Hamsters from Hell – Live Review
Hamsters from Hell – Live Review
The Queens Tap, Swindon
03/05/2025
Review by Mare Grills
On Saturday evening, my responsible adult (daughter Kathy) and I took the long overdue trip to Swindon to see the Hamsters from Hell on one leg of their 40th Anniversary Tour, which takes in Swindon and Marlborough and hopefully some of the outlying villages..
This was only the second time that I had been to this venue, the first time was just for a drink before catching the train to a gig in London. It’s a pub just across the road from Swindon Railway Station and has a surprisingly large bar area with a lovely outside space at the back. The staff and the customers were really welcoming and friendly, and the landlady Nikki is helpful and an all-round good egg – so live music aside, which happens most weekends, I will definitely be going back even if it’s just for a drink.
The band – currently a six-piece although there have been up to eight in the line-up in the past, is headed up by the Swindon legend Ian Doeser, (his book ‘A Big Fish in a Small Puddle’, a tale of “sex & drugs & rock & roll & beer & fags & curry”, was published in January 2024). They play a mixture of their own songs, and some covers, which have all been given ‘The Hamsters’ makeover. The only guy with a setlist was the drummer, Steve ( who is the newest member) – and that list ran to five sheets although they seem to pick out what they fancy at the time!
They stormed into the first song of the evening, and by the second one, people were up dancing. With an age range in the pub of between 18 and 80 (ish) – everyone was having a great time. The band is made up of quality musicians and they all look like they’re having fun – which is contagious. The music is an eclectic mixture of Rocked up Blues, with Wol on the harmonica adding a bit of a Zydeco Jazzy feel, and then – oh, let’s have a bit of Country & Western Rock stylee.
They take the ‘Sweeney’ theme tune to a new level and then pop in a great blues number ‘It’s Over and There Ain’t No Going Back’, with Wol on vocals while Mr Doeser relubricates his vocal chords with a drop of Guinness. With more of their own songs such as ‘Never too old to be a Toyboy’, and ‘Psycho Nympho’, this is a band that is serious about how they play but make sure that they are fun – they gave a fantastic version of ‘Wipeout’, encouraging everyone to sing along to an instrumental.
Finishing up with ‘Wild Thing’ a cover of the Troggs hit, again, not as you would have ever heard it before, my face was aching because I hadn’t stopped smiling since they struck the first note.
The Hamsters have been bringing joy to pubs, parties, festivals, and everyone who has seen them for the past 40 years …. even heading out Tetbury way (for our wedding), and occasionally even Cornwall. They do it because they love it, they’ve released five albums, the last one 10 years ago, so there’s nothing to persuade you to buy – except, still available on Amazon is my favourite Christmas song ever, ‘Oh No, it’s Christmas Again’. If you’ve ever been to Swindon, you will feel every moment of the song.
And if you live in or near Swindon, do please check these guys out, you’ll be in for a great evening. Mare Grills
LINE-UP:
Mr Ian Doeser – Vocals and Guitar
Wol – Vocals and Harmonica
Bill King – Lead Guitar
Kev Deegan – Keyboards, Synth, Ukulele (and loads more)
Pat – Bass guitar
Steve – Drums
LINKS:
Venue:
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