PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
.@louelladeville_ @planetmosh review of Slaughter and the Dogs Pre Rebellion Warm-Up and Setting the Record Straight shows.
One of the, if not The, finest Punk Rock band to be ‘Made in Manchester’ has got to Slaughter and the Dogs. Formed in Wythenshawe in 1975 with Wayne Barrett on vocals, Mick Rossi on guitar, Howard ‘Zip’ Bates on bass and Brian Grantham (AKA Mad Muffet) on drums. They supported The Sex Pistols at Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall in 1976 and have themselves been supported by bands such as The Adverts and The Lurkers. Nearly forty years on they are still playing selective concerts and often play Rebellion Annual Punk Festival in Blackpool with a pre Rebellion show in Manchester. They played The Empress Ballroom at Rebellion, but this years warm up show took place at Warehouse 23 in Wakefield with a special ‘Setting the Record Straight’ show in Manchester, which had the remaining original members and long time firm friends Wayne Barrett and Mick Rossi speaking to Musician and Journalist John Robb about their influences etc. followed by an acoustic set. The current line up sees Wayne and Mick joined by Jean Pierre Thollet on Bass and Noel Kay on drums. I had the pleasure of attending both shows.
Under Dogz Records hold regular Sunday Service events for those who worship at the temple of Punk and August’s event saw Slaughter and the Dogs supported by Hospital Food, The Dead Beats and Hung Like Hanratty. Opening act were Hospital Food a three piece Punk Band from West Yorkshire. First song Drinking was a fast one with a Motorhead vibe and saw bass player Ben, aptly in a Motorhead t-shirt, on lead vocals. Vocals are shared between Ben and guitarist Nathan. Internet Warrior the title track from their album, with some great riffs put me in mind of The Buzzcocks’ I’m thinking What Do I Get. Burning City another track from the new album was dedicated to The Dead Beats. Brazil was a bit Macc Lads. Ben asked if there were any Man U fans, the response to that in Wakefield may usually be No but, when a Manchester band are headlining, the response was ‘Yes’ they still played Man U Haters though and got a few boos at the end albeit in jest (I think!). Ben claimed he often gets told ‘You’re Too Young for Punk‘ the title of the next song title. The chorus Too Young to Punk had me thinking of the Dead Kennedys’ Too Drunk to Fuck although not quite as hard-core Punk in sound. Whilst the lead vocals were shared Ben did the majority of the talking between songs, we got to the penultimate song with a ‘Two more for you’ and he asked if anyone had ever been on Jeremy Kyle, as he knew there would be someone from Wakefield. Someone shouted ‘My sister has’ and although the said sister wasn’t there Ben dedicated it to her anyway with a ‘This one goes out to her then! Another Case For Jeremy Kyle‘ After that he advised us that there was some merch for sale and said ‘This is our last song’ a lone voice shouted ‘Yeah’ but unfazed he just said ‘Thanks for that. This is for all of you here today. Punks not dead. A Smash it up by The Damned type song and for an opening act Hospital Food put on a smashing set and their final words were ‘Cheers everyone. We are Hospital Food, enjoy the rest of your eve, Let’s get wankered’ I was certainly up for getting Slaughtered!
Set List:
Drinking
Why Can’t You See?
Jimmy
Internet Warrior
Burning City
Brazil
Man U Haters
Too Young For Punk
Another Case For Jeremy Kyle
Punks Not Dead
Band Members:
Ben “Stalker” Savage- Bass n Vocals!
Nathan “Sausage Fingers” Seaton- Guitar and Vocals!
Rob “Van Driver” Killingbeck – Drums
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hospital.food.uk
The Dead Beats were up next a 5 piece “horror punk ‘n’ roll” outfit from the UK. Chatting to their singer Phil E Stine (who also fronts The Kingcrows) afterwards I asked ‘Is than S T E I N?’ ‘No – S T I N E’ and then I got it! D’oh! He made a striking frontman with half blonde, half blue hair. The bass player was in a leopard print army helmet. I hadn’t known they came in animal prints but I may well get one now! With his swagger and similar mannerisms Phil reminded me of Anti-Nowhere League front man Animal, although slighter in build. Zombie Party was a great opening song, loud and fast enough to raise the (un)dead! The Dead Beat party began. All their songs have a horror theme. Phil announced Necronina as being the ‘Love Song for the Dead’ a super fast song. Zombies according to Phil was about all his ex-girlfriends. (Does that means he’s killed them all and they’ve arisen to exact revenge?) After a false start for which the nameless drummer, who in his twisted baseball cap, could have been some Offspring of The Bloodhound Gang, got blamed. Phil asked ‘Who’s got our drummer on Orange Juice? Cos he doesn’t know what the fuck he’s doing’ second time lucky and Flies and Men turned out to be an enjoyable Psychobilly, Stray Cats type number. Buried Alive My Baby was something like Two Pints of Lager by Splongenessabounds meets Motorhead’s Ace of Spades the last words being ‘Who’s laughing now? Monsters Prefer Blondes went out to, in Phil’s words ‘All the natural blondes out there – like me’ very Meteors go to The Rocky Horror Show but all horror stories have to end and we came to the last song Dawn of The Dead Beats a fast song with a Motorhead flavour to end the story on a fast note and leave you wanting a sequel.
