Comrade X + FFR + Celtic Fiesta + The Lagan + Continental
The Garage, London N1
5/5

Comrade X lashes up his guitar and revs up the motor before launching this Urbankelt night at the Garage.

Sounding like Woody Guthrie Clashing with Oi, his three-chord cover set bristles and aches with enthusiasm, politics and passion. “This is a song about a political prisoner,” he thunders as Janie Jones’s opening line: “He’s in love with rock’n’roll woaahh,” sums up a rousing performance.

Over from France, FFR Celtic Fiesta say being on stage is being alive and they certainly show why.

Dressed in kilts, this Belfort four-piece’s sound is based around the brilliant Marie on electric violin, whose Gallic joie de vivre layered on top of a heavy and tight rhythm section brings the crowd alive.

Infectious and engaging, the songs sung in English, French and Spanish are a perfect kaleidoscope of Celtic culture at is best.

London Irish Celtic punks The Lagan have a pure riotous energy which marks them out as one of the best young bands on the scene today.

Charismatic front man Brendan leads a line-up of guitar, tin whistles, mandolins, fiddle, bass and drums and the songs from debut album Where’s Your Messiah Now? burn with a fire born of working-class politics and drinking.

There’s a new number about anti-racism which shows a maturing quality in the songwriting but it’s crowd pleaser Same Shite Different Night that’s the stand-out as it chronicles all the morons we have to put up with after too many beers.

Wildly catchy, the crowd love it and belt out the chorus with the band.

Continental are the latest band of Rick Barton, the Boston-based and charismatic ex-guitarist of the Dropkick Murphys.

This is Granite City rock, played by four superb musicians whose vocals are as tight as the rhythm section is hard.

There’s a definite hint of the Stones rolling along under these tunes but they blend in all their influences from punk, country, folk and blues to create a soundscape as big as the States.

Barton is a talented songwriter and his blue-collar stories recount tales of love, loss, searching and redemption.

A brilliant performance by extremely talented musicians to end a quality night.

Review by Bob Oram