REVIEWS

The Kentish Town Forum, London.
October 22nd 2006 supporting The New York Dolls.

There is a very healthy sized crowd for when The Philstines take the stage. It's their biggest London show for a while, can they deliver? They are given just 30 minutes but cram in eight Philistines gems. The band are looking super cool, Koozie and Chris with slicked back hair, Ray with his new goatee beard and Glen tanned and looking many years younger.

Hot Water starts the set off nicely, Glen's vocals are nice and clear and the band step up the pace for solid versions of Whose Side Are You On ? and Suck It And See, with Chris standing behind his drumkit and getting the crowd to clap along, which they do. The twin guitars really kick in for Piece Of The Action and White Knucke Ride, with Ray and Koozie twisting and grinding their guitars into the amps. Before you know they are gone. So a short but very sweet set. Paul Cook was there to watch it and New York Doll Sylvain Sylvain was also enjoying it from the side of the stage. Set list: Hot Water, Yeah Right, Whose Side Are You On?, Suck It And See, Idiot, Somewhere Somehow, Piece Of The Action, White Knucke Ride.

Review by Ray Morrissey

May 18th 2006. Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA

Here we stand in the town that Frank Sinatra was born and raised in - Hoboken, New Jersey. Yes the man that originally brought My Way to our attention. Well, tonight we have an original Sex Pistol visiting Frankie's town to do it HIS WAY. Glen Matlock took the stage at about 10:00PM. This was a big return to the New York/New Jersey area for Glen Matlock. He didn't waste any time, and hit the stage and never stopped. Here's the set list for last night's performance:

Yeah Right, Hot Water, Who's Side Are You On?, (I'm Not Your) Steppin Stone, Somewhere Somehow, OK Kiddo, Idiot, Suck it and See, On Something, Burning Sounds, Piece of the Action, White Knuckle Ride, Pretty Vacant.

After the show, Glen and the band hung around talking and taking pictures with fans and friends. Trust me when I say, "Whenever there's a Pistol in our area - The City is ALIVE!"

Review by Eliot Wien, NYC

April 11th 2006. The Joiners, Southampton.

It's a pretty miserable drive down to Southampton but The Philistines' first show on the South Coast for this current line up is something well worth the 75 miles each way drive. The Joiners is a great venue to watch a band and the place is suitably rammed with fans.

The band get off to a flying start with Pretty Vacant which knocks the crowd for six. New tracks Yeah Right and Somewhere Somehow mix in well with the older material. All the songs played mesh into a superb hard, aggressive uptempo rock and roll sound. It's not long before there is a crowd at the front dancing and jumping around. By the time the band finish with killer versions of Piece Of The Action and White Knuckle Ride, the mosh pit is full of people really getting in to it. Encore of God Save The Queen is, as you can imagine, just rocktastic.

This was a warm up for the bunch of shows starting next week in Blackburn which are a must see if you live in the general area. Remember, the more people that turn up to see the Philistines in action, the more gigs they will play, and that can only be a good thing.

Setlist: Pretty Vacant, Yeah Right, Whose Side Are You On, Somewhere Somehow, Idiot, OK Kiddo, On Something, Stepping Stone, Suck It And See, Hot Water, Piece Of The Action, White Knuckle Ride, and encore of God Save The Queen

Review by Ray Morrissey

Stu McGregor emailed to say: "Thank's for a great night in Southampton. You were all bloody brilliant."

The Philistines Hit Toon! Review added March 06
October 30th 2005, Newcastle General Hospital

Glen Matlock returned to the North East to play a charity gig for the Bubble Foundation based at Newcastle General Hospital on October 30th 2005 and he brought the house down with his new band 'The Philistines'. With a sell out crowd of 250 people at 'Sutherlands' in Windy Nook Gateshead and a great set by warm up band RAYNE the stage was set for the former Sex Pistol to do what he does best.

After a rousing introduction by event organiser Steve Wraith, Glen and the boys took the stage and opened up with Hot Water. The crowd lapped it up. Many of those in attendance were not sure what to expect but they were not disappointed. With a few Pistol classics thrown in for good measure the Geordie public pogoed with passion at the front of the stage and Glen and the band gave it there all. After signing every autograph and posing for every picture they had a well deserved drink before heading back down to the smoke. A great night for a good cause and a rare chance for the Geordies to see one of the finest musicians and a great up and coming band in action. Thanks for the memories lads.

