Gig Review – The Stranglers – The Venue Middlesbrough – 14th July 2015.

Northern Road Trip Journal – Day 2

Vive La Boro

Retreating from York in the early hours, we wound our way across the North York Moors to our secret Castle hideaway for a few hours shut eye. Awoken at the crack of dawn by a charitable Poet fellow who had mistakenly roused us to ensure we were up in time for a day’s work on the railroad! His heart was in the right place…

After taking in the sights of sunny Helmsley we partook of afternoon tea, then a quick siesta, before adjusting the sugar tongs to Paris 1789. France-ward we headed off but a malfunction caused us to divert to Middlesbrough in the present day etc Etc EiTC.

Our journey took us northeast across the stunning, jaw-dropping beauty of The Moors. The beauty of the countryside soon gave way to the stark industrial landscape of Middlesbrough and its surrounding areas, in its own way no less stunning!

Arriving at our destination we darted into the nearest Inn, where we met up with Mr and Mrs black on track and a few other faces from last night among the many others out for tonight’s gig.

A short while later we made our way to The Venue – the venue for the show tonight. In stark contrast to the Sauna of York, we found ourselves in the Fridge of Boro… The genteel southerners that Baz had teased at Hampton Pool could learn a thing or two about style and sophistication (and surreality) from The Venue, as not only did they provide all mod cons such as air-conditioning, they also had two gents toilets – one with troughs, the other with booths and both with a personal valet offering a range of lotions, potions and pleasantries to enhance your visit.

Unfortunately we arrived just in time to miss all but the closing bars of support act Zeitgeist 77 who sounded very good indeed and had the crowd right behind them.

We journeyed toward the barrier where we met up with Megabus Elaine and Purple Eileen.
Cheers as the lights dimmed, much bigger cheers as Waltzinblack struck up (for a teasingly long one tonight) and eventually The Men in Black!

Toiler and they were off. And tonight we were treated to a set similar to that of previous days.

Although The Venue itself is a large space, the stage is quite close to the barrier, so once again we had the feeling of it being up close and personal, albeit somewhat colder thanks to aforementioned air-con. And the sound tonight really was spot on, it was all there from the Bastille bass and the Brum drums to the Brighton keys and the Teesside Tele, absolutely flawless!

Mid set tonight after Golden Brown saw another extended remix, this time it was Dave’s pitch bend intro to Always The Sun going in slow-motion as he covered up for Baz’s guitar tuning, much to the amusement of the band. Although it was back to serious business with the normal radio edit of 5 Minutes tonight!

Baz had a good banter with the locals, being his near neighbours, all good natured and fun which would sum up tonight’s crowd quite nicely also. Similarly during Peaches, worse places to be was – or even working at fucking ICI (chatting with the Pauls in the post gig social they informed us that they had both been employed there in the dim and distant past)!

Again the band were very tight yet at ease and infectiously enjoying the moment, interacting with each other and the crowd. Sublime! Then Hanging Around and then they didn’t (hang around that is)! And the crowd were having none of that, as we all clapped, stomped, cheered and whilstled for more, which of course was duly paid off…

In celebration of July 14th Megabus Elaine had thoughtfully draped a fair sized tricolore across the front barrier. As the lads came back for encore, JJ gestured toward the said flag, which we duly passed up to him. He gave us a bit of banter in French, a quick history lesson and proceeded to sing us the opening lines of La Marsellaise, fucking brilliant! He then out Bazzed Baz in the regional teasing stakes and posed the question – What would you rather have a Frog or a Mackem?!

Tonight we got a super Walk On By with the IV in the zone and eyes closed during the superb musical section. Then we felt it big style as the bass was beaten to submission then teased into set closer No More Heroes. Splendid!

On exiting JJ came to the front and handed his pick to the young lad Elliot who’d been on the barrier all night with his dad. Then further icing on the cake for the young ‘un as Baz too came forward and handed over his plectrum, sweet! As a nut! Sorted!

Over…

Words: EiTC,

Photography: Karlos Antrobus.

Bonus:

Gig Review – The Stranglers – Fibbers York – 13th July 2015.

Northern Road Trip Journal – Day 1

The Grand Old Duke…

Landing at Harry Bell for an ungodly o’clock rendezvous with Antro, we set the Sugar Tongs for the heart of The North. Arriving at York without incident, we took in some of the sights and splendour this fair haven has to offer (mainly while trying to find somewhere to park and trying to find the venue).

Indeed we walked the walls and crossed the Ouse and back again. And on our journeys, dear old Apple Maps guided us to our destination, only it wasn’t our destination… yet it was… or at least it used to be! Finding ourselves at a location where the venue indeed once was, we arrived in time to catch a concert from the one and only Martha Reeves. Apparently confused and disoriented, a local passer-by took pity on us and offered us directions while giving us none and telling us about his day at work and to watch out for the Cyclists, while trying to engage us on Londres. Seeing an opportunity, we made a break for it and receiving some sound information from a sound engineer we headed in the direction of where the venue that used to be there is now!!!

En-route we chanced upon a Kathinboots and chums headed in the opposite direction in search of refreshment. Eventually we arrived at where it now is to discover a queue forming outside with KatieJJ and family at the head. We said hello then went to the pub next door for a bit of a social. Here we met up with The Owens, Campbell and The Pauls, Pauline and Sally plus many other good people, the vibe generally being good and one of excitement/anticipation for the coming attraction.

