Ruts DC are approaching 50 years as a band and showing no signs of slowing down, currently touring celebrating 45 years since the bands second album Grin & Bear it came out, encouraging them to play a few more songs from the album, while dropping one of the albums most painful classics.
For this Sunday night show they didn't bother with a support act coming on and opening with a brash version of Vox Teardrop, Segs may have been asking what went wrong, but really nothing was about to go wrong in this set, Leigh's explosive guitar solo staying far more in tune than if he was playing a Vox Teardrop, Something That I Said had plenty of bite and Segs tried to act all innocent while most of the audience sang along. Segs made clear that the message in Mighty Soldier shouldn't still be relevant, but sadly it is, dubby bass and Ruffy's cavernous drums helped get across the message to lay down your guns and stop fighting pointless wars.
The first song they played from Grin & Bear It was one of the albums big hits, that S.U.S. a song that seems these days to be about I.C.E. in the USA rather than London is still relevant ins sad, this slowly skanked and built around Ruffy's extra drum and what it added. Segs pointed out at the end that the police no longer look at him with suspicion, Segs told us they almost never play Demolition Dancing from Grin & Bear It, I know I've not heard it live before, we are still Demolition Dancing for certain, Leigh's angry glam punk guitar, countering Segs funky punk bass. The prophetic Too Much a song loaded with meaning and pain, kinetic beats and Ruffy's high backing vocals.
Segs made sure we never forget we are all Born Innocent it's just life that corrupts us, unlike the super tight Ruts DC who will never be mistaken for that Back Biter, bitter twisted guitar notes and Segs angriest barbs at splenetic pace. Recent classic Counterculture made plain that if you don't fight the system in some ways, while wondering whatever happened to subversive counter culture activities that birthed Ruts 50 years ago, this song gets better live every time I hear it.
Back to Grin & Bear It for a stonking deep dubby Love In Vain with Ruffy and Leigh's soul boy harmonies, They then dug out Give Youth A Chance a message that couldn't be more pertinent in world politics right now, the chant along chorus sounded great. Faces In The Sky kept the angry guitar and Ruffy enjoying his new drumkit's powerhouse sound. Secret Soldier was another almost never played Grin & Bear It nugget sounded super sharp, before we all Paid In Blood again dark dubby with some nice twists. Segs was happy as always to introduce the opening track of Grin & Bear It, West One (Shine On Me) one of the live staples that always gets everyone singing along.
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I agree with Segs that listening to Ruts DC is a most effective way to Kill The Pain of modern living, regular dosing is most advised, if only we could convince all our politicians to stop playing Poison Games Segs is so sick of it all, while sounding 100% life affirming. Heavy dub bass and drums for a colossal Jah Wars the led us to the bands first single on the People Unite label ,that is the bands clear message, People should unite so we no longer have to be In A Rut the whole time, everyone singing ready for Babylon's Burning letting them get even hotter so intensely brilliant. They then slowed things a touch to close with Psychic Attack something we all seem to be under on a permanent basis while the inevitable freaked out conclusion of the set.
Once we had all gone mad and got Ruts DC back for an encore Dave Ruffy came out to thank us all for showing up, with both him and Segs making clear they will keep playing great shows like this as long as people show up for it. Before dedicating Pretty Lunatics to Pritt-Stick Patel whose madness inspired it, and to all the bands fans who are the Ruts own army of Pretty Lunatics who still believe we can all live in peace and harmony, before closing with one more song from Grin & Bear It the immortal hit Staring At The Rude Boys played fast with a couple of great false endings leaving everyone smiling at having heard almost all of Grin & Bear It.
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