Tonight’s, almost, sold-out show is an early one with the Dead Kennedys hitting the Ballroom boards at the bizarre time of 815 pm. This doesn’t deter the DK logo wearing masses from showing the band they haven’t forgotten the songs that helped shape punks second American generation. It’s been said that this incarnation of the band is no more than a Dead Kennedys cover which is both cruel, unfair and to a certain extent true. But hey-ho the band can still play and as East Bay Ray delivers shimmering riff after riff the former frontman drifts into the distant punk mist. Lead singer Skip holds it all together with some funny and some not so funny stage rants while keeping the songs tight and razor blade close to the originals. ‘Police Truck’ is still a monster as is ‘Let’s The Lynch The Landlord’ but it’s ‘Kill The Poor’ that really sends the pogo-ing front five rows into 80’s overdrive. ‘Too Drunk To Fuck’, ‘Nazi Punk Fuck Off’ and our history repeating itself anthem ‘California Uber Alles’ keep the beers flying as Skip takes to the barrier to indulge in some Kennedys karaoke. The encore just has to include the infamous cover of ‘Viva Las Vegas’ which gets a Taylor Swift mesh-up before Klaus Fluoride bass intro sends the Ballroom crowd into a frenzy as ‘Holiday In Cambodia’ engulfs the bustling ballroom. So an hour or so of filler, killer and Punk’s most memorable cuts delivered Dead Kennedys circa 2019 style. Even with little or nothing new to report since the last time they played London back in 2017 the band are still a great nostalgic night out, and now with the added bonus of being home in time for Newsnight.