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Doctor and the Medics at The Water Rats with Guitar Gangsters and Daddy Those Men Scare Me

Hare and Hounds, King's Heath High Street, Kings Heath, Birmingham, West Midlands

We are overjoyed to be bringing Dr and the Medics to The West Midlands, specifically The Hare and Hounds in King’s Heath. In addition we are delighted to welcome the best kept secret in punk rock Guitar Gangsters and the quirky stylings of Daddy Those Men Scare Me who bring dollops or pathos and humour in equal measures.

 

DR AND THE MEDICS

Dr and the Medics were created almost at the dawn of the 80’s, in 1982 by The Rev Dr. Clive Thomas Jackson.
The band has had a very colourful and successful career as both recording artists and performers. Undoubtedly they are been best known for their massive 1986 No 1 “Spirit in the Sky,” which sold over 24 Million copies world wide and was number 1 in 23 countries!! They are also recognized as a great live act, in 1985 the NME referred to them as “THE live band of the year.”

Often promoted as 1 hit wonders, the band claim to be the only 1 hit wonder to have had 2 hits as their next single “Burn,” got to number 21!! But as they don’t make documentaries or publish books about one and a half hit wonders, the Doctor keeps quiet about “The other hit,” and wears his “One Hit Wonder” badge with pride!!!

For anyone who witnessed their triumphant tour supporting The Damned at the end of 2024, you will know that there is a whole lot more to the band than a handful of covers, these days they are back to playing their own numbers, revisiting their back catalogue and playing tracks from their brand new album which, with a prevailing wind, will have been released by the time this gig happens.

 

GUITAR GANGSTERS

Imagine the band that you wished you were part of. Imagine the gang that you always wanted to join. This is the band that Guitar Gangsters has become – the band that knows exactly who they are and controls the stage from the first powerchord to the last. The studio recordings are packed full of passion, power and melody with lyrics that tell stories of love, hope, failure, frustration, winning and losing. On the stage these songs burst into three-dimensional life where the audience is not confronted but embraced and becomes part of the celebration of what punk could have been and where it could take us. Guitar Gangsters don’t attempt to change the world but after 60 minutes you’ll have your fist in the air feeling you can change it yourself.

With a 35 year history, Guitar Gangsters have drawn upon influences from the very best of the best of the first wave of punk and evolved into the tightest of live acts which never fails to deliver onstage. Formed in London in the late 1980’s, the band has played all over the world and shared stages with countless legends of punk and stand alongside the very best. Originally a three-piece fronted by brothers Pete and Phil on guitar and bass, a second guitarist, Ed Sonsino, was slotted in five years ago and the mighty sound got even mightier.

After so many years, many bands might rest on their back catalogue but Guitar Gangsters have never been a band to stand still. The release of their recent album “Fortune Favours The Brave” has seen the band reach new audiences and the 2024 EP “The Faithful” has become their most streamed track in the last six months. With new songs on the way, watch out for their next album release later this year.

Guitar Gangsters stick proudly to their inspirational punk rock guns and fire anthem after anthem from the stage with more than just a hint of rock’n’roll attitude. Acquiring a presence that is only achieved through years of experience, there’s never been a better time to see this band live and to be part of the ongoing story. The legacy is not yet complete.

 

DADDY THOSE MEN SCARE ME

Opening the night are another amazing and somewhat overlooked band from London, namely Daddy Those Men Scare Me. Don’t take our word for it, here’s what others have said…

“Prosaically down to earth and utterly English in their punk rock approach, the deliriously good Daddies have been honing their Stranglers/Members/Squeeze informed crafted, indeed crafty, punk pop round these ‘ere parts since oooooh 1994, wowsers. Better than ever too, ace band.”
BugBear Promotions

“The glorious English punk balladry of Daddy Those Men Scare Me! I am an unadulterated fan – great songs, powerful stage presence and laugh out loud funny lyrics. People whine on about the good old days, but the good days are here and now! Support your local bands!”
Bobby Moore, Those Naughty Lumps (and yes, that is his real name)

999 at The Water Rats with special guests Menace, The Anoraks and Probe X

The Water Rats 328 Gray's Inn Road, London

999 need no introduction, formed in London in 1976 they are stalwarts of the punk scene and one of the only original bands from those days that are still treading the boards. From their earliest classic singles such as I’m Alive, Nasty Nasty, Emergency and Homicide through to their latest album Bish, Bash, Bosh! they haven’t let up, releasing numerous singles and albums and touring relentlessly. Catch them at The Water Rats this November.

Support comes from another band from the first wave of punk, Menace are also still turning out fine new music, nothing can keep these old buggers down.

Also on the bill we have snotty punk upstarts The Anoraks who will sit finely alongside 999 and Menace with a similarly 77 themed punk thrash.

Opening up the proceedings is Probe X, a new band comprised of seasoned musicians who have done their turn around the block and are now here to show today’s kids what it’s about.

EBB, The Gift and Planet Enid Collective (Featuring Enid Williams from Girlschool)

The Water Rats 328 Gray's Inn Road, London

EBB were a band, the Erin Bennett Band who played pop-rock. But they kept straying off into Prog Rock and ruining it. So they finally listened to their own voices and went full Prog. You couldn’t get a happier bunch of puppies.

Writing and rehearsing within an arts collective makes impromptu, noisy jam sessions a little easier than, perhaps, for those who live with intolerant neighbours, families, dogs and hamsters. The resulting music performance and, these days, video and live actors, is best described as bespoke, rather than pleasingly generic. In other words, one likes it or one doesn’t.

Rest assured, the band members themselves will be having a great time! Living in Scotland but hailing from all around the world, the band get on with each other irritatingly well. Also, they can’t wait to meet you!”

EBB ARE:

Erin Bennett (Guitars, Lead Vocals, Trumpet), Suna Dasi (Backing Vocals, Synths),

Bad Dog (Bass), Nikki Francis (Hammond, Piano, Synths, Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet),

Anna Fraser (Drums, Percussion), Kitty Biscuits (Backing Vocals, Percussion, Spoken Word Poetry)

 

The Gift—led by the insightful and emotive Mike Morton—is a London-based progressive rock band that blends ambitious symphonic epics with personal, socially aware narratives. Over four major albums (Awake and Dreaming, Land of Shadows, Why The Sea Is Salt and Antenna), their sound has evolved from grand prog statements to a mature synthesis of complexity and accessibility. Their soon-to-be-released 5th album ‘Seven Seasons’ tells the story of a life, inspired by Shakespeare’s ‘7 Ages Of Man’, and it will be performed live in its entirety later this year.

Planet Enid Collective was formed by Enid Williams, co-founder of Girlschool—the pioneering British all-female heavy rock band—alongside multi-instrumentalists Yair Katz and Audrey M. Enid’s musical journey spans decades, from chart success with Motörhead in the ’80s to performing operas in the West End and returning to Girlschool to co-write and record albums. The Collective’s current set features Girlschool tracks from the last 20 years, infused with a bold sonic mix of pop, punk, alternative and spacey heavy rock.

Their lyrics tackle themes of politics, feminism, and the climate crisis. Recent performances include the LOUD WOMEN festival in Brighton and an upcoming 50th anniversary tribute at The Carlisle in Hastings. Yair brings genre-spanning experience and two solo albums, while Audrey contributes her own original recordings, making Planet Enid a powerful fusion of seasoned talent and fresh creative energy.

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