Back by popular demand, Down by the Jetty Promotions present new-wave rock ‘n’ roll icons The Godfathers as they return on Thursday 21st April at the Westgarth Social Club in Middlesbrough.
Following the torment of enforced inactivity as a result of the pandemic, including the postponement of this gig from September last year, The Godfathers will finally hit the road in support of their new LP titled ‘Alpha Beta Gamma Delta’ in what is their first release since 2020’s double a-side single ‘I’m Not Your Slave’ / ‘Wild and Free’, and the first full length to feature the revitalised line-up featured on that single.
Since forming in 1985, The Godfathers have been led by their mercurial frontman Pete Coyne, releasing six studio albums prior to a hiatus in 2000, and a further three since reforming in 2008, alongside a slew of singles which include the US billboard top-40 hit ‘Birth, School, Work, Death’ from 1988. However, The Godfathers are not a band who are willing to rest on their laurels, with frontman Coyne having stressed his disinterest in replicating anything they have previously released. It’s this relentless commitment to moving forward whilst staying true to their rock ‘n’ roll outlook that has enabled The Godfathers to remain relevant and not fall into the trap of becoming a mere nostalgia act.
The band have made Middlesbrough something of a home away from home, with this being the fifth time they’ll have played here. Promoter Stephen Harland points out that the band have: “always maintained a big following in the North East”, and humorously recalls their first appearance in Middlesbrough back in 1986 at Teesside Poly, which, as was not uncommon back then, ended in a riot with the band “sorting the troublemakers out”!
More recently, the band played to a sell-out crowd the last time they played the Westgarth in February 2020 which, fortunately, did not end in a riot and instead was a resounding success, leaving fans desperate for the band to return.
Support comes in the form of Teesside’s veteran punk rockers Johnny Seven, who delivered a livewire set of anthemic old school street punk at the Riverside Rebellion gig back in December. Completing the line-up, Kent-based rockers The Paradox UK make the long journey north playing what they describe as “punk meets grunge”.
Tickets, priced at £15.00 in advance, are available from seetickets.com.
