Altered Images, The Metatrons – Chinnery’s, Southend

I bought this ticket in June 2019. It’s been a long journey! (As you’ve probably worked out, it got rearranged a couple of times thanks to the Covid).

A great night out, not least because support was from the fantastic Metatrons, who I have seen before, and who didn’t disappoint on either occasion.

I can never remember faces and I lose my glasses all the time, but I can still remember where I bought hundreds of individual records. In the case of the 7 inch of Altered Images’ I Could Be Happy, this would have been in W H Smith’s in the Liberty in Romford back in December 1981. I remember telling some of my friends at school that I’d bought it, and they weren’t particularly impressed.

They should have been. Altered Images started as a post-punk outfit in the mould of Siouxsie and the Banshees – they were all originally members of the Banshees’ fan club, and wrote to the band to ask for a support slot, which they got! Steve Severin went on to produce them.

I briefly met Clare Grogan a few years in 2017 when she presented a show for Vintage TV that I attended – I decided not to repeat the experience tonight.

They will be releasing their first album in 39 years this year! Most of the songs tonight were new to me, but they put on a great show – really looked like they were having a lot of fun. And I was jealous of the Old Person Energy they’ve all still got.