Another Night To Remember

VETERAN folk-punk rockers The Men They Couldn't Hang dropped into Liverpool on Saturday night for another date with 'Rawhides' from the city and beyond.

The band have been showcasing  their heady mix of cathartic anthems and poignantly-crafted ballads for almost 35 years having played their first official gig in London way back in the Easter of 1984.

I've lost count the number of occasions I've seen them live - my debut was at the old Haigh Building at Liverpool Polytechnic (yes, that's where it was and what it was called then) way back in March, 1987. Just the 31 years ago, then!

At that stage of their story they already had two great albums safely stashed in their discography while arguably their finest was just peeping over the horizon.

Fast forward to 2018 and they now have no less than 20 LPs to their name including this year's offering, Cock-A-Hoop, from which a few shining gems were plucked for this concert at a warm O2 Academy in front of an enthusiastic group of fans.

To take the title from a song they played from their 1985 debut LP Night Of A Thousand Candles, it really was A Night To Remember.

Opening with Gold Rush from 1986's How Green Is The Valley long player, a homage to the workers on the North Sea oil rigs, the band were on point throughout.

Lead singers Phil 'Swill' Odgers and Stefan Cush were really enjoying the occasion and that was clear to see with their great banter with the fans in between their outstanding delivery of the songs.

There were many highlights, not least Going Back To Coventry, Bounty Hunter, The Colours, Ironmasters and Shirt Of Blue.

And anyone who knows the band's politics would know where their allegiances firmly lie - spoiler alert: certainly not in the Conservative camp.

This was observed best in the magnificent Ghosts Of Cable Street which the band's chief writer, Paul Simmonds, penned as a tribute to those from the left who stood up and faced down the British Union of Fascists when they attempted to march through the East End of London one Sunday in October, 1936. The event, of course, became known as 'The Battle Of Cable Street'.

The gig was rounded off by the band's debut single, a cover of Eric Bogle's magnificently moving The Green Fields Of France (No Man's Land) which made the top three of legendary Merseyside-born DJ John Peel's Festive 50 back in 1985. Drummer Jon Odgers's playing here was especially powerful. This was followed by the joyous Walkin' Talkin' which always raises smiles when it's played live.

And as all the fans made their way into the Liverpool night, the smiles were very much in evidence as the band had regally entertained their loyal followers once again. Rawhides everywhere will be hoping this will be the case for a long time to come.