The Electric Boys
- Rock Metal Machine
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Artists: The Electric Boys, The Spangles
Venue: The Water Rats
Date: 10 June 2025
"Bloom doesn’t look or sound much different from 1992. I wouldn’t have it any other way, and nor would anyone else. Long may it continue."
I wouldn’t have necessarily put The Spangles in the same breath as The Electric Boys, but there’s no doubt that the former were very pleased to be on the same bill. Full of beans from the off, they are lively and engaging. They play Punky Rock ‘n’ Roll right up my street, so a win for me. Not far into the set Ben Marsden on guitar and vocals declares “We don’t give a f*ck we’re not in Wembley... Might be selfish, but I’m here for a good time too!” And it shows! Big smiles, guitars held over head, low slung wide legged stances and drum sticks twirled overhead. Punky Pop songs with a very fast beat don’t last very long and their set flies by. They joke that a critic said they sound like The Almighty, well I don’t really see that, but their stuff bears a passing resemblance to The Wildhearts when they do Punky Pop, and I suppose that’s not surprising when Marsden used to be in The Main Grains with Danny Wildheart. As the name suggests, there’s a strong seventies influence in what they do, late seventies Sex Pistols et al along with the socialist politics (as proudly declared in stickers on their gear). It’s like the decades since have never happened.
Talking of which, there’s definitely an element of nostalgia in seeing The Electric Boys as front man Conny Bloom alludes to when he mentions they played this same venue in 1992 (Also in his intro to ‘Mary In The Mystery World’ - “Here’s an old hit, cos that’s how we roll”). However, he doesn’t look his age and in this retro-loving world their clothes don’t look at all dated. The music has also stood the test of time.
However, what’s really nice is that in a set of ten songs plus an encore, about forty percent are from the new album, including my favourite ‘I’ve Got A Feelin’’, but those songs get just as enthusiastic cheers as the old ones, especially the Punky fast ‘Domestic Blitz’. It might be about being older in a less-than-ideal family situation, but they haven’t lost any of their energy. Bloom is also still a purveyor of superb solos and Andy Christell still brings the funky beat.
Perhaps unwisely, they throw out a wide-ranging plea for requests and can’t get far on any of the requests; with two newer members of the band pretty much everything breaks down quickly. At least they didn’t waste much time on it. Bloom draws a line under it - “Let’s be serious!”. It does indeed indicate we are on the home straight, with much loved classics ‘Rags To Riches’, ‘Mary…’ and an encore of ‘Lips ‘n’ Hips’ on its way. Interlaced with a couple of new ones and a spontaneous refrain of ‘God Save The Queen’, they do their best to get the crowd singing their infectious melodies and don’t rest from throwing their arms to the sky until a loud chorus ensues. Bloom even jumps into the audience “pour encourager les autres”. Christell has apparently now moved to France and they call him “Mr Baguette”. Following a jam and a little bit of crucifixion tomfoolery to ‘Heaven On Their Minds’ from ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’, it’s the last song ‘Lips..’ and it’s all over.
Bloom doesn’t look or sound much different from 1992. I wouldn’t have it any other way, and nor would anyone else. Long may it continue.
Gallery: All photos © Dawn Osborne (used with kind permission)
Review: Dawn Osborne
Photos: Dawn Osborne
Location:
Disclaimer:
All photographs in this review are given for free for us to use (either in the magazine or website). We will not give them to a third party without the express permission of the rights owners. If payment is required between the rights owner and the third party, that will be decided between them, not Fireworks Rock & Metal Music Magazine.
Comments