THEATRE OF HATE + SKIDS – THE CON CLUB, LEWES 28.10.26
Tonight’s gig was not part of the original 2026 co-headline tour, but due to a venue drop out and a chance meeting between Kirk Brandon, singer and main protagonist with Theatre Of Hate, and Paddy Hennessey, the manager of Lewes Con Club, we find ourselves here for the night.
With several storms over the last week we are luckily greeted by fair weather for our drive over from Bexhill. No hold ups, plenty of parking, and a good easy walk to the venue (by way of the chippy – well you just have to).
LCC is a very popular club putting on a very diverse mix of bands and productions, so with ticket holders and club members it is already filling up.
With the first band the Skids due to come on around 20:00, Kirk (ToH) is keen to meet the fans and crowd for this evening, and is wandering around catching up with friends old and new.
Hailing from Dunfermline in 1977, the Skids were at the forefront of post-punk. Richard Jobson is the only original member from those heady days, very ably accompanied by Connor Whyte (guitar), Peter Byrchmore (bass) and Nick Hernandez (drums).
Making a total of 12 appearances on the iconic TV music show ‘Top Of The Pops’ between 1978 and 1980, the Skids were always in the public eye, and with tunes like ‘Into The Valley’ (their most popular and easily recognisable track), an ardent following was always going to be assured.
At bang on 20:17, Richard Jobson accompanied the rest of the band onto stage. ‘Of One Skin’ from the 1979 debut album ‘Scared To Dance’, which gradually builds up as the audience senses what is coming. Closing your eyes Richard’s voice is as strong and ‘Scottish’ as ever; barely changing from the late 70s punk scene. At 70 it is already evident he has lost none of his energy and enthusiasm for what he does best. ‘Melancholy Soldiers’ from the same album, follows straight on, leaving Richard asking how we appreciate it so far; the excuse being he needed to catch his breath – by his own admission he’s not in his teens anymore!
“So how is Lewes? Middle class isn’t it. You have a Waitrose!”. Anecdotes follow about the much-missed Stuart Adamson, and how they would sit and write songs together, and leap about the stage. “We wrote this next track together and it was recorded for ‘Top Of The Pops’, but never aired. I did get to meet one of Pan’s People though – I was 16 and she was 28” he said with a glint in his eye. Someone in the audience heckled back “She wasn’t fussy” I believe the reply ended in “OFF” but with a smile.
So, ‘Sweet Suburbia’ their debut single from 1978 which reached No.70 was next on the setlist, followed by ‘The Saints Are Coming’ again from the debut album. Richard shared another anecdote from a younger member of a previous audience who asked why they covered a U2 track; his reply “I got all Scottish” and again ended in “OFF”. Although he did also mention that if it hadn’t been for Green Day and U2 covering this, then the Skids would probably not be still performing now, and then hauntingly finishing off ‘Saints’ acapella.
‘Hurry On Boys’ from the 1980 third album ‘The Absolute Game’ greets us with its tribal feel and sing-a-long lyrics. This isn’t a track to stand back and watch; arms stretched and fists pumping, are where we are at by this time. Not letting up, we drop back to the previous second album from 1979, ‘Days In Europa’ with ‘Charade’ which reached No.31. The lead track from ‘The Absolute Game’ comes hot on its heels – penned as the last track to involve Stuart Adamson before he left to form Big Country. Richard encouraged everyone into the chorus “Come and play circus games…”.
“It’s hard to hide from social media and one’s own past” Richard says at another break, “I brought up my two kids in Germany and dropping them off to school, another kid asked if their dad was in a band; they didn’t know as I had not told them. They looked me up and were rather surprised. They didn’t comment on the band’s stardom nor the music, only asking what on earth was I wearing, and called me a wanker. I am still a wanker but the music speaks for itself even after all these years.”
It would appear this next song is another very relevant track nowadays, that Richard “wrote the lyrics at 15 and Stuart applied his magic to it, and it means more today than when we wrote it as kids, because if that absolutely revolting carcass of a man that’s in charge of the world at the moment…” (no idea who he meant here lol) ‘Working For The Yankee Dollar’ from the 1979 ‘Days In Europa’ album and standalone single that reached No.20 in the charts, in 1979 is up next. The staccato drum line has everyone’s attention and the crowd erupts.
