On one of old stomping grounds, Matlock is both confident and laid-back, a genial frontman with a cheeky chappy line in banter. "Won’t Put The Brakes on Me" lopes along in Nick Lowe fashion, while "Wanderlust" is defiant and punchy. Slick, by name and by nature, is ramping up the rock star imagery while wailing blues style on the sinister "Hook in You" and "Sexy Beast" is a finger-snapping rockabilly honker.
"Montague Terrace", a Scott Walker composition, is sparse and haunting, allowing the song to breathe. Matlock’s vocals are postcodes distant from the belligerent Rotten sneer, but work well on this material, including a lusty stomp through "Blank Generation", echoing Richard Hell.
"On Something" has a melody line that sneaks in and sleeps in your spare room, and shares some DNA with the encore number. The Small Faces’ "All or Nothing", a riotous romp.
The show has been a bit light on Pistols material (Matlock cowrote 10 of the 12 tracks on "Bollocks") but we do get a rambunctious stab at "Pretty Vacant", lagers thrust in the air.
Matlock is a diamond geezer, playing what he wants, when he wants, and is thankfully unlikely to pop up on "I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here", or flog us butter.
