Dropkick Murphys, Norwich Uni
I missed the God Awfuls because of fuck ups on the door, but was well established for THE BOUNCING SOULS, beer in hand, mate by my side – the best way to watch any punk gig. As soon as they came on with the storming 'Apartment 5F' the place went nuts and in front of the stage a weird, juddering beer fountain seemed to spurt up as people started dancing regardless of pint status. Greg Attonito seemed to be a step behind the rest of the band in terms of enthusiasm (either that or well pissed) as he staggered around the LCR's stage while the rest of the Souls threw themselves about with abandon. The biggest cheers of the night were for 'Kids and Heroes' and a fantastic 'Hopeless Romantic' and even if it wasnt the most engaging of performances the BS's songs are strong enough to whip any self-respecting crowd up into a frenzy, and that's precisely what they did. Not the perfect show, but damn fine all the same (7).
But when the “Let's Go Murphys” chants begin in earnest it's obvious that the mighty DROPKICK MURPHYS are going to be welcomed as heroes, even thought they've never visited Norwich before. With one of the best crowds I've ever been in, comprising of old schoolers, kids with parents and everyone else, the DKMs ripped out classic after classic. 'Sing Loud Sing Proud' and 'Barroom Hero' made everyone go nuts while the band mixed traditional folk-inflected music with a heavier branch of punk rock – combining so many disparate instruments and retaining such a level of tightness throughout is no mean feat and is a testament to how well-versed this band is in playing live.
Newer material like 'Blackout' was received as well as the classic set-closer 'Boys on The Docks', with Al Barr literally marshalling the crowd from start to finish. A great cover of 'Guns Of Brixton' was a particular highpoint as it made the entire room start dancing and even during the poignantly low-key 'Forever' they held the attention of everyone within earshot. It says a lot that the worst moment of the gig was when they stopped playing, before for an hour and a half DKM were the only band on the planet – if there's still time to catch them before they head back to Boston, make sure you do (10).
Ben
Cheers to Scott and Nita for sorting this 'un.
(Interviews with DKM and Bouncing Souls to follow)
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