It wasn’t all bad news when The Replacements split up in the early ’90s—the world of rock ‘n’ roll was given the gift of Bash & Pop. And while the band only delivered one full-length record, it was a righteous debut and birthed the anthem known as “Friday Night is Killing Me.” However short-lived it was, it was great to see Tommy Stinson put down the bass and pick up a six string and step up to the helm.
Stinson has the resume of a seasoned vet anchored of course by his time with alt-rock pioneers The Replacements, but also through his stellar projects in the form of Bash & Pop and Perfect. While both projects were equally short-lived, they showcased an incredibly talented frontman with some serious songwriting skills. Add to that a stellar decade-plus journey with the greatest front man of all time as the bass player for Guns N’ Roses and you have a bonafide rock ‘n’ roll juggernaut.
Fast forward to last week when Bash & Pop dropped into The Garage in North London for a warm-up club gig. The band would be gracing the big stage in Hyde Park the following weekend with Green Day, Rancid, and The Hives just to name a few. Bash & Pop were absolutely on fire and came out of the gates swinging. There’s a certain sense of punk rock-ness that comes alive when Stinson gets going. It starts about 2 seconds in and doesn’t let up until the last chords come crashing down.
Backing up Stinson was The Hold Steady’s Steve Selvidge on board to handle lead guitar duties, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones drummer Joe Sirois, and longtime collaborator Justin Perkins on bass (who also mans the mixing board for B&P’s records).
The setlist was a fantastic mix of old and new cuts. (Rumor has it that a couple of the songs on the new record were meant for a Replacements come-back album.) The surprise of the evening and highlight of the show came when Stinson welcomed special guests Peter Perrett and John Perry onto the stage for a spirited jam of the Only Ones’ classic “Another Girl, Another Planet.”
Bash & Pop’s new album Anything Could Happen is out now on Fat Possum Records. On September 8, Friday Night Is Killing Me will receive an expanded reissue via Omnivore Recordings. The reissue will have 18 bonus tracks, photos, and new liner notes by Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements author Bob Mehr.
