Words I thought I'd never get to write, or a band I never thought I'd get to see live, Wasted Youth are back, but this is actually the last show they will ever play possibly! As this comes at the end of the bands 4-month long reformation 40 years after they broke up. A re-animation that has seen line-up changes and shows at the Royal Albert Hall. Although I managed to screw up and miss the show at the Lexington that I'd managed to get tickets for, this is my first time to see the real Wasted Youth live having been a fan since about 1984 or so. To say I was excited by this prospect is putting things mildly.
The only previous time over the years that I thought I was getting to see Wasted Youth in the early 1990's it turned out to be the American Hardcore band, who I saw in Los Angeles and they were a disappointment, this show however was a total delight.
The bands line-up for this final show is Ken Scott on vocals and keyboards, Rocco Barker Guitar and vocals, Ray Sonic Hanson on Guitar, TC on Bass and Alan Temple on drums. They also had an un-named Tambourine/maracas player. For this show they were for the first time ever playing two sets, the first of which was all of the classic Wild And Wandering album and the second set was singles and b-sides.
The Powerhaus (or Dingwalls if you can't get over the name change) was packed by the time they came on stage to a rapturous welcome, looking mainly like Wasted Grandad rather than Wasted Youth but the years dropped away as they launched into the dark brooding menace of Maybe We'll Die and Rocco's guitar sounded timeless and magical as Ken held onto his walking cane as he sang with so much passion.
Housewife was next dark brooding and menacing as Ken barked out the line "Your lying in the kitchen overdosed, You're such a Housewife" making clear we all know how the line is meant, as Ray Hanson's guitar parts intertwined perfectly with what Rocco, as ever bequiffed and looking like a total rocker, brought this great song back to life.
For Games Ken really animated the lyrics as he sang them and making lots of moves that belied the fact that he looks like a very dapper elderly gent these days. Before they did Pinned And Grinning Ken told us it's a song they've never played live before, so it was a real treat to hear live and it left me wondering why they'd never bothered to play it live before, as the tale of just how out of it you were as you grinned back at them, I'm sure most of the audience were grinning by this point anyway.
As a decidedly louche version of Wasted unfolded from its slow spoken word intro with all of the stolen lyric lines it was clear as Ken sang we love you that the feeling was totally mutual, with everybody present, as we listened to this elegantly Wasted band sound wonderfully tight and taut and just totally on it.
From the first notes of I Wish I Was A Girl the crowd were ready to sing along and go mad and as finally Darren Murphy had been replaced by TC they actually had a girl onstage and her bass was spot on, emphasizing the chant of "I Wish I was A Girl I've Never Kissed a Girl" that almost everyone was singing along too even after the music stopped the chant continued.
If Tomorrow comes and Wasted Youth never play together again, we will all still be happy, but this version was brilliantly spot on, as the melodrama at the core of the song unfolds it went totally wild with plenty of wandering guitar from both Rocco and Ray.
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As they tried to sail away on Survivors Pt 1 that slowly built before they then sped through Charlie & Harry like they had far more Charlie running through there brains than Harry it sounded just brilliant to hear this song live finally, yes of course it is the intro and opening of Survivors Pt 2 and it seemed miraculous that we had some actual survivors up on stage, still able to play as well as this, who were well deserving of a break to go and have a cup of tea or whatever else Wasted Pensioners need.
After the break, during which both Ken and Rocco had some costume changes, they opened the singles and B-sides set with the band's first single and a song that was also on the band's first demo tape Little Jack and well it still sounds pretty vital.
Next was the b-side to My Friends Are Dead and great version of I'll remember you, well it was great that everyone present had remembered Wasted Youth and I won't forget this great show soon that's certain.
We then got the a-side and a super bass heavy version of My Friends Are Dead a song that has only grown in meaning in the intervening 40 years as the amount of dead friends they have has grown.
Sticking with the same 12" single for a brilliant version of Baby that took us way down to the city and beyond with precision drumming and Rocco twisting his guitar lines brilliantly. Obviously then we got the final song on the Maxi 12" Jealousy that was good and slow with plenty of emphasis on why you were as jealous as you obviously were.
We then got a deliciously dark version of Man Found Dead In Graveyard that was also the point in the show that Ken encouraged Sonic Ray Hanson to really let rip on a truly brilliant guitar solo full of pain and twisted energy almost like he was trying to revive the dead man.
Ken then performed the lyrics to I Can't Come as a very short poem by way of intro into the legendary Paris, France that got everyone singing along again and just going nuts for this song about those poor little french boys, it was such a thrill to hear this played live and a perfect way to end the set.
Of course they came back for a well deserved encore and left us with a brilliant garage rock nugget style blast through Do The Caveman that was pin sharp and a stunning way to end a great nights music, with one of the bands I can finally say I've got to see live after a near 40 year wait, needless to say I left the Powerhaus a very happy man indeed and am looking forward to seeing the other Ken Scott tonight at the British Library.
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