Gig review: Sex P***ed Dolls and Apollo Junction at Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Being a '˜metal' guy, punk has never been my thing. Anyway, the cool in me had heard about an all-female punk band called the Sex P***ed Dolls, who I'd tried to see on occasion but never got the chance, so knowing they were playing the Brudenell with support from the top lads in Apollo Junction that was sorted a decent Saturday night out.
Sex P***ed Dolls at Brudenell Social Club. Picture: Anthony LongstaffSex P***ed Dolls at Brudenell Social Club. Picture: Anthony Longstaff
Sex P***ed Dolls at Brudenell Social Club. Picture: Anthony Longstaff

Reading up on the Dolls through social media, the comments are pretty good. I mean, why would you not want to go see punk band whose names are Jilly Idol, Kitty Vacant, Nancy Doll, Anna Key and Connie Rotter?

The group are on a nationwide tour, making a name for themselves from festival to gig venue up and down the country. They’ve covered some big festivals too this year with the likes of Isle of Wight and Kendal Calling, to name but a few. Joined by Leeds’s very own Apollo Junction the Brudenell is pretty much the perfect venue for the Dolls and it’s filling very quickly.

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First up on stage are Apollo Junction. Matt, Jamie, Jonathan, Sam and Ben have been creating a name for themselves over the last year or so playing some big festivals (Isle of Wight, Willowman) and supporting some big bands too including Shed Seven, Dodgy and The Feeling.

Apollo Junction at Brudenell Social Club. Picture: Anthony LongstaffApollo Junction at Brudenell Social Club. Picture: Anthony Longstaff
Apollo Junction at Brudenell Social Club. Picture: Anthony Longstaff

What’s great when you see a home grown band like this is you know they’ve put the graft in, they’ve gigged the small venues, they’ve done the rounds and now their naturally gifted talent to play great indie rock will surface and you can say ‘I was there to see them do good from day one’.

There’s not a Ramones T-shirt in sight when the Dolls come on stage but that’s good – because they are commercialised and punk rockers don’t conform to the system or something like that.

The first three tracks are traditional punk covers and the group certainly know their way around an instrument. Unlike a lot of other cover/tribute bands I’ve seen, they are seriously good, and after song three they then start to play original tracks.

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It’s a pretty kick ass set, full of the raucous abuse the genre sets as a precedent. Front woman Nancy Doll absolutely holds her own and the Dolls stamp their mark on a packed Brud with an energetic, passionate and entertaining set. If you haven’t seen them before, get yourself to a gig – you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

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