Music
10 Dec 13

Live Review: Rocket From The Crypt at the Button Factory, Dublin

After teasing us with an all too brief reunion for kids TV show Yo Gabba Gabba, then downright torturing us with an Irish gig announcement and then promptly postponing the date earlier this year, tonight, in front of a packed Button Factory in Dublin, the absolutely seminal Rocket From The Crypt make their long awaited return to these shores and with all due respect to that bearded bloke from Bethlehem and those dudes with the bucket hats from Manchester, the resurrection of RFTC is the only second coming that this Hot Press writer is interested in.

Clad in matching mariachi-inspired stage clothes and looking like they may very well be real life vampires (hey, they do have a song called 'I Drink Blood' after all....), the age-defying San Diego natives' set this evening features cuts from all eras of the band. 'Straight American Slave, 'Sturdy Wrists' and 'I Know' are all aired within the first 15 minutes-ensuring no ass is left unkicked-and when they play the near perfect 'Panic Scam' a couple of songs afterwards, the punk-imbued rock 'n' roll group have already given us the gig of the year and they haven't even been onstage for half an hour yet.

Frontman Speedo is in fine fettle (“Who here's from Florida?” he asks during 'Killy Kill.' “I fuckin' hate Florida” he then responds, proving that the old ones are indeed the best) and the sax and trumpet playing of Apollo 9 and JC 2000 respectively sounds as righteous as ever (particularly on 'Made For You'), but guitarist ND is our man of the match thanks to some blistering solos and ace axe-balancing skills (all while battling an amp that seems to struggle with that “big sound of Rocket From The Crypt”).

Speaking of sound issues, there are a few moments where the brass is a little muffled and their singer's voice is a bit raspy as it's the last night of the tour, but ultimately they power on through and deliver a tour de force of soul-infused, garage rock. We even get treated to Rocket's very own

version of the Makarena at one point during 'Come See Come Saw' (who doesn't love the Makarena?) and 'I'm Not Invisible' reminds us that the boys know how to deliver a diabolically catchy hook.

“Thanks for not forgetting about us,” says Speedo as they wave their goodbyes and while we're touched by his modesty, there was never any doubt that RFTC would ever leave our minds. Gig of the year. Give it up for the band!

Edwin McFee