Set List:
Zombie Party
Confessions of a Psychopath
Day the Earth Stood Still
Necronina
Zombies
Sweet Tooth Sickness
Of Flies and Men
Buried Alive My Baby
Flatliner
Monsters Prefer Blondes
Dawn of The Dead Beats
Band Members:
VoX – Phil E Stine
Guitars – Reverend Paul Confused
Bass – Lord Hugh G Rection
Drums – G-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named
Guitar – Vincent Lovecraft
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deadbeatsrocknroll
The penultimate band before the Slaughter to follow came in the form of Hung Like Hanratty a Punk Rock band from Sutton in Ashfield. A band not to be seen by the faint hearted or easily offended! Fronted by the appropriately named, to support the Dogs that were to follow, Al Sation. Although more of a mongrel than a pedigree with a G-String adorning his mic stand. He’d either painted his face bright red or overdone it on the sunbed! Al and Chris in military style jackets, Al’s teamed with skinny jeans and Chris’ with patterned Bermuda shorts. Al declared ‘We’re Hung Like Hanratty and we’re going to take you back to 1977’ then pulled some gargoyle faces and his tongue out! The opening song Scrap Metal being a take on that old British Music Hall favourite made popular by Harry Champion Any Old Iron which pre-dates 1977 and had a much heavier sound than Old Harry’s version!
Al then asked if there were ‘Any religious people out there?’ as the next one Cardinal was dedicated to them and he donned a devil mask. Some interesting guitar effects in this one, a slide maybe. Al then held a disposable urinal aloft and said he’d like to thank the person who left it for him ‘A nice warm drink’ before taking a swig. The next one Human Pig was dedicated to all the fat bastards on scooters with a ‘Get out of your buggy and walk you fat cunt!’ and had a good bass line and some great riffage. A carrier bag was then held up, from which particular shop, I don’t recall but I don’t suppose it matters for a receptacle for doggy doo! Clean Up Your Dog Shit and the lights were turned up so we could all join in the Dog Shit dance. Can’t believe I have done the Dog Shit but it was a laugh and Dog Shit is crap, so the song is a genuine protest song against all dog owners who leave their shit for others to stand in!
Al then donned some pink furry deely boppers for Danny is a Tranny Starting off gently then it sped up to something akin to Where Have All the Bootboys Gone by tonight’s headliners. ‘He’s a Bender. He’s a Tranny. He hasn’t got a cock no more, he’s got a massive fanny!’ For Constable Al put on some black rimmed glasses and a fake moustache which had him looking like some demented cross between Adam Ant and Ronnie Corbett! Sorry Al! Next he wore a bright red curly wig and held a big fat cigar for Ghost of Jimmy Saville and a poor guy in the audience (albeit a willing victim) posed for Al to mime sticking that cigar where the sun don’t shine! Al asked us to ‘Put your finger in the air to all the rip off merchants. They can all get fucked’ The next prop was a Black Stetson for a song about Oscar Pistorious who he thinks is ‘Guilty! His missus went for a shit and he shot her. You’re taking the Pistorious!’ the song started off gentle reminding me of No Doubt’s Don’t Speak and Al got down amongst the audience walking round on his knees, as though he had no lower legs. As I said this isn’t a band for the easily offended but some of the songs are topical. The song had some bullet drumming (of course) and he pulled a fake gun out and mimed shooting a woman in the audience who was, until then, sat minding her own business. He could have given her that disposable urinal to complete the going for a shit effect! Virgin Mary saw him with a checked holdall on his head. The last song another take on an old classic this time Roll out the Barrel and was about pubs closing and included a bit of The Sex Pistols’ No Future’ and as this was their last song there was no future for this set! Al said ‘Thank you very much’ then saluted us with his disposable piss pot before taking the piss – as in a long swig!
