The Chords UK + Thee Strawberry Mynde + Sound Reaction. Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 13.04.18.

I’m not sure why but The Chords completely passed me by back in my teenage years despite me being a prolific buyer of punk/new wave/new mod records. More about them later.

First up are Sound Reaction. I’ve seen them once before over 12 months ago and, at the time, wasn’t over impressed. Tonight it’s a different story. Sound Reaction deliver set of garage rock tunes with a distinctly mod twist to them. Mark Duffy’s vocals are strong, Karl Steinberg’s guitar playing spot on as he knocks out some fairly heavy riffs and it’s all backed up by tight rhythms from bassist Chris Marner and drummer Chris Ashcroft. Last year my mind wandered and I wandered to the bar. Tonight I have no such inclination. Guitar heavy garage rock they are and they do it really well making me glad I made the effort to arrive early.

Thee Strawberry Mynde knock out great 60’s garage beats. Heavy bass and repetitive guitar strumming grab your attention and get your feet moving. ‘Know No more’, ‘She Sets The Scene’ – a song that despite being written 20 years ago sounds great today and ‘Hidden’ would have fitted perfectly into one of those music programmes such as Ready Steady Go. New(ish) drummer Stu has slotted in perfectly sounds as though he’s been with them for years. Thee Strawberry Mynde look good too. Tonight there’s no trademark striped t-shirts but instead Bazza’s smart suit, Paul Garner’s eye catching paisley shirt and Stu’s 100% mod haircut. Thee Strawberry Mynde are raw and tight and deliver 9 – 10 tunes that hook you right in and leave you wishing they could have played just a little bit longer.

Featuring only Chris Pope from the original Chords I did wonder what tonight would be like. I was reassured by a friend and Chords fan that all would be good and how right he was. The Chords UK were fantastic. Non-stop punky mod rock n roll. The Chords UK are in your face, fast, non-stop, energetic. Chris Pope leaps around like a 20 year old while Mic Stoner Kenny Cooper and Sandy Michie back him up with energy and enthusiasm to match. This band don’t stay still for a second and their enjoyment of what they’re doing shines through. Add in a crowd that’s 100% behind them from the opening note and you get a set of explosive sing-a-long tunes and an electric atmosphere. ‘Get Me To Saturday Night’, ‘Now It’s Gone’, ‘One More Minute’, ‘The British Way Of Life’, ‘Maybe Tomorrow’, new songs such as ‘I Can’t Let Go’ – every one of them, and the rest, has the crowd dancing, singing, forgetting the mundane trials of everyday. It’s a perfect Friday night gig and as I stroll back to my car I can’t help (i) regretting I didn’t pay serious attention to The Chords 38 years ago, although to be fair I was only 15, (ii) wondering if I can afford to start buying their back catalogue and (iii) hoping I get to see them again soon. Superb stuff.