Eighties band The Pulse relived the old days at the launch of their debut CD That Was That This Is Now at the Fermain Tavern. Colin Leach reports…

About 10 years ago I was at a mate’s 40th birthday party and someone sidled up to a former member of The Pulse who I was chatting to.

He asked the musician if the band would ever be getting back together.

‘When hell freezes over’, came the reply.

Well, it certainly was hellish cold last Saturday.

But joking aside, a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, and a chance to finally record their back catalogue last year under the auspices of top producer Tim Bran seemed too good an opportunity to miss for The Pulse .

A live launch party had always been on the cards since word leaked out about the recording, and this saw Chris Dean coaxed out of retirement to play.

First up at the Tav on Saturday was indie-mod three-piece Last of the Light Brigade, who The Pulse had asked especially as support.

This was a nice touch – a nod from the old guard to the new.

Jim Delbridge introduced them on stage as ‘the best young band in Guernsey’.

I was hoping to hear a sneak preview of LOTLB’s upcoming single, to be released in April, but no such luck. I will have to wait for their own launch. They put in a sterling performance, as ever, and set things up nicely for the main act.

It was pure unadulterated nostalgia for many who attended The Pulse’s ‘one-off’ return, catapulting the faithful back to those sweaty nights down the Cellar Club, Brian’s and The Savoy.

Nick Creed, Sav Russo, Jim and Chris took the stage and treated us to all the songs from the new CD as well as three unearthed classics from their heyday. This included set opener Tragedy of Italy, a tune I had completely forgotten about but immediately took me straight back to watching the band in those halcyon days of the early 80s.

Nick’s synth noises, always a focal point of The Pulse’s sonic assault, sounded as fresh as ever.

The Delbridge rocker That Was That proved that the brass section Blue Vein Shuffle, made up of Andy Coleman, Steve Foote, Ged Kelly and new boy Martin Thomas, sounded as punchy and tight as they did back when The Pulse supported The Jam at Beau Sejour in 1982 – it’s no wonder Paul Weller wanted to poach them for The Style Council, by all accounts.

It was great to hear Chris’s strong vocals ring out from the stage in the melancholic number Lonely Boy. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that the local live scene is a poorer place without him.

Jim’s cracking tune Trouble with John showed off his punchy bass-playing, which is always a pleasure to hear.

By the time they got to the funky OK Alright things were in full flow and Pulse favourites Red Day in Dallas and As Long As I Get My Money got the arms aloft, fists punching the air in front of the stage.

If there was ever a song to end a Pulse set, it had to be the singalong classic Changing Our Lives.

But the crowd were not going to let the band away that easy, and the encores included Fashion, a reprise of Red Day in Dallas with Chris breaking into an impromptu version of The Troggs’ Wild Thing, and the catchy As Long As I Get My Money was given another airing.

And then that was that.

‘See you in 30 years’ time!’, quipped Chris.