Cor Blimey Guv'nor
It’s been a long time, thirteen years in fact since I last saw Snuff take to the stage and I’m not quite sure what to expect. Back when they started in the late 80s and early 90s Snuff were at the forefront of the melodic punk scene, the gigs were riotous affairs and the debut album was just phenomenal.
They get the best sound we’ve heard so far today on the Lock Up stage and draw a good sized crowd. They deliver a mixed set of old and new songs that also covers a variety of tempos but surprisingly they don’t get much crowd movement. It’s a rare appearance for the band these days, singer/drummer and founder member Duncan Redmonds stating that the band have no plans to record to tour. As you’d expect from Snuff there is always a tongue lodged firmly in the cheek and it’s all good fun, particularly their lively version of ‘Soul Limbo’ (better known as the BBC’s cricket music!).
I confess I’m holding out for some old material that will transport me back to sweaty Birmingham venues in the late 80s and eventually I get my reward with ‘Somehow’ quickly followed by the always amusing ‘Arsehole’. The line up has changed and they have lost some of the vibrancy that they had back then but considering we’re some 20 years down the line it’s clear that they still know how to put on an entertaining show. The later songs are a mixed bag and it’s frustrating when you know they much stronger material in the back catalogue. The between song banter is amusing enough and everybody is smiling but Snuff aren’t the powerhouse they once were. Not that they care what anybody thinks of them anymore and maybe that’s the problem; they have written some of the best tunes of the last 20 years (who could argue with ‘Win Some Lose Some’?) and whilst it’s good to see them again it’s probably a good thing that they divert their energies into the multitude of side projects these days.