"We were Three Colours Red and we loved every fucking minute of it!"
The first time we saw Three Colours Red they were opening an all dayer in some London field with KISS headlining. It was a memorable performance which is saying a lot when you still have flashbacks to Paul Stanley in facepaint, hovering above the crowd on wires while Ace Frehley shoots fireworks from his guitar... One way or another though the band were always overshadowed and criminally ignored. It didn't help matters that guitarist Chris McCormack's brother Danny was in The Wildhearts - a band that people flocked to in a way that they never did for 3CR. Arguments between McCormack and vocalist Pete Vuckovic came to a head in 1999 and the band split. Then there was that nonsense about the role ecstasy played in the song Sixty Mile Smile...
After a break and seemingly putting their differences (and spin off bands like Grand Theft Audio) behind them they hit the road again as 3CR (losing ex Senseless Things guitarist Ben Harding in the process) and wrote a new album. Nothing they ever released quite hit the ground running the way that their debut album Pure did. It's an absolute classic piece of vinyl and still holds its own today. We only found out that last night's gig was to be their final one when we got inside the Islington Academy and huddled down the front for something a little special.
This was the last night of a Mighty Atom tour with label mates The YoYos, The Smashup and Along Came Man doing their best to keep the fans at bay. Along Came Man were perfectly passable, but never seemed to get into their stride although obviously enjoying themselves. American The Smashup brought THE METAL and simply played the hell out of their instruments - the sound could have been better with Watt White's vocals occasionally being lost in the mix, but they swore their way through a blistering track list. We want to see them headline. The YoYos had a lot of fans last night, but just aren't our cup of tea (a little like Status Quo but without the ability to open garden centres). Three support bands seemed a little excessive anyway and we were relived when they took their final bow.
Paralyse opened proceedings for 3CR and the place went fucking mad. Being the final show the band stuck mostly to Pure but tracks like Beautiful Day and Age of Madness more than did the trick. Christ knows what goes on backstage with these guys but together on stage for the last time they were tighter than Traci Lords circa 1983. A few times Vuckovic looked like he was going to lose it as the crowd took over the singing for him The madness never ends, and I just wanna stay...
Chef from South Park got a special mention for keeping them outside of the top ten, but it was a jovial bitterness. During the singalong Copper Girl the guy next to us held up his mobile with the message I think I'm falling for you for his girl to read, to our left another girl took the hand of her bloke and shoved it up her top. It was that kind of gig.
This is My Hollywood's opening line Is this success? took on a little more meaning and a gig that we had dragged our heels to managed to be something we would have kicked ourselves for missing. Nuclear Holiday lifted the roof and the encore was something else... we're sure we saw at least one head explode during the final song, Hateslick and then it was time to say goodbye. As the lights came up out spilled Danke Schoen... thank you for all the joy and pain... That was a nice touch.
After the final airing of Sunny in England it seemed somehow fitting that outside the rain was cracking the pavement...
