The ‘Janus’ tour is in support of the re-worked recordings from the 1987 & 1988 album’s ‘Outland’ & ‘The Price You Pay’ and 12” B-sides from the time.  Kirk says they didn’t sound anything like he actually wanted them to sound like.  So now he has righted a wrong and on second hearing he was correct in his original conviction.

SOD are, and have been for a while:- Kirk Brandon – Voice/Guitar; Stan Stammers – Bass; Steve Allan Jones – Keyboards; Clive Osbourne – Sax; Phil Martini – Drums; Adrian Portas – Guitars

So another new venue for me – Club 85 in Hitchin above a dodgy boozer.  Don’t let that fool you this 300 capacity venue, which is worryingly fighting closure, is actually pretty neat.  Lighting and acoustics are fine and plenty of good viewing points.  The audience tonight are quite restrained (apart from me when I found out Chelsea equalised and then went on to win the EUFA Conference League final (get back to the music review – Ed)).  I guess the audience were mainly 50+ with a few scattered youngsters around. Each song was greeted with much applause and hollering but no signs of any mini mosh pits as with previous gigs and it didn’t look like a sell out which is criminal for such a legendary band! 

The support was a bloke under the moniker of Scant Regard.  Just him, his guitar, and a wonderful back screen showing clips from old westerns, sci-fi, cartoons etc. all perfectly put together.  Most of the songs were purely music, and some reworkings of classics like Kraftwerk’s ‘The Model’ and Donna Summer’s ‘I feel Love’ done absolutely like no one else would do them – bloody great stuff.  It’s amazing what you can do with a guitar and laptop these days!  He’s defo worth a punt if you ever get the chance to see him, a bit psychedelic 60’s surf sounds crossed with spaghetti westerns and electro.  What’s not to like?

Spear of Destiny
Now Kirk certainly has distinctive vocals and the same haircut since 1982 😊, and his band are tight as you like – powerful chords, throbbing bass, and haunting sax fill the room.   I preferred the more lively tracks e.g. ‘Spirits’, ‘Land of Shame’, ‘Radio Radio’ but slow ones like ‘I’m So in Love with You’ and ‘Never Take Me Alive’ are pretty raw and emotional.

Adrian did his usual best Johnny Ramone low slung guitar act, Stan and Phil held done the rhythm section impeccably whilst Clive (in a great Captain Scarlet t-shirt) performed faultlessly when required intermittently on sax and Steve quietly just got on with the synth almost unnoticed.

Set list (click on links to view the videos)

1. The Jungle – (Janus, 2025)
2. Land of Shame – (Outland, 1987)
3. Radio Radio – (The Price You Pay, 1988)
4. Strangers in Our Town – (Outland, 1987)
5. Embassy Song – (Janus, 2025)
6. Outland – (Outland, 1987)
7. March Or Die – (Janus, 2025)
8. Spirits – (Janus, 2025)
9. So in Love With You – (The Price You Pay, 1988)
10. Tinseltown – (The Price You Pay, 1988)
11. Jack Straw – (Outland, 1987)
12. The Price – (The Price You Pay, 1988)
13. Never Take Me Alive – (Outland, 1987)
14. Junkman – (The Price You Pay, 1988)
15. Pumpkin Man – (Outland, 1987)

Encore:

1. Warleigh Road – (Morning Star, 2003)
2. Soldier Soldier – (The Price You Pay, 1988)
3. Liberator – (One Eyed Jacks, 1984)

The opening encore Kirk dedicates to his late band member: Warren “Woz” Wilson. It’s the soulful ballad ‘Warleigh Road’ which builds slowly and has Adrian doing an excellent extended guitar solo. Top tune!

They finish with probably their best known track ‘Liberator’, hands in the air and singalong time.  The most animated the crowd got all night.  Kirk finishes with a few words and then off backstage to recover.

A great night of music from class musicians and Chelsea win the cup – so Kirk would have been well happy!!

Marko [29 May 2025]