Live From Mabuhay Gardens: November 14, 1980
Liberation Hall, 2023
10/10
Listen to Live From Mabuhay Gardens: November 14, 1980
Romeo Void put out 3 very well received albums in the early ‘80s, where their New Wave meets post-punk ways even made its way onto the charts. The band reunited briefly a couple times over the years, but this recording was captured when they were laying down their debut album.
“Guards” opens the set with Jay Derrah’s thumping drums and front woman Debora Iyall’s distinct vocals guiding the energetic and melodic post-punk that welcomes Benjamin Bossi’s jazzy sax, and “Nothing For Me” follows with Peter Woods’ animated guitar and Frank Zincavage’s throbbing bass swirling for the darker climate.
Further into the evening, “Charred Remains” gets a bit jangly, where the brighter musicianship suits Iyall’s expressive singing, while “Love Is An Illness” showcases her powerful pipes and the band’s strong attention to mood amid the mesmerizing delivery.
Approaching the end, “Talk Dirty To Me” offers a playful and rhythmic moment of proto-punk ideas, and the swift “Double Shot Of My Baby’s Love” finishes with an infectious New Wave rocker that is so well done, it alone should have made the band a household name.
An outfit who possessed all the greatness of legends like Joy Division and Siouxsie Sioux, it’s unclear to me why Romeo Void’s name doesn’t carry the same clout cause this is some excellent music from a dramatic, artistic and articulate vision that still sounds so great and raw all these years later.
Travels well with: APB- Something To Believe In; The Mutants- Curse Of The Easily Amused