Live Review: Daddy Long Legs / Protex – Sandinos, Derry, Northern Ireland, 28th February 2020

A huge surprise to find Belfast first wavers Protex on tonight’s bill. Part of the original Good Vibrations stable, the band followed a sadly familiar trajectory of uprooting themselves from Northern Ireland for greater glory and disappearing into a teeming and overstocked what was, by then, GB New Wave maelstrom. Within a few bars of the band’s opener, it’s easy to imagine yourself back in the day. Were Protex or any of their peers really punk? I don’t know. This brand of proficient power pop is paradoxically dated and also timeless. It’s greeted with warmth and enthusiasm by what can only be described as an eclectic audience – greying ‘back in the day’ veterans standing shoulder to shoulder with a hipper young set. Protex blast through their set with verve and panache. They’re enjoying it as much as the crowd. You can’t not like this. If it’s a little uncomfortable reliving teenage feelings from over 40 years ago (Don’t Ring Me Up et al), the upside is that those universal feelings still strike a powerful chord with the punters.

One of those enthusiastic punters is the eponymous Daddy Long Legs himself, chugging a beer and standing at the back of the room, chatting and posing for selfies with fans between songs as Protex play. He’s a commanding figure with real charisma and star quality, yet self-effacing and genuinely into the music provided by tonight’s support. He exudes a casual vibe that’s at odds with what follows when his band of scuzzed-out bluesmen hit the stage.

From the kick-off, there’s a dark and evangelical fervour to this performance, reinforced by the frontman’s preacher-like frock coat and brooding intensity. The sound belies the simplicity of this three-man setup. The drums pound and thunder, providing the spine for a massive fuzzed-out guitar attack, all topped off with wailing blues harp and distorted detuned radio-style vocal. It’s a vital and compelling experience that’s raw and direct. Daddy Long Legs occupy a timeless slot where raw, dirty blues is the musical language. It translates well to intimate venues like Sandino’s where the band are only arm’s length from the crowd.

It’s a communion of sorts. Watching this set is like being in a Quentin Tarantino movie. American blues doesn’t get any rawer and dirtier than this and it’s a thrilling communal experience. Even if the blues are not your tradition or your music, there’s a visceral and very compelling power to this performance that transcends genre. This is a breathless and compelling show with shades of a fundamental darkness. Mostly though it’s stripped down, high octane dirty blues that speaks directly to your soul.

An unusually vital night for different reasons. The intimacy of the gig, the directness of Protex‘s straight-ahead power pop and the intensity and fervour of Daddy Long Legs combining into one rollercoaster. Testify.