When singer Alan was pushed out of a UK Subs tribute band, it opened the doors to new beginnings and probably the best thing that could have happened. Sticking the proverbial two fingers up at his former band-mates, the aptly titled “Crashed Course” begins the 5 Go Mad debut.
Lyrically this is an angry rant at how his previous band would operate and how its members aren’t dedicated to the cause. It may be personal, but it gets “Lashings and Lashings of Five go Mad” off to a great start.
Musically it sets the tone for what’s to follow, plenty of 3-chord riffs backed with the frantic drumming of “Wozza” Warren holding it all together. The next track “Jim’s Teeth” is simply about a friend of the band called Jim, losing his teeth. It’s light-hearted and shows how 5 Go Mad were formed by a bunch of mates just having fun.
That friendship has led to bigger things, with gigs and festivals around the country supporting the likes of Peter and the Test Tube Babies, GBH, the Vibrators and the actual UK Subs. It’s not all fun and games though, as there is of course the obligatory “Just Another Anti-War Song” about the powers that be.
This isn’t the only time when 5 Go Mad are a bit predictable, they’re often punk-by-numbers. However, that just means you get to join in with the best of them, whether it be shouting out the catchy chorus of “Punk Police” or pogoing along to “Mockney Cockney”.
It all then gets a bit unashamedly childish, lead guitarist Brian Barnett sounding like Sid James on the backing vocals of “Drinking and W*nking”, while lyrically you’d think this was a group of pubescent teenagers (rather than fully grown men). All is soon redeemed for a special reworking of the classic sea shanty “Drunken Sailor”, with a comical run-through of each band member ending the album in good spirits.
Ultimately 5 Go Mad aren’t likely to win over any non-punk fans, but with the Queen giving her blessing to London’s 40 years of punk celebrations, (in a genre that stands proud of being anti-monarchy and anti-establishment), why would they need to?