Set List: Hot Water / Be Somebody / Whose Side Are You On? / God Save The Queen / Ok Kiddo / Idiot / Suck It And See / On Something / Stepping Stone / Piece Of The Action / What Do You Want From Me? / White Knuckle Ride / Pretty Vacant

Review by Steve Wraith

March 3rd, The Cavern Club, Liverpool

The Philistines on Friday night was the perfect way to get in the mood for the weekend, and an ideal antidote to the snow outside.

Glen Matlock's rock 'n' roll outfit gave a nod towards the nature of the weekend by opening and closing the show with Pretty Vacant and God Save The Queen respectively.

The sound was clear and crisp, which enhanced the power of the the dual guitar onslaught of Koozie Johns and Ray McVeigh. Chris Musto is one of the most solid stixmen in the business; he put such energy into his performance he was literally out of his seat on occasion!

The rock 'n' roll songs kept on coming in the guise of Whose Side Are You On, Burning Sounds, Idiot, White Knuckle Ride, Piece of the Action, and the ever-wonderful, On Something. The two new songs on offer, Yeah Right and Somewhere Somehow, sounded fresh and exciting, boding well for the next album. The appreciative crowd was swelled by an influx of European tourists, who were fascinated by the spectacle, and approached me on the Merchandise stand, enquiring about the 'Sex Pistol' on stage. A couple even dug into their pockets!

Another great night in the company of The Philistines.

Review by Phil Singleton

February 2nd 2006
Rhythm Factory, London

What better way for the packed crowd at this hip East London venue to kick out the winter blues than with The Philistines' first show of 2006.

The band open with a song never heard in the U.K before and destined to be a crowd favourite. "Yeah Right" features some great call and return vocals of the tracks' title between Glen and guitarists Koozie and Ray. This track was knocked into fine shape whilst the lads were out in the States late last year.

Without pausing for breath, they launch into "Whose Side Are You On?" from the last LP "On Something", and then the crowd are treated to a loud and raucous, and previous show opening "Hot Water". Taken from Glen's solo album "Who's He Think He Is….", this song pile drives home like a Sherman tank, with some fantastic guitar work from ex-Professional guitar slinger Ray McVeigh.

One of Glen's finest songs of late, "White Knuckle Ride" sees the crowd jumping before there is another surprise. "Somewhere Somehow" gets its world debut and shows how fast this group are developing their distinctive Rock 'n' Roll sound.

As always, Glen gets the crowd to sing along the chorus to "Idiot" as Ray points out the best dressed punter in the house.

"Suck It And See", is followed by album title track "On Something" before they finish with the fantastic "Piece Of The Action".

The crowd scream for more and The Philistines don't disappoint. Swaggering back onto stage and without saying a word, the opening of "Pretty Vacant" rings out loud and clear. And before you know it, it's all over. A fantastic show with 2 new tracks, the band play in Kilburn and in Twickenham next weekend. With strong rumours coming out of The Philistines' camp of more possible dates in Europe and the U.S., these may be the last chance to see the boys in London for a while.

Review by Simon Leppington

December 19, 2005
The Knitting Factory
Hollywood, California

The last date in a handful of California engagements, the Knitting Factory in Hollywood is where Glen Matlock and the Philistines would close out 2005, but not without a surprise or two. The current line-up of Philistines, Koozie Johns, Ray McVeigh and Chris Musto took to the intimate stage and immediately got themselves into "Hot Water" from the "Who's He Think He Is…" release. "Whose Side Are You On" from their current CD "On Something" was followed by the rockin' "Be Somebody" from the same release. One of the surprises came in the form of a new song titled "Yeah Right" which was well received by those in attendance.

Things were just warming up when Chris Musto hit his skins in unison to usher in "OK Kiddo". This proved to be a nice segue to what could arguably be the song that defined the punk movement in the seventies: "God Save The Queen". Glen appeared to be enjoying himself singing the anthem he had written and his band mates were equally enthused. A couple of songs later, the audience are treated to a cover of the Monkees hit "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone". Written in 1966 by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, the song was given new life courtesy of Ray McVeigh's and Koozie Johns' guitar work, and proved to be a worthy addition to the set list.

The title track "On Something" featured great guitar licks and backing vocals, as did "Better Get Start Getting Use To It". With its infectious hook, which was still ringing in my ears, they immediately went into "Piece of the Action". Glen and the band were joined on stage by former Sex Pistol Steve Jones for the Philistines' "White Knuckle Ride". Jones who hosts a show on radio station KDLD 103.1 called "Jonesy's Juke Box" indicated he liked the song when he had the band on his show prior to the gig.

