Chubby and the Gang - The Mutt's Nuts (Album Review)
Tuesday, 31 August 2021
Written by Emma Wilkes
Photo: Sirus F Gahan
On the surface, punk is a simple genre—if you know three chords, and you’ve got a few like-minded friends, you have a band. It might be equally simple, then, for listeners to think that they can quickly figure out Chubby and the Gang.
But as rowdy and scrappy as they initially appear on the surface of the follow up to last year’s debut ‘Speed Kills’, there’s a remarkable amount of finesse and subtlety to ‘The Mutt's Nuts’ that’s not to be underestimated.
The Londoners welcome us to the Chubby and the Gang show proudly and very loudly. They bash through the title track, It’s Me Who’ll Pay and Beat That Drum with a cool sense of command and an organic roughness that conjures the smell of spilled beer and sweat.
For all of its riotous fun and fiery politicism, though, they are keen to prove that they are more than just a meat and potatoes punk band, and they duly throw some surprises into the mix with a wry, toothy grin.
Life on the Bayou opens with a guitar flourish reminiscent of a rock opera and later begins to bounce and move, its rock ‘n’ roll groove peppered with tinkling piano. There’s downtrodden, barbed blues-rock in the form of White Rags, while Lightning Don’t Strike Twice takes sepia-toned classic rock and turns it into something uniquely unkempt.
The quintet are also unafraid to shed their veneer of toughness in favour of the heartfelt on Take Me Back To London and Life’s Lemons but, while the variety is appreciated, the meandering pace doesn’t hold up to the boisterous quality of the LP’s best moments.
Chubby and the Gang are a band that excels most when they marry noise and melody, and ‘The Mutt’s Nuts’ showcases a capacity for variety and innovation that sets them apart from others tapping into punk’s latest renaissance. This show is not to be missed.
Chubby And The Gang Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Thu September 09 2021 - LONDON Bush Hall
Thu November 04 2021 - WOKING Fiery Bird
Fri November 05 2021 - BOURNEMOUTH Anvil
Sat November 06 2021 - COVENTRY Coventry Central Library
Sun November 07 2021 - ST ALBANS Horn
Mon November 08 2021 - HULL Polar Bear
Wed November 10 2021 - HEBDEN BRIDGE Trades Club
Thu November 11 2021 - STOKE Sugarmill
Fri November 12 2021 - BLACKPOOL Bootleg Social
Sat November 13 2021 - EDINBURGH Mash House
Sun November 14 2021 - ABERDEEN Cafe Drummonds
Tue November 16 2021 - SUNDERLAND Independent
Wed November 17 2021 - HUDDERSFIELD Parish
Thu November 18 2021 - LIVERPOOL Jimmy's Liverpool
Fri November 19 2021 - SHEFFIELD Delicious Clam
Sat November 20 2021 - SHEFFIELD Delicious Clam
Sun November 21 2021 - MILTON KEYNES Craufurd Arms
Tue November 23 2021 - EXETER Cavern
Wed November 24 2021 - SOUTHAMPTON Joiners
Thu November 25 2021 - OXFORD Bullingdon
Fri November 26 2021 - BEDFORD Bedford Esquires
Sat November 27 2021 - CAMBRIDGE Portland Arms
Sun November 28 2021 - SOUTHEND Chinnerys
Tue November 30 2021 - TUNBRIDGE WELLS Forum - Tunbridge Wells
Wed December 01 2021 - MARGATE Elsewhere
Thu December 02 2021 - DOVER Booking Hall
Fri December 03 2021 - PORTSMOUTH Portsmouth Guildhall (Studio)
Sat December 04 2021 - BRIGHTON Green Door Store
Sun December 05 2021 - NORWICH Waterfront
Mon December 06 2021 - NOTTINGHAM Bodega Social Club
Wed December 08 2021 - BIRMINGHAM Castle and Falcon
Thu December 09 2021 - LEEDS Belgrave Music Hall
Fri December 10 2021 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Think Tank?
Sat December 11 2021 - GLASGOW King Tuts
Sun December 12 2021 - CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach
Tue December 14 2021 - MANCHESTER YES (The Pink Room)
Wed December 15 2021 - LONDON Scala
Fri December 17 2021 - BRISTOL Exchange
Sat December 18 2021 - DUBLIN Workmens Club
Sun December 19 2021 - BELFAST Voodoo
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