Peter and The Test Tube Babies/C-30’s/Toxic Fruit Cake

Mr Kyps, Poole

It’s cold, its Thursday night, and its Punk night. Opening up tonight are Blandford based Punk covers outfit Toxic Fruit Cake who I’m reliably informed are playing only their 3rd gig. They waste no time launching straight into the Sex Pistols ‘Bodies’. The vocals are harsh, and not particularly Punky but they don’t disappoint with a set culled from their extensive Punk back catalogue. The Levellers even get the “Toxic treatment” with some prominent guitar work on “15 Years” and all in all its a great set from these guys who end with an Oi cover in the shape of “Drinkin’ and Drivin” by The Business.

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No strangers to this stage are the C-30’s who amble on and give us their brand of Punk/Grunge within their set. Tonight’s performance is much more polished and cleaner sounding than at other venues-Kyps clearly “on the button” with the sound (Champions take note!). Regular followers will recognise the excellent “Beach Bum” and “Rot ‘n’ Rollercoaster” but all their songs sound good tonight. Andy (lead vox/guitar is patrolling the stage with energy while Paul (bass/vox) remains at his mic most of the set. Dave’s drumming is as powerful as ever and put simply,tonight C-30’s are “on it”! Sing-along crowd favourite “Wake Up” is as good as ever and they end on a high with “Trash City Burning”.

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And so to Peacehaven’s finest. For this reviewer its a first having only listened to P&TTTB’s on vinyl. Tonight they are in great form opening with the classic “Moped Lads”. Vocalist Peter gurns and smiles in equal measure throughout the evening,clearly enjoying himself. Humour aside these guys know how to get the crowd going with a mixture of classic tunes and self-invited heckling. Peter invites a chorus of “you fat bastard” with a line about local colleges providing courses in “heckling”. His retort is swift but for the sake of political correctness I wont subject it to print-I guess you just had to be there! More classics follow in the shape of “Jinx”, “Shit Stirrer” and “(Spirit of) Keith Moon”.

The biggest pit of the night ensues during the brilliant ‘Banned From The Pubs’,bettered only by “Blown Out Again”. “Caveman” Dave on drums is powerful throughout but its Del’s guitar work that steals the show. With his musicianship he’d get in any band-Punk or otherwise. Thankfully he’s a Babies mainstay,long may that continue. Returning for an encore they deliver a slowed down “Elvis is Dead” to which we all sing along to before ending with “September Part 2”. More excellent guitar work from Del and a thunderous ending from the Caveman. I never witnessed these guys live ‘back in the day’ but if tonight is anything to go by then there’s years left in them. Fantastic gig, fantastic night at the South’s finest venue.

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Set Lists
Peter And The Test Tube Babies
Moped Lads
Run Like Hell
Jinx
Never Made It
Unlucky Day
Shit Stirrer
Up Yer Bum
Spirit of Keith Moon
Untidy
Shake My World
Transvestite
Manics
Banned From The Pubs
Blown Out Again
Elvis Is Dead
September Part 2

C-30’s
Security
Riding Away
Beach Bum
In a Little While
Elastico
Strangled
Eleven Mile High Club
If Only I Could Remember
Rot ‘n’ Rollercoaster
Harmony Girl
Wake Up
Trash City Burning

Toxic Fruit Cake
Bodies
Teenage Kicks
Bad Man
Peace and Quiet
Evil
So What
Smash the Disco
15 Years
Drinkin’ and Drivin’

Videos
Peter And The Test Tube Babies