Pissed and Proud
Peter and the Test Tube Babies came out of the early 80s punk scene and quickly made a name for themselves through a combination of superior musicianship and amusing (yet highly dubious) song titles. As with many bands that are still around from that time the line up has changed a few times but with the rather essential Peter still at the helm they have retained their distinctive sound. Tonight we find them at the Thatched House in Stockport, which is fast becoming something of a mecca for old school punks (there's always a healthy contingent from the self styled 'Manchester Punx' in attendance).
As they storm into the excellent 'Jinx' it all comes flooding back and is a welcome reminder that the bands first proper studio album ('The Mating Sounds of South American Frogs') was one of the most outstanding releases of its time. Peter's voice sounds a little rougher than it used to and he's certainly piled on a few pounds but there's no mistaking the classic sound of the Test Tube with the dual guitar parts coming through well. The set features many of the staple tracks that you might expect 'Spirit of Keith Moon', 'Never Made It', 'Transvestite', 'Keep Britain Untidy' and there's even a great rendition of the always entertaining 'Vicars Wank Too'.
The crowd are always enthusiastic (and usually very drunk) here and tonight is no exception with plenty of movement and unhealthy banter going on. The band seem to be enjoying themselves although the performance seems slightly reserved compared with that in their heyday. Every song brings back a flood of memories from the classic early single 'Banned from the Pubs' to the superb 'Blown Out Again'. That Peter and the Test Tube Babies never really achieved the highbrow success that they were capabale of remains a tragedy, later albums never quite recaptured the highs of 'The Mating Sounds of South American Frogs' and the jokey image probably didn't help but there's no denying that when they hit form they were a class apart.
There is a slight feeling that at times the band are going through the motions but there is some more recent material in 2005's 'Driven to Beers' and when Peter spits out the lyrics to 'Maniac' it's like a step back in time to the glory days. They can still put many of their contemporaries to shame and it's been a fun night in front of a decent sized crowd. Good stuff.