Pussycat and The Dirty Johnsons: pic by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex
Put out a saucer of milk and some moonshine ‘cos Pussycat And The Dirty Johnsons are back in town… Full review and pics – lap it up!
Pussycat and The Dirty Johnsons
I had last seen these guys at Undercover 4 at Brighton racecourse a few years ago. I fell in love with what these guys do back then. Since that time I had tried to catch ’em live but missed them. But not tonight. I was photo’ing Idles at the Dome in Brighton, and left early with a brisk walk up to The Prince Albert to ensure I caught this fabulous band again. If there was any justice in the music world then I believe Pussycat and the DJs should be nationally known and big stars by now. They really are that good.
Put out a saucer of milk and some moonshine… …’cos Pussycat And The Dirty Johnsons are coming…
THE FORMIDABLE PUSSYCAT IS RENOWNED FOR PROWLING THE AUDIENCE WHILST THE ADRENALINE FUELED DIRTY JOHNSON BOYS POUND OUT INFECTIOUS DIRTY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL. LIKE ALL CATS THEY ARE HARD TO PIN DOWN AND HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED AS ONE OF THE MOST INCENDIARY LIVE BANDS IN THE UK.
THE BAND
PUSS JOHNSON – VOX/GUITAR
DIRTY JAKE – GUITAR/BVS
FiLFY ANTZ – DRUMS
Pussycat and The Dirty Johnsons: PUSS JOHNSON – VOX/GUITAR – pic by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex
Pussycat and The Dirty Johnsons: DIRTY JAKE – GUITAR/BVS pic by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex
Pussycat and The Dirty Johnsons: FiLFY ANTZ – DRUMS pic by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex
SO, ok, now you have met the band…
THE SET
No-one looks better than Puss – she’s a total star, and her skintight jeans reflecting the rather dim lights at The Prince Albert. Her hair and make up is extraordinary and comes together to provide a unique and exciting punk character. The three take to the stage.
One of The Boys opens up with a bristling set of riffs from Jake. He had taken up a side of the stage with his guitar and sometimes sitting and then he would be up on his feet powering guitar goodness, along with Puss. Hell Bent and Pain! came at us at a furious pace. Two songs from the first three in the set were from their thundering slice of new vinyl “Aint No Pussy”.
The fuzz and overdrive was kicked up another notch, as was the volume I think, for The Wasp with some damn fine vocals from Puss on this track. It was damn hot in the Albert and the crowd were packed in pretty tight, but that didnt stop Puss from launching into us, mic in hand, to perform among us. Brilliantly done as she dropped to the floor and prowled the crowd.
Pussycat and The Dirty Johnsons: pic by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex
These guys were producing sheer rock and roll punk energy and this was lapped up by the crowd, cheering the band on all the way through this remarkable live set. The quirky, amusingly titled Orgasmic Pizza was up next with Fake and followed in turn by the title track from the album Ain’t No Pussy. This is a belter of a track with some Damned sounding venomously spiked riffs, again spiced up with Puss on vocals. Jake, what can you say? His guitar playing is loud, its raw at times, some complex shredding at times but hell he is always effective and on point.
Pussycat and The Dirty Johnsons: pic by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex
Antz, at the back and in almost total darkness was powering at us from his kit. His hair twirling as he played and sweat running down his face almost from the get go. There are no bass guitars so he works damned hard to make up for that linking up with Jake. You don’t miss the bass, they do such a great job in the sound they make. Abused and Sylvia are delivered with sheer scathingly laden lyrics and guitar hooks. Did they do Midnight Motorway? I cant recall as I was captivated by the music and this performance.
There is no let-up of the enjoyably exhausting punk being played tonight. Puss, or course had her cats tail and this was swished, pulled and pointed at the crowd. Puss, I think I have mentioned it already, is one helluva performer. WolfMan marked the end of this furious 30 minute set. She climbed on top of the drum kit and hunkered down looking into the crowd, in a Batman/Catwoman style, before leaping back onto the stage.
Pussycat and The Dirty Johnsons: pic by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex
Well played Pussycat and The Dirty Johnsons, you set the Albert on fire tonight with that gig. It was great to catch up after a couple of years as they don’t visit the city that often. I, along with the packed in crowd hope they come back again soon for a longer set. These guys are definitely worth your time and attention. In fact the band demand it!
Go hunt down the band on the web here
A wonderful night at the Albert. Keep live music in Brighton alive and kicking. Support the venues and the bands. We do love our punk, rock ‘n’ roll, garage and glam… Its all there just go out and find it.
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All original pictures / video – copyright to IANB/MEDIA WORKS/ SCENE SUSSEX – Ian “The Lens” Bourn 2019.
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