PLENTY OF STUFF BUT NO NONSENSE AS SUPERSUCKERS ROCK GLASGOW FOR FIRST TIME IN SIX YEARS Supersuckers/Powerkeg: Audio, Glasgow Words: Johnny Main, Pictures: Carlan Braid 25th October 2017 It's been a long time since Supersuckers last pitched up in Glasgow for a show, so the Audio seemed like the perfect venue for the band. Small and intimate was the name of the game here, but Supersuckers, a band not on many of my friend's radars, managed to pull a decent crowd. Before the Arizonian trio hit the stage however, there was the local support act, Powerkeg to deal with, a band I've been familiar with but never seen live, and they managed to pull quite a crowd themselves. Bass player Rob Duncan and guitarist Brian Kerr were beside themselves supporting Supersuckers, a band that they've been fans for "20 odd years" explained Rob before telling the audience "(it) gives you a wee stiffy" before clarifying "not a big one... nothing to brag about! (laughs)". It turns out the band were given less than forty eight hours notice of the show, but they did their best in an energetic if not a faultless set. Vocalist Jennifer Lambie was swigging out of a vodka bottle throughout their set and gave a good performance overall. She seemed a touch nervous to begin with, but it didn't take her long to get into the stride of things. The sound at the start of the set didn't seem to include any guitars in the mix unfortunately but by the third song everything seemed to be on an even keel. 'The Grind' as Rob tells us was "dedicated to all those with hangovers" and was a slower paced number after the frantic pace of the previous two numbers and Jennifer's vocals settled down into a less "shouty" performance. 'What Doesn't Kill Us...Won't', on the other-hand was described as "a soft sensitive song" by Jennifer but I wasn't sure if she was being ironic, as it seemed to be anything but. Still, it was a good number which showcased drummer Androo Riddell who mercilessly laid into the drum kit. A cover of 'Sonic Shake' from Silver Ginger 5 (a solo project for Ginger Wildheart) featured guest backing vocalist from Paul Murray of Edinburgh based Weird Guys At The Bar, but the lack of a microphone meant his contribution was more visual than it was auditory. For me 'Them' was the highlight of the set with a razor-sharp guitar riff courtesy of Brian Kerr and Andypaws Christie (who regular MetalTalk readers may recognise for his work with Last Alibi) firing up the band, and it also saw Jennifer put in an accomplished performance of the evening, before receiving a noisy reception at its conclusion. Overall it was an interesting set from a band that can pull a good crowd and with a new single planned soon, I look forward to seeing and hearing more from this entertaining quintet soon. Powderkeg Setlist: Wait It Out Wasted Days The Grind What Doesn't Kill Us...Won't Sonic Shake GFS Them Make Up Your Mind Powderkeg are Jennifer Lambie – Vocals Brian Kerr – Guitar Andypaws Christie – Guitar Rob Duncan – Vocals/Bass Guitar Androo Riddell – Drums "Are you ready to rock the house?" asked front man Edward Carlyle Daly (aka Eddie Spaghetti) to the packed audience to which the answer was definite "Yes!" As usual with the Supersuckers, there's no fancy lights or stage show, just some heavy dry ice, shrouding drummer Christopher Von Streicher for most of their set, and the deafening, raw sound of the band. The trio ploughed through their set, fired up and pressing down the gas pedal as they churned out song after song to the delight of the packed audience. "You are people of impeccable taste" gushed Eddie at one point before describing that band as a "boutique Rock'N'Roll act". "We've been a band for a long time, and this is all we can get" he says gesturing to the hundred or so sweaty punters in front of him before adding with a wry smile, "Things is, you guys know good rock from bad rock", a sentiment loudly appreciated and applauded by the audience. However, it wasn't all fun and games – an altercation near me nearly broke into fisticuffs at one point as a young punter raised his mobile phone to film a song before someone behind him took exception to it, yet the aggressor seemed quite happy to talk to his bird throughout the show, so go figure. Apart from that, the audience weren't going to leave the venue without having a party first and they were able to witness an impeccable show from a hard working and often under-rated act. Throughout the first few numbers the lead guitar of Marty Chandler was overpowered by the bass and drums, but as the set settled down, so did the sound. A trip through the Supersuckers' back catalogue was the order of the day with remarkably few numbers taken from more recent releases. 1999's 'The Evil Powers of Rock and Roll' fared the best with the most tracks performed including 'Cool Manchu' which gave the audience an opportunity for some singing early in the set through to 'I Want The Drugs' and, of course, the raucous title track. Eddie was on top form throughout giving as good as he got from the audience as he regaled the stories behind the songs. Referring to 'I Want The Drugs' he explained that it was actually a true story and they really wanted some "right now", but have been out of them for sometime – no doubt due to the strict European customs laws – and it's "not often you see us sober and straight". The slower paced 'Goin' Back to Tucson' gave the band and audience a break from the frantic pace of the set – some twenty one songs in just over an hour is a helluva pace to set after all, and it allowed the band to put in a more bluesy performance rather than the usual punkier sound they're known for. 'Coattail Rider' from the 1992 album, 'Smoke Of Hell' had the audience participation back up to full volume as they sang and danced their way through it. 'Goodbye' was well placed at the end of the main set but there was no running off stage before returning for an encore – "Once we leave we ain't coming back on!" Eddie assured us before they pressed on with the ubiquitous 'Pretty Fucked Up' which inevitably got one of the biggest cheers of the night followed by a great version of Thin Lizzy's 'The Cowboy Song'. It's six years by my counting since the Supersuckers last played Glasgow and even longer since their last headline show but they have a solid following in the city. Let's hope they don't leave it another six years before they return because high octane, no bullshit rock and roll shows are always fun and with a collection of songs like these guys have, they can't fail do anything but rock your ass off all night long. Supersuckers Setlist: Get the Hell Rock 'n' Roll Records (Ain't Sellin' This Year) Sugie Cool Manchu Beat to Shit Doublewide Gone Gamblin' Fisticuffs Goin' Back to Tucson The Evil Powers of Rock and Roll Mudhead Creepy Jackalope Eye Empty Coattail Rider Luck I Want the Drugs Rock Your Ass Goodbye Pretty Fucked Up Cowboy Song Born With a Tail Supersuckers are Edward Carlyle Daly – Vocals/Bass Guitar Marty Chandler – Guitar/Backing Vocals Christopher Von Streicher – Drums