HOLD on to your pants again because The Killermeters are tuning up for another appearance in town.
This time Huddersfield’s finest have secured a prestigious support alongside Alternative Ulster men Stiff Little Fingers and it promises to be a riot.
After a hugely successful, sold-out support slot to The Undertones in October the Ruttle brothers Sid and Tony, along with axe-merchant Mick Moore, drummer Steve ‘Nimrod’ Dutton and Vic ‘Vespa’ Szczesnowicz, the Mod squad return alongside Jake Burns and co for another reunion from the 1970s at Peter Carr’s Holmfirth Picturedrome.
Vic said: “The last time we shared the same bill as Stiff Little Fingers was a gig at Aberystwyth University in 1978. It was a sold-out gig and the crowd battled through heavy snow to get there.
“On the way back from the gig we all had a weird experience ... everyone of us, to a man, thought we’d seen a flying saucer.
“There was a really strange light in the sky. The whole band saw it and even our van driver stopped, jumped out and pointed to the sky!
“Jake (Burns) was a lot skinnier in those days, but then so was I. We’re all really looking forward to returning to the Picturedrome on Thursday.”
He added: “We seem to be having some good nights out with the Irish bands and we’ll be playing all our classics and throwing in one or two surprises as well.
“We’ve also heard that Detour Records (the last label to put out a Killermeters compilation) might be sending a representative up, too, so it’s all good stuff.”
In 2006 Bruce Foxton (formerly of The Jam) left Stiff Little Fingers amicably and original bassist Ali McMordie returned after 15 years, while in 2007 the band celebrated its 30th anniversary.
Though focused on their new material they always play the old favourites at gigs.
Jake said: “You have to strike a balance. The difficulty is to try not to make it sound like a cabaret band. Obviously, it’s be very easy to go: ‘Hey, here’s another old one you may remember.’
“A lot of the old songs the audience greet like old friends – I suppose it’s the same as any band that’s been around for any length of time – and yes, there are nights that we don’t particularly want to play Alternative Ulster or Suspect Device because we’ve heard them until they’re coming out of our ears.
“But there’s always the possibility that somebody out there has never seen the band before, never heard them.”
Tickets for the gig are £16 and available from the Picturedrome any evening between 7.30pm and 8.30pm (with no surcharge) or call 0161 832 1111 or go online at www.ticketline.co.uk
There will also be live music upstairs after the main show.
