22 March: Gig in Amsterdam, Holland

U.K. Subs play the Paradiso in Amsterdam, Holland

Line up:
Charlie Harper - vocals
Nicky Garratt - guitar
Alvin Gibbs - bass
Steve Roberts - drums

ELEVENTH DATE OF THE MARCH 1981 EUROPEAN TOUR

Above: Raven-Berlin Photo of the U.K. Subs.
Taken after their soundcheck at the SO 36 in Berlin, Germany on 11 March, 1981.

Gig Review

by Stijn de Jong (Haarlem, Netherlands)

Barely six months after their triumphant yet chaotic gig at the
Paradiso, the Subs were back in Amsterdam in March 1981 for a second
helping. But those who were simply expecting more of the same were in
for a bit of a surprise. Because during those six months, new band
members Alvin Gibbs and Steve Roberts had really come into their own,
which had a big impact on the overall sound of the band.

That much was clear from the moment the Subs took to the stage. Even
though they started off with the familiar show openers C.I.D., I
couldn't be you, Live in a car and Tomorrow's Girls, they sounded much
less frantic than before. On the contrary, up to that point I had
never heard them play as tight as this, either live or in the studio.
The rhythm section just hit you flat in the chest and provided the
perfect foundation for Nicky Garratt's buzzsaw riffs and Charlie's
wailing vocals. And then, when they played some tracks from the
upcoming Diminished Responsibility album, it got even better. Songs
like You Don't Belong, Party in Paris and Time and Matter were just
tailormade to fit this immense wall of sound, and the band was clearly
enjoying the hell out of playing this new material. It was one of
those cases where the final result is just far bigger than the sum of
its parts.

I loved it but it was obviously not for everyone. There were those in
the crowd who were disappointed that the band wasn't simply playing
the Crash Course live album from start to finish. As far as I was
concerned, those people should've simply stayed at home and played the
album. I'm much more interested in bands that challenge themselves and
their audience by trying out new stuff. And the Subs certainly did
that, because not only did they play several new songs from Diminished
Responsibility, they even took a stab at playing Sensitive Boys, which
eventually was included on the Endangered Species album more than a
year later.

For me this gig was an eye-opener in more ways than one. The Subs
proved that they were more than just a great party band and some of
the people in the crowd proved that punkrockers can be just as
narrowminded as the next person. Thankfully, they were in the minority
and most of the crowd had a great time enjoying a great band at the
top of its game. Brilliant show.

Please contact us if you can provide this website with any of the following: