One thing I like about the music scene these days is how much less tribal it all is compared to when I was a teenager. The intense rivalry between punks and metalheads has certainly dissipated since I was at school in the late 70s and early 80s. The passage of time, for many of us, has led to a much broader appreciation of rock and roll in all its many guises. As a teen, I was firmly in the hard rock/metal camp rather than the punk/new wave camp but looking around at those attending what has been billed Dog Day Afternoon today, there doesn’t look to be much difference in appearance between all the crop-haired, ageing punk fans clad in regulation khaki shorts and black T-shirts and all the crop-haired, ageing metal fans clad in regulation khaki shorts and black T-shirts.

Buzzcocks

Excepting Buzzcocks (and a couple of artists I’d seen perform in other permutations) this will be my first time seeing virtually all of the bands on stage today. But it will be the first time seeing Buzzcocks without Pete Shelley, since his passing in 2018. Steve Diggle has now switched to lead vocals, got in a new lead guitarist in place of Shelley and carried on pretty much where they left off. Pete Shelley was a unique talent with a unique vocal delivery and it’s not everyone who can perfect that blend of northern camp -meets- punk attitude so I was therefore wondering how Steve Diggle would shape up in trying to fill his shoes. But he pulls it off pretty magnificently. Fast, raucous, irreverent – Buzzcocks were sheer joy to watch. And in spite of being only the second band of the day (unfortunately, I missed the Lambrini Girls due to having to check into my hotel beforehand) there was a decent crowd to sing along as they blasted out timeless punk anthems like ‘What Do I Get?’, ‘Orgasm Addict’ and ‘Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)’.

Setlist:

What Do I Get?

Senses Out of Control

Fast Cars

People Are Strange Machines

I Don’t Mind

Sick City Sometimes

Why Can’t I Touch It?

Orgasm Addict

Promises

Manchester Rain

Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)

Harmony in My Head

Stiff Little Fingers

Comprising Jake Burns and Ali McMordie (who were both with the band when it started in 1977) and Ian McCallum and Steve Grantley (who have each been around since the mid-1990s) this is a stable line-up and a well-oiled machine who deliver another impressive set. Jakes Burns also gets a well-earned round of applause (by way of introduction to the song ‘My Dark Places’ from the 2014 album No Going Back) when he opens up about his own struggles with depression and urged men in the audience not just to bottle things up like he did, but to talk to someone. We hear you, Jake.

Setlist:

Tin Soldiers

Nobody’s Hero

Roots, Radics, Rockers, Reggae

Just Fade Away

Doesn’t Make It Alright

My Dark Places

Barbed Wire Love

At the Edge

Wasted Life

Gotta Gettaway

Suspect Device

Alternative Ulster

Generation Sex

Composed of 50% Sex Pistols (in the form of Steve Jones on guitar and Paul Cook on drums) and 50% Generation X (in the form of Billy Idol on vocals and Tony James on bass) Generation Sex is a modern-day celebration of both bands, with a setlist that is drawn entirely from the music of each. Some may regard bolting together incomplete bits of classic bands in this way as somewhat sacrilegious. Imagine if Paul and Ringo and Mick and Keith formed a hybrid of the Beatles and the Stones in this way. But the punk generation appears to have fewer qualms about it – not least because it’s absolutely brilliant. The band power through a crowd-pleasing mix of Pistols and Generation X songs with energy and vitality. Plus, it has to be said, Idol is a much better vocalist than John Lydon could ever be. There’s still enough of a sneer and a snarl in his delivery, however, that the essential essence of the Pistols is very much in evidence in all of the Sex Pistols numbers performed today. Given the way the material from both bands is rapturously received by the crowd, no-one would appear to be feeling at all short-changed by this hybrid melding of bona fide punk icons.

Setlist:

Pretty Vacant

Ready Steady Go

Wild Youth

Bodies

Black Leather

Kiss Me Deadly

Dancing With Myself

Silly Thing

King Rocker

God Save the Queen

Your Generation

My Way

Blondie

Blondie absolutely knocked me out. The whole day was a very strong line-up anyway but in terms of sheer class and charisma, in terms of wave after wave of iconic era-defining classics blasting from the PA and in terms of the immense power emanating from the band on stage, this very much felt like a headline performance in every possible way. A playful Debbie Harry, celebrating her 78^th birthday today, is in fine voice as she belts out song after song, accompanied by the unmistakeable signature drumming from the ever-brilliant Clem Burke and with none other than another ex-Pistol, Glen Matlock, now putting his own signature stamp on the bass. Sadly, there is no Chris Stein on this current tour. He has taken leave due to ongoing health issues but his shoes are ably filled by Andee Blacksugar, with Matt Katz-Bohen (keyboards) and Tommy Kessler (guitar) completing the line-up. It’s an unforgettable performance.

Setlist:

One Way or Another

Hanging on the Telephone

Sunday Girl

Call Me

Will Anything Happen?

Atomic

Rapture

The Tide Is High

Long Time

Detroit 442

Maria

Heart of Glass

X Offender

Dreaming

Iggy Pop

Old schoolboy loyalties meant I was slower in coming to British punk than many of my fellow middle-aged festival attendees here today. But I was certainly not slow in coming to Iggy, the Godfather of Punk himself. I’d picked up second-hand copies of the Lust for Life album and The Idiot while I was still a young teenager in the early 80s and I bought the Blah Blah Blah album as soon as it came out back in 1986. But, curiously, until today I never actually got around to seeing him live. He has been on my bucket-list of artists to see for some time though and he certainly doesn’t disappoint. Shirtless, tanned and with that familiar torso now covered in wrinkles and bulging veins, Iggy Pop is a manic, mesmerising presence on stage.

His newly-refreshed backing band are exceptional, too. With echoes of saxophonist, Steve Mackay’s contributions in the Fun House era of The Stooges, the band now includes a full brass section. I’m not sure my brain quite adjusted to hearing layers of brass on songs like ‘The Passenger’ and ‘Lust for Life’ but the entire set felt like a real privilege to witness – and there was a nice mix between old Stooges material, his classic late 70s solo era and songs from his most recent album, Every Loser. I had finally got to see the great Iggy Pop in action. A brilliant ending to a pretty amazing day.

Setlist:

Rune

Five Foot One

T.V. Eye

Modern Day Rip Off

Raw Power

Gimme Danger

The Passenger

Lust for Life

The Endless Sea

Death Trip

I’m Sick of You

I Wanna Be Your Dog

Search and Destroy

Mass Production

Nightclubbing

Down on the Street

Loose

Frenzy

Related posts:

Lust for Life 2024: Clem Burke, Glen Matlock and Katie Puckrik reunite for second UK tour

Notes from the Lust For Life Tour – Feb/Mar 2023

Live review: Glen Matlock headlines Hastings Fat Tuesday 5/3/19