A Punk Rock Christmas Cracker
If you prefer White Riot to White Christmas, Tomorrow’s Girls to Jingle Bells, and Do Anything You Wanna Do to Deck the Halls, then get ready for a tinsel takedown.
After their summer smash, Class of ’79 return to La Belle Angele this December with local favourites the Gimme Gimme Gimmes for a punk-powered festive blowout.
Featuring members of The Rezillos, Eddie and the Hot Rods, UK Subs and Department S, Class of ’79 are a salute to a time when music was raw, real, and rebellious.
At their raucous Scottish debut in July, the band’s time-served veterans - Steve Crittall, Phil Thompson, Simon Bowley, and Mike Lea - blazed through a blistering set of punk, new wave and 2-Tone classics. Now, after recent opening slots supporting the Buzzcocks and Vapours, they’re back in the Capital by popular demand.
And kicking the night off again are the Gimme Gimme Gimmes with their riotous punk parodies and madcap mash-ups, where iconic punk intros collide with much-loved Scottish singalongs in a wonderfully chaotic style.
Whether you’re a diehard punk, an 80s new-waver, or just after a great night out with terrific tunes, Class of ’79 and the Gimme Gimme Gimmes are back to bring you the perfect high-octane pre-Christmas hoolie.
Silent Night – nae chance!
It was a time when vinyl and cassette tapes ruled - and when the only playlist that mattered was John Peel’s. The late ’70s and early ‘80s spawned a variety of musical genres and subcultures that continue to inspire to this day. It was a time when music felt raw and real.
The untamed energy of pub rock, the gritty rebellion of punk, the experimental soundscapes of post-punk and new wave, and the catchy beats of ska and 2-Tone all drove a transformative and defining period in music history. And while the songs of those times were often built around socially conscious lyrics, there was always room for the sheer escapism of some quirky comic book punk.
The Class of ’79 - featuring Steve Crittall, Phil Thompson, Simon Bowley and Mike Lea - have all earned their stripes after many long years spent recording and touring with bands including Eddie and the Hot Rods, Rezillos, Godfathers, Selecter, UK Subs, Ten Benson, Black Bombers, and Manchester’s Sugar Bullets.