Set List:
Scrap Metal
Cardinal
Human Pig
Clean Up Your Dog Shit
Danny is a Tranny
Constable
Ghost of Jimmy Saville
You’re Taking the Pistorious
Virgin Mary
Roll Out The Barrel
Band Members:
Al Sation – Vocals
Liam Smith – Guitar
Chris Charles – Bass
Kyle Ellis – Drums
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HungLikeHanratty
Two years since I last saw them I was ‘(You’re) ready now’ for the time had come to ‘Do It Dog Style!’ After a ‘Please welcome Manchester’s finest. Slaughter and the Dogs’ The Stripper by David Rose blasted out and Slaughter and the Dogs sauntered on to the stage. Wayne in a black leather jacket, hat and shades looking like a Wythenshawe gangster. Mick in white t-shirt, waistcoat, scarf and hat reminds me very much in style of The Quireboys’ Guy Griffin. Noel and Jean Pierre exuding a Gallic charm. Opening with a fast song and one I didn’t actually recognise I Got Your Number with Whoa, whoa, whoas, fast drumming and great riffs. The Rhythm and the beat reminded me of Steppenwolf’s Born to Be Wild and in his shades and hat Wayne could have passed for an Easy Rider! We then came to the stripping as Wayne quickly removed his leather jacket! Although there was no break in the music as they went straight into a cover of the New Yorks Dolls’ Who Are the Mystery Girls another energetic one which saw Wayne bouncing around as though it were still 1975!
Wayne then asked ‘How are you?’ and they launched into The Bitch most songs are fast and energetic and they managed to cram seventeen in (set list below) so I’m not going to cover each one individually. At some point his hat was stripped off. He then took a sip of his pint and grimaced ‘ I thought in Yorkshire I’d get beer – that’s shit!’ (Hope Al Sation hadn’t transferred his warm drink to Wayne’s glass!) Someone from the audience gave him a pint, he took a taste and this was more to his liking ‘Ale! Cheers!’ If he wasn’t jumping up and down Wayne was down at the front letting people join in the singing, which is brilliant for die-hard fans, who’ll be able to brag about they sang ‘You’re a Bore’ or ‘We Don’t Care’ up close and personal with a sweaty Wayne Barrett, who thanked us with a ‘The old timers know how to rock don’t they?’ Wayne said the next song was all about 9/11 and Hell in New York sounds very I Wanna Be Your Dog by The Stooges with Wayne swinging his mic around and coming off stage. A well written song about a man made disaster, which was sung and played with feeling.
Every time I looked at Noel he seemed to by smiling and, despite not being fully recovered from his recent fall, he played as though as life depended on it there even appeared to be steam coming from the drums at one point! Wayne wasn’t very lucky with his drinks as someone brought him a pint, he took a tentative swallow ‘Lager? Lager?’ and handed it back with a disgusted sneer. Wayne got a tambourine for Dame to Blame and announced Mick Rossi on guitar. A great song with the chorus ‘It’s called love’ and some fantastic Rossi riffs someone shouted Mick Rossi and Wayne replied ‘Yes he’s good isn’t he. Best guitarist in the world’ Another cover in the mellower I’m waiting for the Man by The Velvet Underground, written by Lou Reed it also included a few lines of his classic Walk on the Wild Side and also of The End by The Doors.
Noel asked for more guitar, he asked in English but, with a sexy French accent. Wayne said he’d translate and asked the same but in a Manc accent which isn’t quite as appealing! Wayne borrowed a black and white checked hat from a guy in audience and held it out as if begging. He even wore it for a song before returning it to it’s owner. Wayne told us ‘I know every good robber in Wythenshawe! This one’s called I’m Mad’ and he did, indeed look insane pulling faces and leaping off stage into the audience, but he could only go as far as his mic lead would allow. People joined in with the singing, some taking a turn at the mic. The Karaoke from Hell! The rest of the band were laughing but managed to keep playing. Wayne ended back on stage on his knees, waving his arms around. Situations was a definite crowd pleaser which had everyone singing along.
Wayne introduced the rest of the band, Jean Pierre Thollet on bass as being from Morocco. On guitar, his brother in arms,Mick Rossi but said he would only say the drummers name if he did something special. The rest of band went off to the side and Noel did a brilliant drum solo which led to Quick Joey Small a popular song, originally by Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus, which Slaughter and the Dogs covered and released back in 1978 and I just happened to record, like you do, see below. Where Have All The Bootboys Gone was dedicated to the Stretford-Enders. A classic Slaughter and the Dogs song which was saw the audience going mental, ending a great set and leaving everyone shouting for more!
