The Professionals / Force Fed Lies – The Factory, Manchester, UK, 16th October 2021

The 30th January 2020, that was the last time my feet stuck to the floor in one of Manchester’s venues, on that day I staggered out of The Peer Hat full of optimism for another year of gigs and festivals, and we all know what happened next. I have to admit that getting back out into world is more daunting than I expected, after building up expectation of getting back to doing something I love, there is of course the flip side In covid times. No one could be blamed for experiencing an increase in anxiety, especially in light of the UK’s rising infection figures due to the chronic mismanagement of the whole pandemic by the UK government. But what’s the alternative? staying indoors flicking between streaming platforms desperately trying to find something worth watching from now until eternity? Whilst lockdown did have it’s upsides, I never thought I’d take up gardening out of choice to start with, you became aware of what you truly missed, and for me the itch that couldn’t be scratched was live music and everything that goes hand in hand with those nights.

Entering the factory you are somewhat unsurprisingly hit by a soundtrack of old school punk rock that pre-dates The Professionals existence. Whilst the soundtrack is strictly from the class of ’77 the crowd isn’t exclusively old school, there are those original punks who remember The Professionals‘ Paul Cook in his Sex Pistols heyday, but encouragingly not exclusively so, younger fresher faces are present in the crowd which is the lifeblood of any scene. Even though I’m late to the party of things opening back up there’s still a sense that people are still catching up with long lost friends and faces and there’s a sense of joy as people are reunited after the long desolate months. 

After having been throughly trampled by most of the four horseman for the last eighteen months it’s a relief to be back out after a year and half of trauma and Netflix, whilst I have attended the HITS 25 festival this is my first foray back into the venues of my hometown, a much more intimate experience than the faded victorian splendour of the Blackpool Winter Gardens. Former Sex Pistol’ Paul Cook is playing Manchester’s Factory tonight with the current line up of his post pistols outfit, The Professionals. This is not the same band that emerged from the implosion of the Sex Pistols in the late 70’s, Cook is the sole remaining original member, his partner in crime Steve Jones might no longer be present, but the frontman role is ably filled by Tom Spencer (The Yo-Yo’s / The Loyalties / The Lurkers), with Rich Jones (The Yo-Yo’s / The Loyalties / Michael Monroe) on guitar and Toshi JC Ogawa (The Ga Gas) on bass.

Sadly my wingman for the night Gary Hough is unable to attend due to illness and it seems everyone else I know has been pinged recently and is isolating, an increasingly regular occurrence in the new normal that we live in. Another disappointment is that Desperate Measures aren’t appearing on the Manchester date of the tour, although this is thankfully not due to illness, in support of their impressive new EP, Rinsed. Instead Force Fed Lies are filling the void at The Factory, a venue that occupies the site of the former headquarters of Manchester’s legendary record label. Whilst Desperate Measures punk rock would have complimented The Professionals, Force Fed Lies hit you with their own intense brand of pummelling hardcore, one that takes no prisoners, this is short fast, brutal and in your face punk that owes a debt to the UK 82 scene. Both bands seem to have employed SNAFU as a theme for tonight, with Force Fed Lies and The Professionals adopting this acronym, for a song and album respectively, and I doubt there’s a better summary of 2021 than Situations Normal, All Fucked Up.

The appearance of The Professionals is preceded by The Specials‘ You’re Wondering Now, a track requested by the band, before they launch into Payola, a track from way back that sounds reinvigorated by the current line up. From here we head into a set that spans the decades, 2017’s What I’m The World and their freshly released full length, SNAFU, are well represented proving that this is no nostalgic greatest hits tour. At the point that Rewind kicks in there seems to be an increase in the band’s energy levels, or maybe the sound engineer hit a sweet spot. This is followed by a blistering Spike Me Baby. The energy levels indicate that Paul Cook hasn’t been at his daughters “herbal” chocolates tonight, the incident that inspired this recent single, one that stands up against anything they’ve recorded.

There is of course a dip into Paul Cook‘s past with Silly Thing from his former outfit, does it even count as a cover if one of the band wrote the song in the first place? The Professionals brand of anthemic punk rock works so well in this kind of venue, whilst they have changed over the years, not least through the numerous enforced line up changes, but it’s a recipe that has consistently stood the test of time. After a charged set The Professionals briefly disappear before returning to bow out with (I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone, a track made famous by The Monkees and subverted by the Sex Pistols. After this unexpected step back in time to the dawn of the pistols it’s over all too soon. No I mean it, gigs are finishing way too early to make way for club nights. I found myself gently ushered out of the venue by 10pm.

Things have changed over the last eighteen months, my usual car park in this part of town now has a building on it, beer seems to be horrifyingly expensive and the one way system in Manchester has taken on a confusing life all of its own. The pre gig anxiety was almost inevitable but It can, and should, be overcome, and it’s worth it. We might be living in interesting times, but I’m not staying indoors forever, tonight has reminded me just how much I’ve missed these nights, it’s good to be back.

Gary Hough was indisposed on the night, get well soon Gary, so featured photography is by Steve White at The Cluny, Newcastle a few days later on the tour.

SNAFU can be purchased on CD, vinyl and digital formats here.