RUTS DC / WITCHDOKTORS / JOE BITTER
ESHER THEATRE (22/11/25)
Can you believe it’s 45 years since The Ruts released their second and final album Grin & Bear It (following the premature death of singer Malcolm Owen, after which the band morphed into Ruts DC)? Second stop on this short commemorative autumn tour is Esher Theatre, a new venue for Undercover Promotions.
The punks turn out in force to wake the sleepy Surrey town! Joe Bitter opens the evening on solo acoustic guitar, singing spot-on political punk songs, plus two popular singalongs from his band Emergency Bitter.
WitchDoktors are touring their brand-new album IZZATSO?; as usual they give a sterling performance. The ‘Lightning Strike’ of Andy and Tony’s guitars and ‘Jackhammer’ of Lee’s bass and Joe’s drums thrill the large crowd, as we pogo to ‘Planet of Pain’, then skank to ‘Freedom Fighter’ and ‘Spanner in the Works’.
Segs, Ruffy and Leigh are cheered loudly onto the stage, before Ruts DC launch into ‘Vox Teardrop’ from 2016’s Music Must Destroy. The crowd goes wild to Ruts classics, and we are overjoyed to hear ‘Demolition Dancing’, ‘Give Youth A Chance’ and ‘Secret Soldier’, rarely heard live for decades! Segs pays verbal tribute to late Mani of The Stone Roses, who died unexpectedly just two days ago: “I’m not even going to try to play any of his bass lines,” he declares, “that’s beyond me!” A wildly whirling mosh pit to ‘Staring At the Rude Boys‘ concludes the show.
Words/Photo: Ruth Rae