The band obliged and Wayne thanked everyone for coming down. Someone shouted ‘See you in Manchester’ and whilst it wasn’t me, I would be there too! White Light, White Heat was the first of two encore songs and by this time Wayne’s back was wet with sweat. There was only one way they could end the show and that’s back at the very beginning with Cranked Up Really High which Mick holding guitar his up and Wayne swinging the mic and bouncing around manically! ‘I thought you had big gobs in Yorkshire’ he said when people joined in with the Na Na Na Na Nas ‘That’s shit, crap, you should be ashamed of yourselves’. The Na Na Na Na Nas got louder, Nearing the end Wayne sang some ay ay ays, tapped his heart, and said ‘Thank you’ then did a Tarzan call, the drums slowed to a stop and that was it. Slaughter and the Dogs took a few well deserved bows! I, for one, hope they do some special shows for their fortieth anniversary next year for, if that was the Rebellion warm-up, The Empress Ballroom should have been smoking!
Set List:
I Got Your Number
Who Are the Mystery Girls (New York Dolls Cover)
The Bitch
You’re a Bore
Hell in New York
Message From a Ghost
You’re a Bore
We Don’t Care
Boston Babies
Dame to Blame
I’m Waiting for the Man (Velvet Underground Cover)
I’m Mad
Situations
Quick Joey Small (Kasenetz-Katz Cover)
Where Have all the Bootboys Gone
Encore:
White Light, White Heat
Cranked up Really High
Band Members:
Wayne Barrett – Vocals
Mick Rossi – Guitar
Jean Pierre Thollet – Bass
Noel Kay – Drums
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Slaughter-And-The-Dogs/193358380704764
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slaughterandthedogs/
I also attended the ‘Setting the Record Straight’ show at Sound Control, Manchester, on Tuesday 5th August, and managed to get a quick interview with the Mick and Wayne beforehand, which can be seen on YouTube, link below. This show included Wayne and Mick having a conversation with Journalist/Musician John Robb followed by an acoustic set. The conversation was recorded for anyone who would like to see is so I’m just going to summarise a few points.
John Robb started by saying that he didn’t feel Slaughter and the Dogs were mentioned in Manchester’s music history as much as they should have been, especially when bands, such as New Order and The Stone Roses, cite them as a big influence. He asked them about growing up in Manchester and the band’s history. Wayne and Mick met at Sharston School, Mick being the school year below Wayne. Wayne played double bass and having heard of Mick’s love of Bowie he asked him to join him on double bass, which he did but they soon moved to guitar. One of Mick’s biggest influences is Mick Ronson and he said he was exposed to music from an early age. Wayne’s Mum used to run pubs, which had bands on and he used to enjoy watching them rehearse. He also said he had a great teacher, Mr Howarth, who gave him a chance.
The brotherly love and affection Wayne and Mick have for each other was apparent. They cite their influences as Slade, Roxy Music, T Rex, New York Dolls and possibly a few more which I didn’t write down fast enough. Wayne’s first band was called Wayne Barrett and the Mime Troop and then came Slaughter and the Dogs with their first gig being at The Mountain Ash pub in Woodhouse Park, run by Albert One Eye. Manchester had a creative side and Granada Studios but that was only for local media coverage. For nationwide press and media you had to go to London, as London was the place to be. They went to London as often as they could and were signed to Decca. Wayne said his wages were £25 a week!
Wayne now lives in France and does various things including managing Slaughter and the Dogs appearances, stage managing and producing. Mick makes records, acts, writes movies. He’s now on his fourth movie and he also plays on other people’s albums.
Mick thanked John Robb for talking to them and he, in turn. said it had been a pleasure to speak to them. Then came an acoustic show. Wayne said ‘If we know it we’ll play it. Shout out.
Original members of the band Howard Bates and Brian Grantham were in the audience, as were current members Noel Kay and Jean Pierre Thollet, the latter joined them on stage for Dame to Blame. As a surprise Wayne played Music is Lethal, originally by Lucio Battisti, which he sang in Italian for Mick, and his brother and sister, whose parents had passed away recently. At the end Mick gave Wayne a kiss on the cheek and a hug and said he hadn’t know Wayne was going to do that and asked ‘Wasn’t that beautiful?’ The set ended with Wayne on tambourine and Mick on guitar for an acoustic Cranked Up Really High and the final words from Wayne ‘From myself and everyone who’s been in Slaughter and the Dogs, Thank you’
Set List:
Since You Went Away
You’re a Bore
Mystery Girls
Runaway
We Don’t Care
Blow (short burst of)
Message From a Ghost
White Light, White Heat
Dame to Blame
The Bitch
Situations
Music is lethal
Standing in the Alley (one verse)
I’m Mad
Boston Babies
Where Have all the Bootboys Gone
Cranked Up Really High
Interview with Wayne Barrett and Mick Rossi: http://planetmosh.com/slaughter-and-the-dogs-interview-with-wayne-barrett-and-mick-rossi-5th-august-2014/
