzz guitars ferocious. It sets the pace and for 90 minutes they barely let up. Fuck me it’s an assault on the senses as the bass wobbles and Graham and Mary trade lines on ‘Not Now James, We’re Busy’. Layered up with even more guitar it sounds incredible. ‘Disco Misfits’ is new and sounds decent. There are some moans in the crowd behind me that really should shut the fuck up. If a band wants to write and play new stuff, bring it on. There’s some movement as people bugger off to the bar and one ambitious punter manages to guide three pints back into the pit without spilling a drop, which I have to admit is impressive. “If you’re not warmed up, you will be after this” threatens Graham as they tear into ‘Their Law’, ironically as one punter is dragged out by security. Shame for him, he misses an absolute monster. The riff is deadly and it conjures mayhem. Can the Academy fucking pogo? Yes it fucking can!! Bloody hell, you can’t tell where one body starts and another ends. Surely all those pints haven’t survived. You might be wondering what happened to Dos Dedos Mis Amigos. I was wondering this myself. It’s a novel approach, but they’ve decided to get everyone hyped first, which I’ve got to admit is very effective and I’m a little shocked that I’ve not seen other bands do this. Not that you need to get hyped up when the first song on your record is ‘Ich Bin Ein Auslander’. It’s packed with wit and venom and once again has the entire room screaming the lyrics and punching the air. Mary loses his glasses but recovers as ‘Kick to Kill’ goes off. It keeps its bounce from the record, but I love the sped up punky time changes thrown in for the chorus. I’m expecting ‘Familus Horribilus’ next, but no, it’s ‘Menofearthereaper’. I’d expected track by track, but the Poppies have other ideas as they glide through one of the records more sedate songs, albeit with once again some extra flourishes. The gear shifts again for ‘Everything’s Cool’ indicating that this is going to be a cherry picked set rather than album in full. Everyone’s encouraged to join in the “woop woop” bit and even I do! I do not do this at gigs. Ever. But I’m drawn in. I’m edging closer to the front railing too. They’re infectious. I’m reminded just how good this record is as ‘RSVP’ washes into the blissful ‘Babylon’ but no, what’s this? Those buzz guitars are back as this too is given an overhaul, picking up the bpm. This is the final track and appears to be the end of DDMA as we get walloped with ‘Get the Girl! Kill the Baddies!’ next. It’s marvellous, the pit surges and it’s around about now that I realise that PWEI might be one of my favourite bands, ever. Another new one, ‘Bruiser’ is next. “You can dance to this one, let’s see what you’ve got”. shouts Graham. It’s probably expecting too much for it to be loved instantly, but it gets a good reception and sets up ‘Wise Up! Sucker’ that sends everyone crazy, before the pure delirium of ‘Def Con One’. These are proper banging crowd pleasers, samples twisting through the riffs as the party hits its zenith and we collectively lose our shit. ‘Vive le Rok’ is another new one that calms things down. It’s possibly the best of the three that get aired tonight. It’s heavy on the breakbeats and feels a bit spacier. That said the crowd reaction was better for ‘Bruiser’ but this is the one I’d like to hear recorded.‘ back to the hits with Bulletproof!’. It’s straight up route one ear candy and probably their most simple song, but live it’s bloody good fun. ‘Dance of the Mad Bastards’ follows and is so fast the pit can’t keep up. I think everyone is feeling the strain, but it marks the set close before they return with ‘Can U Dig It?’. It’s a great way to finish and we’re close to curfew but I want more. Greedy I know, but they really are that good. After a packed set that kept me on my toes with hits, deep cuts and promising new songs, I’ve got no complaints and they get the sort of rousing applause they deserve. Come back soon lads, let’s do that again.
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