The early 90s... what a time for Rock n' Roll that was! Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, I could go on, but I won't. The music was dark, angry, emotional and it struck a chord with with a whole generation.
In amongst those bands were Ugly Kid Joe. They came to prominence with their EP 'As Ugly As They Wanna Be' and the single 'Everything About You', a catchy song with the epic lyric 'And I get sick when I'm around, I can't stand to be around, I hate everything about you!'
Now, if ever there was a lyric that summed up the general feeling of the youth in Ireland at that time, that was it. Celtic Tiger hadn't hit and times, whilst not as bad as the 80s, weren't amazing. It reached Top 5 in Ireland, Top 5 in the UK, Top 5 in Australia, Top 10 in the US, so it's safe to say, that song became an anthem,
Anyway, enough of the history lesson. 31 years later, Ugly Kid Joe are in Dublin playing The Academy and I, courtesy of the lovely folks in Strangers with Guns, was given an AAA pass! Did I abuse it? Nope, I didn't, but at least they eventually let me take my camera in!
The show itself was pretty damn good. Surprisingly, I knew quote a bit of their setlist. Unsurprisingly, their version of Harry Chapin's 'Cats in the Cradle' and 'Everything About You' turned into a massive singalong moments! It was, overall, an absolute belter of a night!
So, although they never hit the heights of Pearl Jam and Nirvana, or had the credibility of Alice in Chains, they're still out there rocking, still putting on good shows and touring the world. There's a lot to be said for that!
Support on the night were from local rockers, the aforementioned Strangers with Guns, and my ears are still ringing from their set. I've said it before, these guys are great live and, if you like loud rock music, you really should catch them live!
Right, now for some photos. First up, Ugly Kid Joe:
And now for Strangers With Guns:
