Live Review: Chelsea – The Underworld, Camden

The DeRellas overcome broken strings and possible electrocution to deliver a fast-paced spikey set of Ramones ‘N’ Roll Punk tunes. ‘Sin City’, ‘She’s A Pistol’ and ‘Freak Show’ all help jab the healthy-sized crowd into life. However, it’s new single ‘High Rise Supersize’ that really smears the jet boy lipstick with its well-crafted trash can kicking catchy flow. The heat has brought out some odd fashion accessories in the Chelsea crowd including knee supports, old tour T-shirts and err sandals… That said Chelsea frontman Gene October is Punk resplendent in a Purple ‘n’ white motorcycle top, black jeans, a studded belt and biker boots. The Seventy year old singer looks decades younger and it’s only the lived in Weatherspoon eyes that hint at his seven decades. The band are tight and the audience muted but they are soon warmed with some timeless Punk nuggets. ‘12 Men’, ‘C’mon’ and new album title track ‘Mission Impossible’ neatly cover four decades of these original Punksters.. The day’s anti-Trump demonstrations are summed up in Gene’s inevitable style “he’s just a publicity-seeking c **t”, yep, sounds about right. Both ‘No Flowers’ and ‘Johnny’s Has No Respect’ are eclipsed by the stupendous ‘No One’s Coming Outside’. The anthemic end of set street rocker ‘Right To Work’ rounds off another night of Chelsea Punk ‘N’ Roll. Forty years…we’re all getting older but not necessarily wiser.