Penetration: Gorilla, Manchester – Dwell Assessment

Penetration | Important Logic
Gorilla, Manchester
14th November 2024

Penetration’s star shone briefly however brightly because the younger County Durham band gatecrashed the primary wave of UK Punk. Fronted by a younger, unsmilingly laconic Pauline Murray, the band’s picture could have performed to the gallery in these febrile early days, however whereas embracing the motion’s angle and stripping out a number of the extreme gildings. Penetration by no means thought-about lack of musical expertise to be a badge of honour. Certainly, Murray expresses frustration that they’re, in some quarters, remembered for the improbable however comparatively uncomplicated debut, Don’t Dictate. The preliminary promise got here to full fruition with the discharge of Transferring Targets, a basic of its (or every other) time – subtly subversive relatively than overtly political and streets forward of lots of the band’s contemporaries when it comes to musicality, lyricism and manufacturing. We’re right here tonight to have a good time as Penetration play the album in its entirety.

Important Logic begin the night with an entertaining set of previous, new and borrowed songs. Fronted by saxophonist/singer Laura Logic, the band deal with us to tracks from their unique 70s incarnation, the 2022 album, Land Of Kali and a few classics by X-Ray Specs, the band the place it began for Laura. Opening with a now subdued Aerosol Burns, the band hit their straps with the mockingly extra upbeat Severe. Laura introduces Identification with ‘This one’s for Poly’, earlier than delivering one other laid-back rendition, the youthful riot now a delicate jazz exercise.

Generally although, with distinctive twin sax to the fore, Important Logic are an ebullient and, at instances, relatively foolish bunch, as witnessed by rollicking performances of Wake Up and Alien Boys. And if a few previous songs got the grown-up remedy, the basic spoken intro, ‘Some individuals assume little women must be seen and never heard’, heralds a riotous, no holds barred Oh Bondage Up Yours! to complete issues proper again the place they started.

The primary section of Penetration‘s set holds few surprises as Transferring Targets is performed sequentially, however no person’s complaining because the acquainted opening chords of Future Daze ring out earlier than a pleasingly giant Gorilla crowd. The album/gig opener serves discover that the band have been at all times comfortable to place the ‘rock’ into Punk Rock, with exhilarating guitar work underpinning, however by no means overwhelming Murray’s distinctive vocals. Pauline, who these days smiles relatively loads, is resplendent in a pink jacket, black hat and signature headband as she takes centre stage, highlighted by the placing backdrop. With hat already jettisoned, it’s straight into the swaggering Life’s A Gamble, once more that includes a bona fide guitar solo, nevertheless it’s Murray’s hovering, wildly uplifting vocal which nonetheless has the facility to ship shivers down the backbone as she cavorts across the stage with seemingly renewed vitality.

Pauline breaks her stride briefly to welcome us, however there’s no let up with that startling assertion of intent, Lovers Of Outrage, a music which demonstrated outstanding inventive maturity upon launch and, in widespread with the remainder of Transferring Targets, has misplaced none of its influence with the intervening years. And it’s apparent the band are on high type and having fun with each minute, with Pauline’s fellow founder member and partner, Robert Blamire, in a very cheerful temper, the tall bassist prowling the stage and reducing a placing determine in khaki shirt and shades, whereas the dual guitars are each visually and musically partaking.

Murray herself is in a talkative temper, ‘I wasn’t going to speak, I used to be simply going to play it just like the document’, however no apology is required because the rapport between singer and viewers is self-evident. The powerfully haunting Imaginative and prescient, a rejection of Catholic religion, shows Murray’s vocal prowess to the complete; brooding, delicate and highly effective in flip. Muscular outings for Silent Neighborhood and Stone Heroes sustain the momentum, earlier than Pauline declares, ‘Properly that’s the tip of the primary aspect if you wish to flip the document over’, which, in fact, we do.

The present tour follows the discharge of the Transferring Targets Re: Calibrated album, an ‘as reside’ remodeling of the unique. It’s a thankless job making an attempt to enhance on perfection, however there’s no denying that the rougher fringe of the reside renditions gives a special perspective to the polished studio variations, no extra so than with the joyous ‘Aspect Two’ opener, Motion. Penetration didn’t a lot cowl Buzzcocks’ Nostalgia as seize it from underneath the noses of their fellow northern interlopers whereas the ink was barely dry on Pete Shelley’s web page. The outcome was two marvellous and distinct takes on the splendidly prescient music from two of the period’s most creative bands. Though the music is given added poignancy tonight on the Manchester stage, the colourful efficiency is undoubtedly a celebration and does the music full justice. The Transferring Targets section ends with a blistering Free Cash which manages to take Patti Smith’s outstanding unique and render it extra outstanding nonetheless.

A breathless Murray makes a ‘pinky promise’ to return earlier than the band take a well-earned second to recalibrate themselves, solely to re-emerge with a thunderous Don’t Dictate and the incendiary Firing Squad. Three tracks from the return album, Decision, make the minimize, together with the appropriately named Beat Goes On. As Pauline places it, ‘That is one off the album. I used to be going to say ‘new’, nevertheless it was launched in 2015′, whereas one other nice cowl within the type of the Flamin’ Groovies’ Shake Some Motion (‘We have a tendency to think about this as fairly well-known, however some individuals have by no means heard of it’), has them dancing within the imaginary aisles. Though Penetration’s second album, Coming Up For Air, suffered by comparability with its mercurial predecessor, it was a superb assortment in its personal proper as is acknowledged by the 2 encores, She Is The Slave and the anthemic Shout Above The Noise, earlier than the grinning band take their depart.

There was at all times a way of unfinished enterprise with Penetration. Pauline Murray went on to have a greater than respectable profession with The Invisible Women and as a solo artist, and says she has no regrets about how issues turned out – however there stays a nagging feeling that we have been robbed of what, in a special life, may have gone on to be one of many nice bands. Tonight gives the look that Penetration believes there may be unfinished enterprise. Their preliminary return to the stage following a decades-long absence appeared tentative, if not reluctant, however every member now appears infused with boundless vitality, enthusiasm and confidence. With the promise of recent materials within the offing, this feels extra like the beginning of a recent chapter than mere nostalgia. The beat goes on.

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All phrases by Robin Boardman. Extra writing from Robin for Louder Than Warfare will be discovered at his writer’s archive.

Pictures: Ian Corbridge