Dot Dash brought the Brit-inspired post-punk spark to Rockville tonight. The band opened for Hugh Cornwell of The Stranglers.
In fact, leader Terry Banks had to step in and loan Hugh a new amp when the one on stage went out near the end of the punk legend's set.
Dot Dash roared through most of their debut CD and included 6 (?) new songs. I didn't get the name of any of them -- I was off my game tonight -- but the final two seemed harder -- the last one of their set sounded like a cover of some old Clash song.
Don't forget: Dot Dash will be opening for Chameleons Vox -- a reunited version of England's The Chameleons -- at the Black Cat in D.C. on November 28!
Details here.
And, because Dot Dash are four nice guys, and they said I should, I'm giving you another free MP3 from the debut album. See below.
Hugh Cornwell played some solo material and a lot of familiar Stranglers hits to an appreciative audience. It wasn't the largest crowd I've seen in this area but at least the audience seemed to be just as receptive to Hugh Cornwell's solo material as they were to his punk/new wave hits.
As for me, I was looking forward to seeing Clem Burke from Blondie on drums. Mr. Burke didn't disappoint. Not looking much older than he did in all those old videos, Clem pounded the skins like a madman at times. Keith Moon would have been proud as Burke's hands blurred in a flurry of skin-hitting frenzy.
The place wasn't packed but just hearing the fans there eat up "Peaches" was a pleasure. And Hugh Cornwell did "Nuclear Device" and "Bear Cage" and "No More Heroes" and quite a few other classic Stranglers cuts...
Hugh Cornwell, with Clem Burke on drums, does one of the greatest songs ever written as far as I'm concerned. Here's a taste of "Always The Sun"
Okay, in honor of the punk legend who headlined tonight, here's one of the cuts from the Dot Dash album that seems to owe a huge debt to that early rush of UK punk. This is "No Reverie" by Dot Dash from their album Spark>Flame>Ember>Ash.
"No Reverie"
For all of your Dot Dash needs, follow them on their Facebook page.
You can buy the album, Spark>Flame>Ember>Ash, from Dot Dash, as a download via Amazon.com.
You can also get Spark>Flame>Ember>Ash, from Dot Dash, via iTunes in the US here.
And the physical CD is available from TheBeautifulMusic.com.