Visceral, incendiary and acerbic, Smilex are the kind of band your mum always warned you about.
Yes, they will lead you astray, get you into bad habits and possibly get you hurt - or at least covered in beer.
Frontman Lee Christian spends more time off stage than on, mixing it up with the crowd and quite literally bouncing off the walls. But this Oxford band are a sharply intelligent - some might even dare to say intellectual - act. And their new album 7 proves it. Themed on the seven deadly sins, from sloth to wrath, it has concept' written through it like a stick of molar-cracking rock.
Consisting of seven songs recorded by a team of seven people over seven days, it's near genius. After five years of plugging away to a largely Oxford-based cult following, Lee, Tom Sharp, Jen Acton and Pat Holmberg seem to be getting the recognition they deserve.
And they have been handpicked to support none other than The Damned at their show at the Oxford Carling Academy, tomorrow (tickets are £15). It's hard to think of a better warm-up for the first generation punk outfit - still fronted by Captain Sensible and Dave Vanian. Punters will also be treated to burlesque performances from Kitten On The Keys, Mimi Le Meaux and Missy Malone.
"It's going to be a great experience," said Lee.
"However, every time I've had a plan to do something, it's gone wrong - so I am just going to play it by ear. We make every show individual!
"The Damned are really interesting characters and their legacy to punk is undeniable. It is an attractive opportunity to support such a wicked band."
The show also follows the release of Smilex's latest single Dead Horses (a download-only single via Quickfix Recordings and iTunes) with guest vocals from rapper MC Lars, and will pull in a strong local contingent in addition to the hardened punks who follow, and hurl insults, at Vanian and Sensible.
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