THE SIDESHOWS -‘The Sideshows’ Album Review

Like many of the artists we cover, most of our team at Rockfiend (myself included) have day jobs, sometimes these take over and our writing has to wait. This is the back story to this review appearing six weeks after release.

Some might question the point of publishing a later review given how many words have already been written by others. Is there any point? Can I add anything or simply repeat others?

Well, writing later has some advantages, it can offer different perspective and also asks other questions. And if the music is good it shouldn’t just have a short shelf life to be reported within a few days.

So, am I still listening to the album 6 weeks on? Yes, most definitely. Does it live up to the hype? Absolutely. There were many positive reviews which were rightly deserved, but for me it’s probably better than the hype which can sometimes be based on some hastily included over-stated words which are overtaken by tomorrow’s review of another artist.

Whereas, The Sideshows continue to dominate my listening (alongside my daily infusion of Bruce) and ain’t going anywhere soon. It’s a bit like the ‘winner stays on’ wrestler throwing all comers out of the ring. Not the mass arena and TV style of wrestling which owes as much to acting and pantomime as sport, but the wrestling shown here in the U.K. in the 70’s on ITV on a Saturday afternoon when we were kids and wrestlers such as Giant Haystacks, Big Daddy and Mick McManus, wearing leotards or speedos, threw others out of the ring and maintained their place (and we destroyed our or our friends’ Mums’ living rooms replicating the action on TV). That’s the type of album that The Sideshows have produced. Let’s see if that gets used for PR purposes!

For anyone looking for a simpler description, how about “almost perfect fast, melodic and soaring punky rock’n’roll played by pros”. Or as Yoda might say, “Brilliant, this is”.

Enough prattling … on to the music.

Starting with the punk and rock pedigrees, they don’t come much more experienced than this - Sami Yaffa (Hanoi Rocks, Joan Jett, New York Dolls, Michael Monroe and two unexpectedly superb solo albums), Rich Ragany, while not a household name, one of the most respected singers on the thriving power pop and punk scene for so long dominated by The Wildhearts and their off-shoots (solo artist, The Loyalties, Role Models and Rich Ragany & the Digressions) and Simon Maxwell (Yo-Yos, The Loyalties , Role Models and most of Rich’s projects). Simple straightforward three piece of guitar, bass and drums, and based on songs initially written by Rich and then fleshed out and developed by the three of them in Sami’s studio in Mallorca.

Album opener and first single ‘Brand New’ introduced the world to The Sideshows back in November and created much anticipation. Fast, frenetic, melodic and trashy, ‘Brand New’ is a massive song and statement of intent. Initially, I was also uncertain if Rich or Sami was singing lead vocals as the vocal style on this song was quite different and reminded me of PIL-era John Lydon before going into more melodic territory.

Released with it was ‘The Start’ a song which, beginning with atmospheric guitar over a rumbling descending bass line, is deserving of its own Goth dance before switching from dark to light with soaring sing out loud chorus.

However, as good as these were, I was initially a slow-burner with The Sideshows and it took hearing both on the album in their rightful places for them to fully click. And I love them. I know, I’m an old fart and still prefer listening to albums in their entirety and in the order intended than listening to songs in playlists.

‘Brand New’ is followed on the album by ‘We’re Such a Shame’. Urgent, insistent and multi-chorused, it’s also the first song on the album to make me wonder if Rich has some unfinished business with the Digressions who sadly disbanded after releasing three pretty wonderful albums which were amongst my favourite new albums in the last few years.

‘I Feel It’ captures the raw power of The Stooges before the glorious ‘Say Goodbye On a Night Like This’ which is the most Digressions-like song on the album and on which you can almost feel the heat of the Mallorcan sun as they throw open the windows in the studio. And for those who appreciate magical moments in songs which unexpectedly elevate them from good to great, look no further than what I think are Sami’s backing vocals adding “a night like this” in the closing bars of the song.

‘This Could Be Everything’ is one of those songs whose mainly bass and drum openings is so simple and effective you want to keep going back to the start, and with yet another soaring melodic chorus rising above. As a reviewer you can find yourself looking for other words to use to avoid repetition. But sometimes you just need to say it as is and soaring, melodic choruses above fast rock’n’roll / punk are such a feature of Rags’ songwriting that they’re hard to ignore.

‘Rock’n’Roll Owes Me An Apology’ picks up the pace before the need for a new Goth dance to be created is highlighted again by the start of ‘The Start’.

The melodic choruses, harmony and backing vocals (what else did you expect?) continue in the more mid-paced and alt-pop leaning ‘Smoke Show’ and the more urgent ‘Our Love in the Shadows’.

Closing the album is Rich’s heartfelt tribute to his late friend Scott Sorry who tragically died last year. Known to music fans for playing in The Wildhearts and Sorry and the Sinatras, Scott and Rich were close friends who in addition to having shared a life in music (good and bad) had autistic sons and shared this familial experience and were there for each other when times were hard. Despite the sad nature the song musically remains upbeat with another sing out loud chorus, but this time mixing melody and melancholy.

For those of us who’ve been part of the respective musical careers of Sami Yaffa and Rich Ragany, this was a collaboration which has caused genuine excitement and anticipation. Add in Simon Maxwell from the legendary Yo-Yo’s (and Rich’s regular collaborator since) and things get even more interesting; not so much a super group as a collaboration of equals. I’m not a huge sports fan, but am aware of ‘Fantasy Football’; if there was a ‘Fantasy Rock/Punk’ The Sideshows would be up there.

And as for the “almost perfect” in my comment earlier? Very few albums are perfect and also I’d loved the mix of sounds on Sami’s two solo albums and in particular the ska and reggae influences and skanking. I’d wondered if beneath the more familiar glam/punk bass playing surface was a Rude Boy waiting to get out and if we might get some skanking in The Sideshows. While this sadly didn’t happen, I was interested to see that since the release of The Sideshows’ album Sami has released another solo project, ‘Dubhuman’, with his long-time friend Janne Haavisto under the names of Captain Yaffacake and Brother Shubie. Described as an experimental dub and reggae album and completely different to how we’ve heard him before, this reached Number 6 in the charts in Finland. Maybe I wasn’t so wrong after all and we might get some skanking next time.

Great stuff, gents.

GMcA