The 1979 single ‘Masquerade’ which reached No.14, comes up quickly after – how on earth Richard finds this level of energy is beyond me; leaping around across the stage back and forth that a lot in their 40s would struggle with.
Front and centre of the stage Peter (bass), takes his place and we know what is coming next; a thundering bassline that heralds ‘Into The Valley’ lead track from the ‘Scared To Dance’ debut album and standalone single that reached No.10 in the charts, in 1979. This track also highlights Connor’s sublime guitar playing – a VERY able Stuart Adamson player in his own right. Camera phones are videoing this whilst the audience is raising fists in the chorus accompanying “Ahoy Ahoy”.
Next up is the decidedly more guitar driven track ‘Olympian’ again from ‘Days In Europa’, followed by altogether more laid back ‘Arena’ from ‘The Absolute Game’.
“Well that’s it, we must get along as there is another band up next” Richard smiles and says “we forgot a song…. The WORST song of all time”.
So we finish our time with the Skids with Albert Tatlock, or more correctly the B-side to ‘Into The Valley’, which is ‘TV Stars’…. “ALBERT TATLOCK, ALBERT TATLOCK”.
Skids:
Richard Jobson – lead vocals
Connor Whyte – guitar, vocals
Peter Byrchmore – bass, vocals
Nick Hernandez – drums
Skids setlist:
‘Of One Skin’ (from 1979 ‘Scared To Dance’ album)
‘Melancholy Soldiers’ (from 1979 ‘Scared To Dance’ album)
‘Sweet Suburbia’ (a 1978 single)
‘The Saints Are Coming’ (from 1978 ‘Wide Open’ EP)
‘Hurry On Boys’ (from 1980 ‘The Absolute Game’ album)
‘Charade’ (from 1979 ‘Days In Europa’ album)
‘Circus Games’ (from 1980 ‘The Absolute Game’ album)
‘Working For The Yankee Dollar’ (from 1979 ‘Days In Europa’ album)
‘Masquerade’ (a 1979 single)
‘Into The Valley’ (from 1979 ‘Scared To Dance’ album)
‘The Olympian’ (from 1979 ‘Days In Europa’ album)
‘Arena’ (from 1980 ‘The Absolute Game’ album)
‘TV Stars’ (from 1979 ‘Into The Valley’ single)
Following on from Kirk’s previous band The Pack, he formed Theatre Of Hate along with Luke Rendle (drums), Steve Guthrie (guitar), and John Lennard (saxophone), and bassist Stan Stammers.
Singles were released during 1980-81 with the debut live album also in 1981, and studio album produced by Mick Jones of The Clash, later the same year. 1982 saw the dissolution of the original line-up, with Billy Duffy joining and drummer Rendle being replaced by Nigel Pearson.
The new line-up released the single ‘Do You Believe In The Westworld?’ which gained the band a ‘Top Of The Pops’ appearance, and followed up with the album ‘Westworld’ in February 1982. The single ‘The Hop’ followed in May of the same year, and ‘Eastworld’ was the last release before the band split.
So with that brief synopsis in place, we turn to tonight’s performance…
Richard Wagner’s ‘Ride Of The Valkyries’ accompanies Stan, Clive, and Chris’s entrance, with Kirk up last – crowd very enthusiastic to see him take up his Gretsch guitar. A wave back and we are straight into it.
Unusually, the first track is a cover, albeit one from his later band the Spear Of Destiny, ‘Grapes Of Wrath’, from the 1983 debut album of the same name. There are echoes of Southern Death Cult, ‘Kings’ period Adam Ant, and North American Indian, contained within Kirk’s voice and his haunting guitar contrasts very well.
‘Slave’ is next up with its slower beat, and echoing vocals, with Stan’s jacket coming off as the heat rises, followed by ‘The Hop’ showing that Kirk’s guitar picking style has not diminished in the intervening 44 years. Read that again, FORTY-FOUR years….seems like only yesterday. Less of the American Indian influence here, with a hark back to a more ‘stand up for yourself’ kind of feeling from the very early 80s. (another layer of Stan’s clothing is cast aside).
‘My Own Invention’ with its metronomic drum beat has the crowd up on the balls of their feet, and with Clive using what sounded like 2 saxes (he wasn’t). The sound filled the room and bounced itself around the bopping heads. Stan is retaining his remaining clothing now it seems.
