Shame live. Melkweg, Amsterdam Thursday 6 April 2023

Photo: Wout de Natris

All the excitement Shame promises on its albums was present in abundance in the Melkweg (Milky Way) on Maundy Thursday. Singer Charlie Steen spread his arms wide so often that I could imagine him participating as Jesus in 'The Passion', the yearly passion play on national TV that I managed to avoid once again. No, I thought more that Charlie Steen has everything going for him to become the Roger Daltrey of his generation. Just a brown leather waistcoat with flares and bingo.

Shame has three records under its belt and especially the first, 'Songs Of Praise' and the third, 'Food For Worms', are fantastic. Both contain exciting punk songs, to avoid the word postpunk, as how post can punk become? From the 1970s right through to the Franz Ferdinand and Arctic Monkeys generation. It's all in there with Shame adding its own energy. 'Drunk Tank Pink', the second album, has its moments but always sounded a bit forced to me.

Energy is there in abundance. A bass player who appears to have some kind of bouncing device underneath his shoes, who keeps running, does a flip over with bass and all, not spearing his instrument there. He draws a lot of attention, setting him apart from the two guitarists who just work real hard. It does not draw any attention away from the band's focal point, Charlie Steen. He is the real thing where a frontman is concerned. "Walking" on the hands of fans, forced to a near split, stagediving and the big, big movements. I don't know whether the world is ready for Shame, Steen is ready for the biggest stadiums. Drummer Charlie Forbes has to remain somewhat anonymously behind his drumkit, but is the one pounding Shame forward, never missing a beat.

Photo: Wout de Natris

At times Steen even draws away from the music. I doubt whether all the songs played were really good, a lot were, don't get me wrong, but it did not seem to matter. Something was happening here. The sold out venue was ready to party. Invited to do so by Steen, more than once, as this was the final show of this tour, band and audience went for it. Where Personal Trainer in Paradiso earlier this year was on the verge of making the room explode, Shame did, multiple times. Not that difficult with a few real bangers on its setlist, but also with the slower songs of which it has a few, concentration did not lapse. People kept moving together to the slower rhythm.

My imagination ran a bit wild during the show. I never saw The Who live but saw them live on television and saw the video of 'See Me Feel Me' on one of the very first 'Top Pop' shows in 1970. Charlie Steen's biggest secret is that Roger Daltrey's son-in-law is called Steen. Next I imagined Shame writing the 'Pinball Wizard' and 'See Me Feel Me' for their generation and conquer the world fully with them. In theory the band has it in it. Who are the millions of fans these days?, is the bigger question. Next I imagined the band 50 years from now still playing in huge venues. By the time Josh Finerty refrains from bouncing this hard, say 20 years from now, most likely I will be too old, if lucky, to go to shows. That part struck me as less attractive.

Photo: Wout de Natris

Shame played a great show and ought to be on route to the next level. It has all it takes to achieve this. For the first time in over a decade I came home with a t-shirt. The artwork of 'Food for Worms' is exactly that, art. Well worth buying.

Wout de Natris

 

You can listen to and order Shame's albums here:

https://shamebanduk.bandcamp.com/album/food-for-worms