I like subtlety, it’s nice to know it’s still out there doing whatever it does; quite subtly I suspect. Good on you subtlety.
Now jog on sunshine, you’re not needed around here anymore.
Knock! Knock! Who’s there? Chubby and the fucking gang! (Union Dues)
Chubby & The Gang Speed Kills, if I’d actually got to hear this LP last year it would have been my #1 of 2020*, no sweat**. Reasons? you dare ask me to explain myself, mortal? Okay, okay since I am a guest on your planet.
Reason #1: Chubby coalesced out of a murky demimonde of a trillion oddball hardcore bands playing a neganillion squat parties and ill-lit toilet venues^. The resulting sound is a diamond-hard, diamond-focused, diamond-sparkling street punk sound with definite rock leanings. It just makes me want to leap out of my seat and break things.
Reason #2: Song titles ‘Chubby And the Gang Rule OK?’, ‘Pariah Radio’, ‘The Rise And Full Of The Gang’, ‘All Along The Uxbridge Road’ and ‘Bruce Grove Bullies’. Stories of dodgy doings, rucks, making do, struggling and the boys in blue not being the nicest people in London.
Reason #3: The genius combo of ‘All Along The Uxbridge Road’ and the drooling white-out of ‘Speed Kills’ on side 1, it’s just a perfect one-two punch combination. Add in some deftly played harmonica on the former and the ‘sorry mum’ muttered at the end of the latter, played at a speed of Motörhead in a real hurry.
Reason #4: For all the bustling power on show here Chubby And The Gang never forget the value of a good tune, there are all manner of unexpected pop hooks and handclaps sprung on you from time to time. Speed Kills is also helped by some deft changes of pace like ‘Trouble (You Were Always On My Mind)’, which cops a little of Steve Nieve’s organ sound.
Reason #5: The gloriously fun Robert Crumb-esque cartoon cover of Speed Kills and the fact that I bought a deluxe edition colour-by-numbers version which came with crayons. One day …
Reason #6: Lyrics are good and righteous. ‘Union Dues’ – ‘Don’t forget what Thatcher done/Or what they’ve printed in the Sun‘. Never forgive, never forget.
Reason #7: Because I say so.
Speed Kills is a real tonic, every time I hear it I can’t help but end up grinning ear-to-ear. Fun is good. Fun is, umm, fun too.
Needless to say the playing all through the LP is absolutely spot-on, everyone is great but the rhythm section of drummer Joe McMahon and bassist Maegan Brooks Mills are just so on the money. Mills is particularly great in all the live clips I’ve seen too, just a totally unruffled, unhurried presence in a maelstrom.
Speed Kills is just a great listen from the Jimmie Rodgers Snow speech sampled at the beginning of ‘Chubby And The Gang Rule OK?’ right through to the final fading power chord on ‘Union Dues’.
Damn pleased I don’t have long to wait for the next LP.
1082 (All) Down (the Uxbridge Road).
PS: I’ve just booked to see Chubby & The Gang in November, that’s such an incredible thing to be able to type! A gig, after all this time!
PPS: Because I care about you:
*sorry Bob D much as I like Rough & Rowdy Ways come back when you’ve written something as fast as ‘Speed Kills’.
**I’ve just pre-ordered their next LP, out in August, The Mutt’s Nuts which I suspect may be my #1 LP of 2021.
^The Chisel who Chubby lead singer Charlie plays (played?) guitar in are an excellent band.
