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In contrast to yesterday’s last minute additions and passing visit to Planet Pete Doherty, tonight’s final Bandwagon offers a choc-a-bloc line-up headed by a one-off Bandits reappearance. The great and good have turned out for the occasion. The Coral, The Zutons and The Stands all played their first big gigs at The Bandwagon - helping put the night at the forefront of the Liverpool musical scene.
Now representatives from each perch at the back of a packed Zanzibar to watch Bexy Sitch and the Creepy Crawlies take to the stage, already warmed up by a quick succession of bands. In honour of lead singer Rebecca’s gashed cheekbone (it was her birthday last night) and bassist Emily’s broken wrist (over-enthusiasm at a Smiths tribute night), they’ve been rechristened Bexy Sitch and The Crippled Crawlies. However, Liverpool’s premiere girl trio typically laugh off their mishaps by putting in a strong performance. The band have been fiendishly rehearsing to break in their temporary bassist (who looks suspiciously male), and their resulting sharpness shines through in a sound fleshed out with cameo keyboards and tambourine flourishes from Emily.
Hotly tipped Peter and the Wolf follow with their rather more mellow take on melody. The quartet’s strong girl-boy vocal combinations and a resonant stand-up bass gracefully ease the Bandwagon into the early hours with an assured performance, which even survives a recorder solo. From here on in though, it’s a high octane ascent to the main attraction.
The Cuckolds crank it up by eschewing their usual set of light and shade, and pelting through a short, sharp, sweet set. Tramp Attack - the godfather’s of the Bandwagon scene - crank it up another couple of notches with unashamedly upbeat Liverpool roots rock. The band stoke the end-of-term spirit by advising the kids to nick everything they can get their hands on before launching into a selection of Christmas tunes. Its just a shame, if not travesty, that Wham!’s seminal 'Last Christmas' is curtailed because they only know the first verse.
With the crowd now bubbling to the boil The Bandits stoke a healthy sense of expectation before taking to the stage as the clock strikes two. Belying their extended hiatus, The Bandits hit the groove straight off with a blistering opener. Gary joyously strums back and fourth as John stutters around stage hypnotised by the band’s thumping rhythm - which stomps around with the dust of Ennio Morricone and The Zapatistas on its boots. The intensity rarely lets up for the rest of a pulsating set, crystallised by a mesmeric ‘Two Steps’ - proving The Bandits were, and are, just as exhilarating as their more celebrated contemporaries. Gary and John pause only to profusely thank everybody who’s helped make The Bandwagon a success. Only one shout out fails to produce a rousing response, when Gary dedicates a storming cover of ‘Guns Of Brixton’ to his friend Peter Doherty "for last night". Responding to the resultant heckles he points out, "At least he turned up… in some shape or form," which, following Saturday night’s riotous no-show in London, is an understandable opinion. The Bandits finally bring the curtain down by apologising for not rehearsing more material before launching into a suitably raucous wig out. They turned up… and much more.
