Posted on July 26, 2010 - by Post Punk

The Bermondsey Joyriders

The Bermondsey Joyriders

The 100 Club
London, UK
Friday July 9th

What do you get when you cross classic London 1977 punk with addictive power-chorded rock ‘n’ roll and a heavy sprinkling of Johnny Thunders? Something not far off The Bermonsdey Joyriders – the missing link between the 60s and the 70s. Gary Lammin (ex-Cock Sparrer guitarist) and Martin Stacey (ex-Chelsea guitarist) are joined on the drums by guest-for-one-night-only, the formidable Rat Scabies (ex-The Damned drummer).

The Bermondsey Joyriders are a band that puts angular, on-cue drumming and slide guitar effects at its centre. They break open with an instrumental warm-up to precede their best release, ‘All That Darkness’. This is brought into play with the brilliant precision drumming of The Damned’s ex-man, Rat Scabies, who makes a guest appearance in place of TBJ’s Keith Boyce, for an unforgettable night at The 100 Club.

If Johnny Thunders was alive today, quite simply this would be his spin-off to the New York Dolls. It’s heavy

The Bermondsey Joyriders

enough to deter its glam roots and interesting enough to breath in variation in the form of gritty, bluesy funk. ‘Runnin Riot’ and ‘Part Of My Problem’ are hot off the pressing line of Johansen’s Dolls, whereas ‘Football’ is freshly spun, country-tinged blues rock. And then there’s a reversion to pure and simple street meets Oi! anthem, ‘Who R Ya?’

On first listen, The Bermondsey Joyriders could be accused of layering repetitive chords in a succession of full-blown out songs, but on closer inspection there’s a filtering of a ‘rock through the ages’ agenda, which meets and greets any branded, replica idol punk band with contempt. And with new songs aired tonight they are clearly expanding from their humble Bermondsey roots. Definitely likely to grow on you.