Spear of Destiny - The Waterfront, Norwich, Norfolk, England - 25.03.03

Four years have passed since the last S.O.D. concert which I attended (see below), so I think Kirk Brandon's latest re-emergence on the music scene cannot be classed so much as a "come back" (unless it is a comeback from a comeback), nor a "second coming"; perhaps it would be more appropriate to describe it as a "third coming".  Whatever you want to call it, judging by the reaction of the crowd, it seems that there is still a demand for Kirk's brand of music.  OK, I have to concede that the crowd numbers were a bit on the low side and therefore a few followers have probably lost their way over the years, but those that remained loyal were rewarded by the evening's entertainment.

Kirk was back with a full band, including a saxophonist (so he has redeemed himself after the last gig, although I did forgive him eventually: he must have heard my pleas - "Come back, come back, all is forgiven ...")  This latest tour has been complemented by the release of S.O.D.'s new "Morning Star" album, together with the re-release of older classic albums,"Grapes of Wrath", "One Eyed Jacks" and "World Service".  Anyway, that's enough marketing hype. 

"The Wheel" was the second song of the set and it surprised me that Kirk chose to play that trump card at such an early stage of the evening: I wasn't sufficiently "warmed up" by that time and so didn't receive the song as well as I would have if the band had performed it a little bit later.  The new songs were interspersed with the older material for maximum effect - recognition of/familiarity with old songs kept boredom at bay when curiosity for the new material had warn off. 

The main set lasted for about an hour and included "Rainmaker", the Theatre of Hate classic, "Westworld", and "Grapes of Wrath".    The band returned for 3 encores, during which "Never Take Me Alive" and "Mickey" were performed, and for me the lyrics of these songs were particularly poignant, in light of the war situation in Iraq.  "Liberator" was last, but certainly not least, and by this time the slightly self-conscious, not as young as they used to be audience members had lost their inhibitions and were "givin' it large"; the "chicken dance" was in full swing.  Kirk and the band went out on a high leaving the crowd with the quiet satisfaction of knowing that they might be older, but they're certainly not "past it".

Rating: ****

Date of Review: 20.04.03

For further info on this band, go to: http://www.kirkbrandon.net

 Spear of Destiny + Fabulous Kitchenware (supporting act) - Fat Pauly's, Norwich, Norfolk, England - 05.03.99

This event was something of a nostalgia trip for me and the many thirty-somethings which turned out to see the band. The last time I saw S.O.D. was in 1985, probably at the height of their career and now curiosity, together with a desire to re-live those happy times, got the better of me. Kirk Brandon was back with his inimitable style. However Stan Stammers and the rest of the original crew had gone.

First though, Fabulous Kitchenware took to the stage with their brand of pop. They were quite polished for a very young band and at times they resembled an early Blondie. However I think they were in the game just for the sheer fun of it, and song titles like "Kill Your Cat" reflected this.

Rating: ***

The crowd waited patiently for S.O.D. The band's entrance was understated, well they just appeared really and started playing. They concentrated on the newer material first which was a great deal heavier than the early classic numbers like "Prisoner of Love" (which incidentally, much to my disappointment, they did not perform). I think the band made a conscious decision not to devote much time at all to old material, although they did perform "Rainmaker", "These Days are Gone" and Kirk did an acoustic version of "Never Take Me Alive". However all of these songs had an essential ingredient missing - the saxophone which gave them that vital thrust. The absence of a saxophone was even more notable when "Liberator" was performed during the first encore. Many devoted S.O.D. fans were unperturbed though, obliviously bouncing off each other like human pinballs.

Kirk Brandon seemed particularly happy. On several occasions he performed his strange salute, accompanied by a certain degree of head shaking and leg shaking (I think he uses the latter as a device to get the warble in his voice). I am pleased to say that he has still got that voice, presence and whatever else it was that made S.O.D. unique.

Rating: ****

Date of Review: 12.03.99