Ahh yes, the glory days of real punk became apparent when they unleashed "Pretty Vacant" and an encore of "God Save The Queen". Jones, fighting a nasty cold came through in fine form. For those who may have never witnessed a Sex Pistols show, this might be as close as it gets. That is, until March of 2006, when they are slated to be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
As for the Philistines, lets hope the puddle that's called the Atlantic Ocean won't keep them from the states for long. Glen has assembled a very capable band and as he sang earlier in the show: "Better start getting used to it". I know I have.

Review by Joe Lodinsky

December 14th 2005
Bourbon Street, Concord, CA

Review 1. Saw The Philistines at Bourbon Street in Concord, CA last night (12/14). There were 5 (FIVE) bands! Glen Matlock didn't go on until almost 1 AM. But he was REALLY good - what a great band, even though they were using another band's equipment. I bumped into him before the show and he signed my CD of Pretty Vacant. Nice guy. He went on and told everyone to come up front, get cozy, then proceeded to blow the doors off. We were literally inches away from the band. They were very tight and it was obvious they were having a good time. I'm not a huge fan of their recorded work but they play heavier live, with material from the latest album plus they threw in GSTQ, Pretty Vacant, and Stepping Stone. I didn't know what a great guitarist Ray McVeigh was. What a great set.
I can strongly recommend anyone who hasn't seen the Philistines to make the effort. You will NOT be disappointed.
Review by Max Tomlinson, San Francisco, CA

Review 2. Bourbon Street Bar & Grill is located in the East Bay, about 30 miles outside San Francisco. The Philistines hit the stage in the wee hours of Thursday morning and were in great form. One wouldn't have suspected that they drove up straight from L.A. just hours before. The band really looked like they were having fun.

The songs I recall them playing were (not in exact order): Whose Side Are You On?; Piece Of The Action; Burning Sounds; GSTQ; On Something; Stepping Stone; Suck It And See; OK Kiddo; Idiot; White Knuckle Ride; Pretty Vacant.

During the finale, Glen positioned his microphone into the audience for a Pretty Vacant sing-along and motioned Sebastian of support band The Twots to join the stage for the remainder of the song. It was a unique and refreshing opportunity to see such a great band in a non-San Fran venue. It's been over 2 years since I last saw Glen in action (with the Pistols). I didn't get to see The Professionals in Berkeley in the early '80s, so it was very cool to see Ray McVeigh play his Fernandes Burny right in front of me. I look forward to The Philistines gig in San Francisco (next year)!
Review by Gil Warguez

Pictured below: In action in Concord.

November 3rd 2005
The Rhythm Factory, London

If you’ve ever seen the Red Arrows fly past, you’ll know what I mean when I say that some of the best things only seem to appear briefly. 

The Philistines return to the Rhythm Factory was only 30 minutes “long”, but far more exciting to see than the Red Arrows! Last night’s show saw them on top form. They looked like they were really enjoying themselves. 

Opening with Pretty Vacant, then on through Hot Water, Whose Side Are You On and about 5 more songs before the LOUD encore of God Save The Queen. These guys deliver. Just hope that next time we get a bigger helping!

Set list: Pretty Vacant, Hot Water, Whose Side Are You On, Better Start Getting Used To It, Idiot, Suck It And See, On Something, Piece Of The Action, White Knuckle Ride, GSTQ.

Review by Steve Glitterbest 

September 8th 2005
The Rhythm Factory, London

My ears are ringing with the Philistines sound! Superb show last night. Always good to see a top notch rock operation, tight as a thumbscrew!

Short set, as there were about 4/5 bands on the bill, but Glen & Co turned in 30 minutes of wall-of-sound quality. There was a 9 camera video shoot capturing the event for a forthcoming DVD on the life of........Dave Goodman! So the boys were loving the cameras, guitars being thrashed, strings breaking, the works. Songs I remember; OK Kiddo, Be Somebody, Idiot, Piece of the Action, and Whose Side Are You On. Ray McVeigh must now be the most OTT "guitar slinger" in town, couldn't quite hear his solos due to the sound, but it looked like he was playing like a demon!

Made the other bands just look plain amateurish.

