Punk rock legends Dead Kennedys made a triumphant return to London for two sold-out shows at the O2 Academy in Islington. I was fortunate enough to be at night number two and witness one of the finest examples of the first wave of punk. East Bay Ray, Klaus Flouride, D.H. Peligro, and Ron “Skip” Greer were in fine form, blasting through a frantic yet tight, no frills 75-minute set that celebrated one of punk rock’s greatest catalogs.
This was my second time seeing the band over the past few years, the first being in LA, and you would never guess that these guys started nearly forty years ago. Struck in the head with two beers from the crowd during the shoot revealed the crowd hadn’t missed a beat either. While I prefer UK punk over that from the US, Dead Kennedys put on a show that proved the San Francisco Bay Area can still hold its own and even surpass expectations.
While we are on the subject of expectations, it’s time to move on from the tired, fruitless comments that “it’s not Dead Kennedys without Jello.” Yes, it is—and it has been for more than a fucking decade so get over yourself and move on like the rest of the music world. Punk is a mindset and an attitude and it’s alive and with Ron Green as the current frontman. He plays the part so brilliantly that the classics not only have a new life to them, but they’ve evolved.
Opening the show was UK post-punk buzz band LOOM who were absolutely killer. I’ve never even heard of these guys before but now I am obsessed with their self-titled record. It sounds like Nirvana crossed with Social Distortion with a touch of Joy Division/Interpol—it’s bloody brilliant.
LOOM
Dead Kennedys’ tour continues through Europe this month. Check out hi res shots in the gallery here.
