Peter & The Test Tube Babies @ Dundee – live review

Peter & The Test Tube Babies
The Beat Generator, Dundee
26th January 2013

Armed with my trusty camera and hoodie, the second being an essential piece of kit at a Test Tubes gig as it will inevitably rain down with beer on you at the front, I sit and wait for the band.

They walk on stage to a roar and we are straight into “Moped Lads”, “Run Like Hell” and “The Jinx” which are over in a flash. Peter is grinning all the time and I just know tonight’s going to be a good night.

“Shit Stirrer” is up next and there is a guy at the front who keeps putting his hand out to Peter. The Beat Generator stage is so close to the crowd you can touch them so Peter takes the guy’s glasses of his face and puts them on his head for the remainder of the song, every now and then teasing by offering them back to him and then pulling them away. At the end of the song he gets them back.

“Up Yer Bum” gets the usual response of loud cheers and heaps of beers coming at the stage and Peter gives the middle finger to the crowd and they do the same back.

During “Keith Moon” our friend at the front decides to take out his phone to try and take a photo and yes you can guess the rest – Peter snatches it and after the song he shouts ‘should we text his mum?’. “Yes!” the crowd replies so a text is duly sent, or was it, only he will know when he checks his phone the next day.

All the great songs are blasted out – “Transvestite”, “Maniac” where Peter does look demented when he rolls his eyes to back of his and head and you can only see the white parts of them. Meanwhile Del, Paul and Dave are playing flawlessly. We finish with “Blown out “…

Superb – how can the encores top that? They come back on and yell ‘do ya want more?’ A massive yes goes up and the band say with cheeky grins on their faces ‘not when you hear what we’re about to play’ and they break into “SOS” by Abba! Everyone sings along. ‘Wow do you want another?’ they ask, again yes respond the crowd so we get “Mama Mia”. Two brilliant  punk renditions of Abba tunes. To finish they do their version of “Hocus Pocus” by Focus.

Only the Test Tubes could do this and get away with it, great night.