It was certainly one of those nights where good sense dictated that an evening plonked in front of the TV was in order but for the more foolish or those with a more hardy constitution there was the small matter of a first appearance in Newcastle for The Interrupters to tempt them beyond the living room.
The torrential rain of a Newcastle winter may be as far removed from the Californian sun as is humanly possible but at least for a couple of hours The Interrupters brought some sizzle, fun and sun to Newcastle University.
Hot on the heels of their smash hit single She’s Kerosene, The Interrupters star is in its ascendancy and this was a great time to catch them before bigger, less intimate venues beckon.
With the Bivona Brothers providing the music it’s up to frontwoman, Aimee Interrupter to lead the charge of top ranking, Punk fuelled Ska influenced by their friend and mentor, Tim Armstrong from the mighty Rancid.
Be My Friend, Divide Us and By My Side displayed a positive message in contrast to many others of their ilk and that positivity overflowed when the permanently smiling Aimee hit the stage. Talk about a bundle of energy, she was never static for a second and simply oozed charisma spending much of the set against the crash barrier with the fans.
This was lively, up-tempo Ska of the highest order with a big punch of Punk for good measure with chant-a-long choruses that made Slade sound like Joy Division. Every song contained a hook so infectious that all it would take was one listen before addiction kicked in.
As Good Things leaned more heavily to the Punk side and Leap Of Faith one for the Ska purists, The Interrupters had enough variety to keep the pot boiling and the crowd surfers fully occupied.
Operation Ivy cover, Sound System, was preceded by some banter and cheeky teases of Metallica, Huey Lewis and Rancid before launching into the song itself and it was this connection between the band and crowd that really created a great atmosphere and a huge sense of fun.
Guitarist Kevin Bivona lived his dream of a fleeting Mötley Crüe/Lynyrd Skynryd inspired finale before closing with Family, their dysfunctional tale of one crazy family that you wouldn’t mind living next door to.
Review and Photos By Mick Burgess
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