Who ever knew rockabilly fans were so punctual? Half an hour after doors open, The Cluny’s already nicely filled for openers Russell and the Wolves. Firing rapidly through a set of tough, high velocity sonics, frontman Russell Gray prowls the stage howling furious nothings into his microphone – words, evidently, are for wimps. It’s an enjoyable set, but with such brazen influences and repetitive material, their showmanship only goes so far.

Dressed like it’s Saturday night on the Sunset Strip in the eighties rather

than a Monday evening in Newcastle, Bad For Lazarus wear their cock-rock

credentials with pride, and having a singer with a habit of dragging his

bassist round the stage by his balls helps as well. Their trashed stage

antics – a tip of the hat to their hilariously drunk keyboardist – can’t

disguise the fairly sub-par nature of their material though.

Having endured several line-up changes and record company woes in

recent years, that the Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster are still going

is impressive enough. That they still put on such a crazed, energetic and

fun live show is frankly remarkable. Spending as much time on top of the

crowd as on the stage, Guy McKnight is as charismatic as ever, leading his

band through a breathless set. New tracks like recent single Love Turns To

 Hate and twisted semi-ballad So Long Goodnight are revelations, while older favourites like the supremely unhinged Celebrate Your Mother cause pandemonium. Even with frequent monitor and sound problems, they’re unstoppable tonight.