Snuff - Farewell Show - Kilburn National - 1991

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• published: 20 Jun 2015
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A fitting end to Snuff's adventures in sound, first established in 1987. The first time I witnessed the band was at the Sir George Robey supporting Rose Rose (from Japan) in November 1988. Plenty of other bands were also supporting the big ticket act, and that is the reason I appreciated Snuff all the more being slotted inbetween half a dozen crustie bands. They were an exciting band, and ironically going to dozens and dozens of Blyth Power gigs earlier on in the 1980's I was impressed that the (topless) vocalist was sitting behind the drums! The band played fast and tight, but the songs had harmonies and not a million miles away from bands I used to enjoy, The Chords and Purple Hearts though obviously speeded up (not amphetamines, well maybe that as well). Later on I found out the band rode about on battered old Lamberetta and Vespa scooters. I witnessed Snuff around ten times during the final two months of 1988. The next year I must have doubled, or perhaps tripled that amount of performances witnessed. Snuff performed many memorable gigs with the likes of Fugazi, Soulside, Youth Of Today, Mudhoney, Gorilla Biscuits, Prong. Other gigs were shared with Mega City 4, Perfect Daze, Leather Face, Wat Tyler and Senseless Things and many dozens of other UK bands . So far so good. I got to know Simon a little bit as he started to come around the Elm Park squat in Brixton on a semi regular basis to see Gummidge and Sian (and by default myself, when I was visiting there). The other members I was slower to get to know but eventually... All was good. This gig towards the end of 1991 at Kilburn was strange. Like the Harlow Square performance of the same year (the last UK gig prior to a European tour and then the final Kilburn date. The Harlow performance is also uploaded onto this YouTube channel) the band had become a little gimmicky and a little overbearing on the jokey songs / cover versions of the now vastly extended set. Snuff performing a thirty minute set of original material (and 'I Think We're Alone Now' - I like to think a Rubinoos, influence but probably Tiffiny!) was pure gold. The Specials 'Do Nothing' was also a highlight of the set later on. Once the headlining status became more regular, and the sets needed to be twenty minutes longer I felt at the time that 'Tasty Tasty' and other advert fillers could have easily been replaced by some more original material that 99% of the time really did move the crowd, and move does not just mean dancing about. It was not my band and perhaps my criticism of twenty five years ago is out of line but imagine a fifty minute set of Snuff originals, like the thirty minute supporting set being performed in 1988 and a fair chunk of 1989! Back to Kilburn. The Kilburn National. The biggest venue in the borough. Snuff's borough. Around the corner where the band members grew up, got into trouble and rode battered old Italian scooters around for most of the night. A slightly ill fitting end for the bands final performance. I write 'ill fitting' as the venue (as far as I remember Snuff gigs) was by far the largest venue these toe rags had performed on (well in the UK at least). The venue was, and I assume still is, huge. But, Snuff, for three small (Andy), thin (Simon) and hidden (Duncan) members of the band really gave it as go, filled the stage completely and ended up winners hands down. The word about this large final bowing out gig was out only a month or so prior to the gig taking place. Hundreds upon hundreds of people turned up for it. No one cared about the support acts. This was Snuff's night and as soon as the footballs were kicked and thrown into the crowd courtesy of Gummidge and possibly Bench (I think) the whole venue started to shake with the hundreds of people jumping about. I was all over the venue at this gig. At the back chatting to some old heads, down the front with some much younger heads and on the side of the stage taking it all in. One of the highlights of the gig was the late performance of 'Some How' a song which manages to name drop several north west London roads and landmarks. Some how (yes I know) fitting to the area where the last performance was being played out in Kilburn. Then they performed a Fugazi cover and spoilt my moment! That's not to mean the Fugazi cover was not a great rendition, it was, but it would have been nice to have finished with one of the most popular original songs specifically 'Some How'. That was the end of that! Around four years of seeing Snuff performances, concentrated for a couple of years, less so the next two but I feel it was the right time to move on for all the band members. The Jam performed at nearby Wembley Arena in 1982 for the last London performances. I would hesitate to be too flippant with comparisons, but both bands were 'Modernists', both bands finished on a high and will forever be remembered for that. Only the one band buzzed around on scooters. So draw your own conclusions!