Instead of removing clothing Stan takes centre stage and cups his ear showing he wants a cheer at the very least – it is very much forthcoming and we are taken into ‘Thing Of Beauty’ the title track from the 2020 ‘Utsukushi-sa (A Thing Of Beauty)’ album, showing us that Theatre Of Hate can still pen a powerful song and Kirk’s voice is fuller and richer than even back in their beginnings. Several of the audience are now so engrossed they are spilling their drinks, with the movement and swaying to Kirk’s masterful vocals, the wistful saxophone from Clive, and tribal drumming.
Up until now the classic Gretsch 6120 (if you know, then you most definitely know what this guitar is all about), has been in action, but there is now a change over to what looks like a custom built Gretsch similar to the 6120, but this time in blonde flamed maple with runic symbols portraying KIRK on the fingerboard …. Oops for a moment I was ogling a guitar and not paying attention to everything else around me!
‘The Wake’, ‘Façade’, ‘Poppies’, ‘Nero’ bring us up to the staccato drumming of ‘Incinerator’ with its much more Spear Of Destiny sound. And by now, the previous spilt drinks are now just empty plastic cups held in the hand, weaving through the air and pumped into the air.
A rare moment of conversation from Kirk – clearly preferring to let his tracks speak for themselves – has him saying “Nice to be here in Lewes”. To which there are cries of “we love you Kirk” from the audience.
The track we have all been waiting for, and for the uninitiated probably the only track they would recognise, thunders into Lewes on the back of the drum beat and clapping. Kirk steps up with his guitar and introduces us to Tombstone and we are back in the Wild West; or the Westworld. ‘Do You Believe In The Westworld?’ brings the cowboys of old onto stage, with the Native Indians adding their collective tuppence to the choral sections. THIS track is a masterpiece in the way ‘Dog Eat Dog’ was/is for Adam Ant and his American inspirations.
‘You Can’t Stop What’s Coming’ gives us the feeling of a gig coming to an end with its saxophone driven melodies, and Kirk’s vocals over in a more operatic version of himself. And yet, the final track is ‘Propaganda’ which is a much more energetic and upbeat track and feels much more post-punk with guitar driven backing and driving bass lines. Drumming almost feels like it is running through an echo machine. It is so fast – how can you drum like this?.
And on that note, beat and echoes of words sung, we draw to an end. “Thank you so much for coming out at such short notice. Thank you to the Skids, and now the unemployed will take their leave of you…”. With that, the evening is over. Indeed it was a short notice gig for all concerned, including me the reviewer and my husband the photographer; we had but a couple of hours to prepare for this one…
Theatre Of Hate:
Kirk Brandon – lead vocals, guitar
Stan Stammers – bass, backing vocals
Clive Osborne – saxophone
Chris Bell – drums
Theatre Of Hate setlist:
(Intro tape) ‘Ride Of The Valkyries’ by Richard Wagner
‘Die Walküre’ (Vera Schlosser song)
‘Grapes Of Wrath’ (from 1983 Spear Of Destiny ‘Grapes Of Wrath’ album)
‘Slave’ (from 2014 ‘Slave’ EP)
‘The Hop’ (from 1982 ‘The Hop’ single)
‘My Own Invention’ (from 1981 ‘Rebel Without A Brain’ single)
‘A Thing Of Beauty’ (from 2020 ‘Utsukushi-sa (A Thing Of Beauty)’ album)
‘Judgement Hymn’ (from 1982 ‘Westworld’ album)
‘The Wake’ (from 1982 ‘Westworld’ album)
‘Facade’ (from 2016 ‘Kinshi’ album)
‘Poppies’ (from 1981 ‘Live At The Lyceum’ cassette)
‘Nero’ (from 1981 ‘Nero’ single)
‘Incinerator’ (from 1981 ‘Nero’ single)
‘Do You Believe In The Westworld?’ (from 1982 ‘Westworld’ album)
‘You Can’t Stop What’s Coming’ (from 2020 ‘Utsukushi-sa (A Thing Of Beauty)’ album)
‘Propaganda’ (from 1982 ‘Do You Believe In The Westworld?’ single)
