I fell across The Razorbax in a grotty little rock venue in the centre of Birmingham, five-six years ago.
It was a grim, sticky-floored, unpromising hall, with a damp, oppressive atmosphere.
As is all too common on these ‘pop in on spec’ missions, I quickly developed a set of low expectations.
The band straggled on to the stage and began their tune-up/warm-up routine, which included just the opening bars of The Enemy’s ‘We’ll Live And Die In These Towns’.
That got my attention; I like that song! The opening was so faithfully delivered that I hoped we’d get an evening of decently performed covers.
No.
Those few bars of ‘We’ll Live And Die…’ were the only unoriginal work that The Razorbax delivered all evening.
Their set-list was well planned.
The band delivered a hyper fast opening, a slightly downbeat, yet highly melodic midsection, and they finished with a brilliant 4’21” of slow-burn-to-loud-and-fast-and-noisy-rock – in one track!
I’m sad that The Razorbax are no more.
Leigh Bucknall, the moving force behind the band, continues to write aggressively melodic post-punk songs that describe living in sink towns, falling in love and having your heart broken.
But The Razorbax are gone.
It is entirely appropriate that I end this article with the same song that The Razorbax closed the first (but not the last!) gig of theirs I saw.
This is ‘Couldn’t Wait’, by The Razorbax.
Fuck! Why did you have to remind me?
Love these guys with a vengeance.