Do women know how to rock? If we're talking about GIRLSCHOOL, they certainly do! It's been nearly twenty fuckin' years since I first saw these ladies onstage, and the excitement was - once again - of high level. We may all be twenty years older but who cares? As long as guitars, bass and drums rule the world then - correct me if I'm wrong - only the loss of beer can put our cultural development (or decadence) in endangerment. C'mon, let's go!
STAR STAR opened up the show in a usual delay of more than half an hour. Not too many people were gathered inside a warm Underworld Club by that time; a little bit weird, since the legendary female clan was supposed to summon - at least - lots of MOTORHEAD/New Wave Of British Heavy Metal maniacs, logically. What the hell? STAR STAR's '1-2-3-4-shake-it' sleaze/punk/rock 'n' roll blend was a good appetizer for us, while the twisted voice of frontman Johnnie Holliday - backed by a beautiful (audio_visual) lady in vocals - provided us with tons of energy. Trash or not trash, STAR STAR may not be what I 100% like but it's obvious that the band can easily make you sweat enough.
The GIRLSCHOOL clan entered the stage in the middle of a warm applause, and the early 80's London days were transmitted rather straightforwardly. The 1981 classic C'mon, Let's Go was the opening killer and the sound was suspiciously good, for the likes of the club. If only someone could turn up the volume in the rear! The most successful Hard Rock_Heavy Metal band of all time stood in front of us, with three out of four members being the 'original' ones. Kim McAuliffe (vocals_guitar) is a smart teenager at heart, behaving as needed before the thirsty crowd. Enid Williams (bass_vocals) still is the band's 'rock' with nothing less than an astonishing performance. Denise Dufort (drums) worked behind the lines but - as known - the GIRLSCHOOL sound owes a lot to her drumming, while newcomer Jackie Chambers (lead guitar) proved to be a helluva axewoman both in rhythm parts and leads!
Stuff from the first 2-3 albums was the setlist's main part. 1980's Demolition debut offered diamond classics like Demolition Boys, Not For Sale, Race With The Devil, Take It All Away (the first GIRLSCHOOL single back in 1979) and Emergency - you know this one, right? - while the 1981 sophomore album Hit & Run supplied real rockers like the same-titled cut, Yeah Right and Future Flash. Screaming Blue Murder (from the 1982 album) and a couple of tunes from the quartet's latest studio offering - I recall New Beginning and Never Say Never - completed a wonderful setlist that sadly - lasted only for something more than an hour.
Still, the spectators were surely pleased; their faces spoke for themselves. More than an hour of 'dirty' rock 'n' roll was what we wanted to get; and surely it was what these ladies - with their honest appearance - gave us totally! Some things cannot be done less than good; GIRSLCHOOL proved so. Now, back to our caves...
