Fury & Beth Blade and The Beautiful Disasters
19th December 2025 – The Marrs Bar, Worcester
Beth Blade and The Beautiful Disasters are from Cardiff and it’s their first time in Worcester. “I’m pronouncing your town’s name correctly,” says Beth. Yes. However, Worcester is a city not a town, but we’ll let you off. Her fellow band members are Sam Brain (drums), Dan Rowe (lead guitar) and ‘Dirty’ Berty Burton (bass). Beth dedicates the gig to Stu Hunting, who recently passed away unexpectedly. He used to run the band’s merch stand and was often at the front of the crowd. RIP Stu.
Tonight’s crowd is treated to an excellent display of 80s hair rock. The set is rife with riffs, “woah woahs”, and opportunities to raise one’s fists to the sky. “You’ve got to give all you’ve got!” screams Beth while giving all she’s got on a song that could soundtrack an aftershave advert. “You’re such a hypocrite / I’m so over it,” she screams, though one remains doubtful that she’s completely forgotten about the aforementioned purveyor of double standards, given that she has written a song about them. Highlights include introductory chords that are reminiscent of Stiltskin’s ‘Inside’ and Dirty Berty’s bass, which hangs lower than Peter Hook’s shoelaces. Just as the last drum fill brings the set to a close, someone nearby decides to drop their guts and let off steam. Such are the pitfalls of gigs mixed with beer. Or should that be s**tfalls?
Fury frontman Julian Jenkins is wearing a black Santa hat with ‘bah humbug’ written on it and a Greggs T-shirt – rock and (sausage) roll! A fan at the front is wearing a jacket that is a patchwork of rock bands, including AC/DC, Iron Maiden, and Guns N’ Roses. Fury’s bass player Becky Baldwin is sewn northeast of Use Your Illusion I. Party poppers are released on stage amidst chants of “Fury! Fury! Fury!” The band begin with the title track from their latest album Interceptor (recently reviewed by SLAP). Matt Fletcher on lead guitar plays an unbelievable solo – his fingers move like spiders up a drainpipe on fast forward. The song ends with a “ha ha ha!” from Julian like a triumphant Joker or evil Santa.
Next song ‘Prince of Darkness’ involves more ridiculously fast fretwork. “Do you love it loud? Do you love it f***ng fast?” asks Julian. “Yes,” the crowd responds. Marr’s Bar is absolutely packed – it makes a tin of sardines look as empty as Thatcher’s soul. At one point, Tom Fenn drums as if he’s announcing the commencement of war. ‘Walk Away’ is about Julian’s “relationship with music” and features lovely harmonics on the chorus from lead vocalist Nyah Ifill. Julian asks who has bought the new album, and 95% of hands immediately graze the ceiling.
A punter carries two large thimbles of vodka with the care of a father transporting twins on a canyon rope bridge. Matt makes Nuno Bettencourt look lazy. Julian announces another ballad and chastises the crowd for not embracing the news, such is their predilection for things being LOUD. However, they soon do the right thing by waving their mobile phones in the air with the torch on. Superb vocals are backed by sparse drums, and it all sounds a bit like Highlander or Braveheart. Later in the set, the band hurl sweets to the crowd, who pounce on them like piranhas.
In the encore, Nyah’s voice sounds as fresh as at the start (where do the band get their energy from?). The final song is a cover of Wizzard’s ‘I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day’, which can be heard as far away as Kempsey. The 1981 re-recording of the original includes vocals provided by a choir from Kempsey Primary School, so the noise levels are entirely appropriate.
As soon as Fury depart the stage, ‘Take My Breath Away’ starts playing. This is also appropriate. Everyone is exhausted in the best possible way. It’s like we’ve all been to a massive house party in America in 1987. Merry Christmas, everyone.
By: Neil Laurenson
Photography: Mathew Patrick