Eternally Now
Milton Keynes Bowl, Milton Keynes
twenty second June 2025
As Eternally Now, the UK’s “various tradition, submit punk music, trend and literature” reply to Merciless World, opened for the primary time at Milton Keynes’ Nationwide Bowl, the sartorial theme du jour is fairly simple…
It’s all the time tough, Pageant Season, isn’t it? What the hell do I put on? There’s a stability to be struck between practicality (we’re going to be strolling, dancing and possibly even leaping up and down sooner or later) and easy, fashionable self expression. After which there’s the climate: what if it rains? What if it’s blistering solar? Effectively, I’ll prevent the trouble: as we speak is black day. Black boots. Black denims. Black shirts. Black shades. Black. Onstage and off. Sensible. Utilitarian. Flattering. Goes with every part.
Native(ish) lads UK Decay kick proceedings on the Foremost Stage off effectively sufficient, even when Abbo does introduce the fallacious music half means via the set. Testomony specifically units an appropriate proto-goth observe for the day forward.
We make haste to the Different Stage (which seems to be set in a parking lot) for John Mckay’s Reactor: a chance for certainly one of new wave’s guitar heroes to remind us of the place a few of our favorite noises got here from. Late to begin and suffering from tech issues, they handle to hit their stride for a handful of early Banshees classics together with a suitably spiky Hong Kong Backyard, and in doing so summon a pair of raptors (too early within the day for bats, I suppose) to hover in opposition to a menacing sky.
To the Foremost Stage for The Chameleons, who’ve greater than contact of Struggle-era U2 about them, notably in Vox’s supply (they MUST be associated!). Set nearer Don’t Fall provides us the primary – and certainly most densely packed – cowl model/ mash up of the day taking in Bowie, The Doorways and The Smiths within the blink of an ear.
Subsequent are The Psychedelic Furs: suave, glowering sophistication and coordinated tailoring. However don’t anticipate any comfortable footwear: they kick off with President Gasoline from 1982’s Eternally Now (do you see?) earlier than an all too temporary scamper via a listing that would simply have been explored additional. Ah effectively, one other day, maybe. However earlier than they go, we get their soundtrack crossovers Ghost In You and Fairly In Pink, which supplies us the primary actual sing alongside of the day, regardless of the absence of Mars Williams’ sax.
Ominously, PiL are a couple of minutes late onstage…however regardless of, as a result of John Lydon is in glowing type, enthusing concerning the congenial backstage ambiance and clearly within the temper to take pleasure in himself. PiL – notably the one band thus far not wearing black – inject a little bit of vitality into proceedings and even present the primary sincere to goodness dancefloor stomper of the day with Open Up (full with Bez backstage swigging tequila), adopted by raucous singalong Rise. Is {that a} tear in your eye? Or was it a spot of rain?
In the meantime on the predominant enviornment bowl space, everybody’s favorite Smith, Johnny Marr, can be in nice, energetic type. We be a part of him simply in time to catch a mid-set Please, Please, Please, which actually does threaten to tun everybody to goo, however we pull ourselves collectively sharpish when the opening rumble of How Quickly Is Now? throbs at us. Such is his profession arc, he certainly has the widest vary of choices out there, so in addition to Smiths classics and his solo stuff, we’re handled to (Electronica’s) Getting Away With It and he even finds room for a canopy of a brand new wave staple and crowd favorite, Iggy’s Passenger.
Again on the automobile park, the Pleased Mondays have taken the stage. Unsure fairly how, the place and in the event that they match into the brand new wave factor, however it’s a competition, mid-afternoon, and we’re up for some competition classics, aren’t we? And the Mondays actually do have a listing that distills properly right into a competition set: Kinky Afro, Hallelujah and Step On provoke a widespread outbreak of precise dancing, led as ever by the irrepressible Bez (powered by Patron). Nevertheless, the vibes take a reasonably bum flip early in Wrote For Luck when entrance of home sound is reduce off by the organisers. A gnomic message seems behind the band explaining that the present will restart shortly…
So off we go to see Billy Idol. No automobile park for him. He’s Field Workplace Foremost Stage, man. He’s introduced some correct L.A. razzle dazzle/biker/secret police stylish to Milton Keynes and he’s not afraid to deploy it. This implies Elvis shrugs and sneers, clenched fists and naturally, the er…High Gun anthem delivered by Billy’s perennial plank spanker Steve Stevens, who’s thus far main the pack within the operating for Greatest Hair Of The Day. Between them, additionally they have HITS and everyone seems to be delighted once they get to howl alongside to Insurgent Yell and White Wedding ceremony.
In spite of everything this pleasure – and strolling – this correspondent’s drained legs lead him to the grassy financial institution of the bowl to have a sit down to look at The The. Matt Johnson – man of many microphones – and band (additionally clad solely in black) take us via their bluesy anxious melancholia and are joined by Johnny Marr (him once more! Does he by no means relaxation?) for Overwhelmed Era and Canine Of Lust.
No relaxation for us although, as a result of there’s additional anxious melancholia on provide on the Automotive Park Stage (now formally renamed) because the Jesus And Mary Chain take the stage. And nearly instantly, there’s a change of plan, as time constraints drive a set listing change. We’ll by no means know what we missed, however we do get to listen to April Skies and Some Sweet Speaking in addition to seeing Primal Scream’s Simone Marie Butler be a part of them for backing vocals. They later take to social media to criticise the imposition of a truncated timeslot. And so they’re not alone: The Damned are later reduce off of their prime throughout Neat! Neat! Neat!
Time flies quick at Eternally Now, and earlier than we all know it, Kraftwerk (not wearing black in any respect, however lit up solely, in actual fact) are on the Foremost Stage. One may argue that they’re a curious alternative of headliner on a largely new wave invoice however it’s Sunday evening, one supposes.
As is so usually the case, it’s again within the automobile park that the motion is: Dying Cult are on, plundering their early catalogue of deep, deep cuts. Ian Astbury prowls, skips and hollers and Billy Duffy’s guitar howls; they actually do sound like a band half their age. And so they play a couple of Cult classics: we get Hole Man, Resurrection Joe, Dreamtime and naturally a triumphant She Sells Sanctuary to shut. And sure, they’re sporting black.
Was the primary ever Eternally Now a triumph, regardless of the stage clashes (the place even was stage 3…)? Completely. Have been there some snagging factors? Definitely. Ought to this now be an annual occasion on the submit punk new wave calendar? Most positively. Circled in black and scented with patchouli oil.
~
All phrases by Ed Hewens, that is Ed’s first overview for Louder Than Struggle.
All phrases and images by Naomi Dryden-Smith Louder Than Struggle | Fb | X | Instagram | portfolio
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