Sex Gods, April 1987
“Destined for stardom. Either that or they'll never be seen again. Legends are like that.”
I first wrote about the Sex Gods in a 1986 interview. By the time of this gig drummer Pete de Freitas had returned to the Bunnymen and the line-up had changed a bit, but Andy Eastwood was still the frontman.
The band later changed their name to Balcony Dogs and released an album with Island Records. My last paragraph turned out to be prophetic.
The venue was at the Merseyside Trade Union Community and Unemployed Resource Centre, which played a big part in the growth of the local music scene. The pub downstairs was called, with typical Scouse bravado, the Flying Picket. So the venue upstairs, known for nurturing local bands, was Upstairs At The Picket, or the Picket for short.
I wish I could remember this gig. It sounds brilliant.
SEX GODS
MELODY MAKER, April 18, 1987
Upstairs At The Picket, Liverpool
YOU'VE got to have a big ego to call yourself Sex Gods. Or a big sense of humour. Or something ...
What's really cool is that they don't all try to live up to the name. Three of them look perfectly stable, serious musicians. The other two (on guitar and voice, naturally) see to the showbiz and a cartoon sex-appeal that means one wears black leather (of course) and the other wears something tight and ragged, and between them they thrust the guitar at the girls at the front and the microphone ... wherever. And nobody calls them prats.
This is after all not only one of the best things on “The Tube" Liverpool special but a legendary group. Which means you hear more about them than you see, and when you do see them it doesn't matter what they're like as long as they act right (which these do, utterly). And by the second song they're falling over and by the third song they're demanding drinks and by the fourth song they're laughing at their friends. And if all that sounds like Liverpool 10 years ago, well, you have got an ex-Wah and an ex-Teardrop Explodes there.
In fact it's Gary Dwyer and Washington on drums and bass who hold the thing together musically. Not that there's any problem there. It's good hard timeless stuff. From the name onwards, it's a fan's-eye version of a rock group, larger than life and encompassing everything starting with attitude and ending with the Rolling Stones if they'd stayed young. The guitar alone has hints of Verlaine, Richards and Bolan.
And just when you think you've heard all this noise before (and what the hell), you wonder whether you actually have. And, yes, there are songs, and, yes, perhaps there is more to them than meets the eye. And then it goes quiet, acoustic guitar and harmonica, and you think there is a sensitive side to them and then Gary shouts "1-2-3-4" and they're off and you'd only been wondering the other day whatever happened to "1-2-3-4" and you love him for it. It was that sort of night.
And that sort of night when, at the door, they're turning away even people who are on the guest list, and inside it's teeming with friends, fans, and video cameras. And yes, it was worth it. They encore with "Fight For Your Right" and it seems the time is right for exactly what they're doing. Destined for stardom. Either that or they'll never be seen again. Legends are like that.
I saw the Sex (Balcony) Dogs a number of times… they supported Spear of Destiny’s 88 tour… had real potential… Andy was a great front man… If I remember rightly the Picket gig had the La’s as the support act… what a double bill that was…!
Brilliant read, as ever. Only listening to the balcony dogs album yesterday. The best album that hardly gets a mention anywhere. Rings if Saturn is an all time classic.