Review by Steve Glitterbest 

August 2005
Plaza De Toros (The Bullring),
Medina Del Campo, 80 miles North West Of Madrid, Spain.

Here we are outside Madrid in this bullring as 500 up-for-it Spaniards are lucky enough to witness the first show of 2005 by Glen and the boys. Things start late here because of the heat so its after midnight when the band arrives on stage but its nice and cool and dark so even though we are outdoors it feels like it could be in a small club with the lightshow and dry ice.

The band are all looking super cool and tanned as they launch into "Hot Water" and " Be Somebody" . Glen manages to squeeze in a few words of Spanish and its clear he loves Spain as much as they love seeing him as this was the bands third or fourth visit to this country in as many years . Ray and Koozie play guitar brilliantly off each other and offer great backing vocals to most of the songs. Chris Musto's drums keep the unit together tightly for every song. Ray's low slung guitar playing has now got to the stage where he was a playing a couple of songs with the guitar down by his ankle. 

It did not take long for the front of stage to be full of fans jumping around. The Faces influenced "OK Kiddo" was another real treat and Glen's lyrics and voice were on top form. "God Save The Queen" created some chaos down front and a couple of the crowd jumped on stage to help with backing vocals. "Piece Of The Action" and "White Knuckle Ride" from the recent album "On Something " were both fantastic catchy rockers that had everyone roaring for more. A finale of "Pretty Vacant " was a superb way to end this excellent hour long set. Let's hope the band plays their postponed UK tour dates before the end of the year and maybe we might see them get a major tour support slot in the future as well. 

Review by Ray Morrissey 

Full Setlist: Hot Water, Be Somebody, Don't Put Me On, Whose Side Are You On ?, Stepping Stone, OK Kiddo, Idiot , On Something, Suck It And See, God Save The Queen, Piece Of The Action, White Knuckle Ride, Pretty Vacant.

11th September 2004
The Plough, Walthamstow

The Philistines are back with a powerful new rock 'n' roll line-up comprising of stalwart powerhouse drummer Chris Musto, new boys Ray McVeigh and Koozie Johns on guitars and Glen on bass and lead vocals. What a pedigree! Ray, of course, was Steve Jones's guitar duelling partner in the legendary Professionals. Famed for underpinning the sound on The Professionals' album I Didn't See It Coming, Ray's guitar remains as dynamic as ever. Koozie Johns is rock 'n' roll personified, and responsible for one of the best rock albums in the past two years with his group Sinnerstar (Craving Aches & Bitter Lemon Hearts). Both Ray and Koozie have played together in Wild Crash 500 and know how to complement each other instinctively. Incidentally, Chris has also drummed live with Sinnerstar. Rock 'n' roll symbiosis! This understanding between the group is a major plus for The Philistines. Glen's assembled a cohesive unit with the right mix of committed personalities and attitude. 

Billed as a warm up gig, a red-hot one was anticipated. Kicking off aptly enough with Hot Water from the album "Who's he think he is…", the band proceeded to play a selection of songs from across Glen's Philistines career. The 'new' Philistines reminded me strangely of Johnny Thunders' Heartbreakers (at their most together, I must add!). Koozie's powerful rock chords seem to glide and swagger effortlessly, while Ray's cool riffs and solos make you realise that this is not merely a set of backing musicians, but a group getting the best out of one another. Chris (who was part of Thunders band in the late 80s), has drummed for many years with The Philistines, and his knowledge of the material meant there was no danger of songs going awry if the new boys were still on a learning curve. Glen himself never gives less than 100% during a Philistines show. The reason is simple. He's put a hell of a lot into this material and the band, and cares passionately about it. It's there for all to see.

The new album was represented by Be Somebody, Whose Side Are You On, OK Kiddo, Suck It And See, the exhilarating White Knuckle Ride, Piece Of the Action, Better Start Getting Used To It, and the title track (and set closing), On Something. 

The encore gave another outing for the 'forever-young sounding' favourites, Stepping Stone and Pretty Vacant, two songs the punters never tire of hearing. More importantly, The Philistines' set is littered with gems as fresh and vital sounding as the old hits. With a band line-up that is crying out for longevity, The Philistines are a group set firmly in the tradition of true rock 'n' roll. Strong songs, performed with a hint of sleaze, delivered a great night of feel-good rock 'n' roll at The Plough Inn. A terrific crowd reaction left no doubts about the quality of their debut show. All signs point to an exciting future. 


Review by Phil Singleton