LIVE THE WAREHOUSE ABERDEEN,
SCOTLAND, 15-10-09

By: Dod

The intro tune is played and the band appear to rapturous applause and they are straight into "Tin Soldiers". Ali is jumping about and slips and falls back flat onto his back but just smiles and gets on with it. Followed by "Roots Radics" and the show is well and truly underway.

They follow up with a couple of songs that haven"t been aired for a while: "Get a Life" and "Protect and Serve". Then the anti racist section of the night "One Man Island" and their great cover version of the Specials' "Doesn't Make it Alright".

I look at all the young guys jumping about like I used to and I knew which song I would join in the mosh pit with - "Wasted Life" and it was up next. I was in amongst the crowd singing and jumping about like a mad man, the mind was willing but the body wasn't! Like most of the people there the years have taken their toll, lots of middle aged men with beer bellies swelling beneath their SLF t-shirts.

The second half of the show was full on fast paced with all the songs that people have been waiting for get blasted out. "Strummerville" the song penned about Joe Strummer followed by "Nobody's Hero" and "Suspect Device", then the band went off for a short time before returning with the surprise of the evening a cover version of Elvis Costello's "Pump it up" which went down really well. "Alternative Ulster" had the venue totally electrified as every one put their last ounce of energy into singing and dancing. Show over and everyone left dripping with sweat but totally satisfied, not bad for a bunch of 50 something blokes who have been around for 32 years.

Only disappointment was they left out "Johnny was" from the set.