The Scotsman
April 27, 2001
The Soft Boys
The Cathouse, Glasgow
by Fiona Shepherd
It was an undeservedly sparse (though fervent) crowd who gathered for the auspicious return of The Soft Boys, cult Neo-Psychedelic Punk heroes from Cambridge who inspired the young R.E.M. and a host of college Rock bands from the 1980s. At least the presence of some younger faces in the audience implied this was more than a nostalgia fest.
The Soft Boys are older blokes with attitude -- not the stick-on attitude that comes with a curled lip and a dab of eyeliner, more a steely perceptiveness with a good-natured face. Singer Robyn Hitchcock calmly dedicated obstreperous Punkpop singalong "I Wanna Destroy You" to George W. Bush, then sparked a lengthy instrumental duel with fellow guitarist Kimberley Rew (also of Katrina And The Waves -- bet this felt a long way from the Eurovision Song Contest, eh Kim?) during the encore. This minor indulgence gave way to a thrilling Garage Rock crescendo. It was a pleasure to revive the acquaintance.
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