Well it was another of OMD'S SAS 3 dayers and as usual everything conspired to put a stick in the SAS spokes. With The City Invasion all dayer at the Soundhouse in Bolton on Saturday, many people who had pledged support for the SAS cause suddenly decided they were now going to Bolton to witness bands they had probably seen many times before. Added to that 3CR had a gig in Ashton which would pinch a few on Sunday.

Well I know all the grief OMD had setting this thing up and with some last minute hiccups with gear and bands not being able to make it most people would have buckled under the pressure, not so with OMD he just got on with the job. The SAS tour in my opinion is what real punk is all about. Grass-roots, gutter-punk in the true ethos. No prima donnas here, unlike at the big festivals. All the bands here are treated equally and they generally support each other too. Over the 3 days 30 bands played that had travelled from many parts of the country and the standard of these bands was as good as it gets. After last years SAS 3 dayer I didn't think it was possible to get as good a line-up as the year before but I was proved wrong. If you weren't here you missed a treat. I watched every single band over the 3 days, sometimes I admit I was a bit the worse for drink but in my opinion it doesn't get much better than this. Out of every band that played there was only one I didn't like. Fuck me, one band in 30, you'd be hard pushed to find that anywhere. With punk, ska and hardcore bands all playing over the 3 days all tastes had been catered for. The high points for me were both sets played by The Red Eyes, Dangers Close who headlined on Saturday night and the band who were top of my list to see, Gimp Fist who were excellent. I doubt i'll see a better gig this year.

Everybody who was there had a good time and they didn't have to take out a mortgage to attend. This is real value for money and whilst SAS is about the underdog, it certainly doesn't lack in quality. A mention must also be made for the sound which had in previous visits to the Thatched House this year been very dodgy but for all 3 days of this SAS spectacular it was top notch. This will take some beating but there is already a 3 dayer planned for January next year. This will also be at The Thatched House in Stockport and I have no doubt in my mind it will be as good as ever.
In my opinion the REAL punks were the ones that turned up to support the SAS cause, a cause that has always supported lesser known and new bands.

OMD is like a non-league football manager swimming in the sea of the premiership. Other promoters might have the budget of Roman Abramovich but in my opinion he delivers a much better show on a non-league budget.