Inside the venue we discovered it was divided into two performance areas and support act The Hangnails would be in the smaller one while The Stranglers themselves would be in the main area. A great time saving device in terms of the practicalities of setting up and clearing away but from the perspective of the support act, somewhat flawed. That flaw being that we, along with a large section of tonight’s crowd went straight into the main area and missed the support act completely!

The main space itself was rather small, with the barrier being very close to a stage which was looking rather intimate and cosy, no feline swingers tonight!

On the dot of around about nine, the lights dimmed, Waltzinblack fired up and The Men in Black arrived. Toiler began a set very similar to the previous gigs in Worthing and Hampton. Once more we were treated to the extended remix of Five Minutes but alas the encore was sans Walk On By.

The Stranglers delivered a superb performance with energy and sparkle, while the crowd hung on every note and every word. And it was hot! Boy was it hot! (It was so hot in fact that, after the show I noted that I had been drier after coming out of the Sea at Worthing!) Buckets of sweat!

It was a real privilege to see the Stranglers up close and personal tonight, a privilege also to be with such a great crowd who may have been a little subdued by the heat. On which note the band appeared to be feeling the heat a little, at one point Baz turned to JJ and mouthed I’m dying up here! Worse places to be was – Sweating my Bollocks off in a tiny little night club! And he also shared with the audience that he was knackered by the heat! Nonetheless the band gave a cracking performance the sound was great and the crowd lapped it up. Oh and Jim’s drums particularly shone in Four Horsemen (while shining throughout the rest of the set of course).

When they were up they were most definitely up!

And had they ever been down, they would most certainly have been Down in The Sewer etc Etc EiTC.

Over…

Words: EiTC.

Photos: Karlos Antrobus.

Gig Review – The Stranglers/Nine Below Zero – Hampton Pool 11th July 2015

A Family Affair.

There are many different kinds of family of all shapes and sizes, near, dear and distant, blood ties and non-blood ties. Stranglers fans are referred to as the Family in Black and like most other types of family they have their unique mix of quirky characters brought together by a familial bond, which in this case is the bonhomie and camaraderie of a mutual shared passion/obsession.

Today The Stranglers and Nine Below Zero are playing at Hampton Open Air Swimming Pool in the suburban south west of London not far from the banks of the river Thames. A beautiful setting for an open air gig in this (apparently) genteel corner of England. And it’s a beautiful summer day, perfect picnic weather to boot.

There is a good mix of families here at a function that resembles something like your eccentric Uncle’s barbecue but on a grand scale. Deck chairs, blankets, hampers and a whole load of people chilling and enjoying themselves including some enjoying a swim in the pool. All of which makes for a strangely charming setting for tonight’s concert.

Continuing on the familial theme, there are three generations of my own family here tonight. While on the subject of the settings/surroundings, my own dear Pater (rest his soul) was a resident of Hampton for a while and being a regular swimmer, would take a dip in the heated open-air pool here in the depths of Winter.

Up first Nine Below Zero deliver the goods with their patented brand of no-nonsense straight up Rhythm and Blues, perfect for a summer afternoon/evening.

Tonight their Mojo is most definitely in good working order with brilliant bass-work, dynamic drumming and sublime blues-harp providing the perfect vehicle for front-man/guitarist Dennis Greaves as they play on into the setting sun.

Dusk into nightfall and the approaching darkness sees the arrival of The Stranglers and the crowd begin to pack themselves in tightly down at the front. Waltzinblack and they’re off!

Starting with Toiler the energy and bearing of the band are upbeat and infectious. They’re clearly enjoying themselves and it is the sort of enjoyment that is infectious for the crowd who respond with a mighty mosh of momentous proportions (the antithesis of the afore-mentioned gentility)!

The sound is glorious tonight; JJ’s bass is growling and prominent just as it was at Eden a couple of weeks ago, perhaps something to do with being outdoors. Dave’s keys have a clarity and are present in all the right places. Baz’s Tele bites and soars. And Jim’s drums are pounding and powerful.

The front men have the stage covered from all angles interacting with the crowd, themselves and their band-mates. Baz’s banter goes from strength to strength as he teases the locals with his mock BBC English Accent (passable but with his north-eastern twang still evident). Again we get the Twelve Inch mix of Five Minutes with it’s extended intro etc Etc EiTC…

All too soon we’re at the encore and tonight we get a mesmerising Walk On By (missing from last nights set at Worthing) as band and crowd alike enter a trance-like state during the fantastic extended musical section. Bass beating, No More Heroes and Goodnight.

Great fun and happy times in Hampton…

Over…

Words: EiTC.

B&W Photos: Andy Miller.

Colour Photos (for gif sequence): Mr T.

Colour NBZ: EiTC.

More Photos…

From Mr T:

From Andy Miller:

Gig Review – The Stranglers – Worthing Assembly Hall – 10th July 2015

A Day At The Seaside with Pebbles and No Ice Cream.

Swooping by the SiB residence at a reasonable hour of the morning, we set the Tongs for 1978. Following an overheat malfunction in the sugar distribution unit (brought about by what historians now know to be an extremely rare temporal fluctuation otherwise known as the English summer), we somehow ended up at Woolworths, Worthing…

…Anxiety began to set in as I realised that inside at the record section, was a younger self duly handing over hard earned pocket money to get his grubby mitts on a copy of Black and White. Feeling the potential grip of the Temporal Investigation Team (TITs) upon my collar, I hastily set the chronometer forwards and we landed 37 years in the future Worthing on a Sunny Summers day…

… We took an afternoon promenade along the sea front and headed for a cup of tea on the pier where we caught up with Bat and Kill, in a strange coincidence in black. Following a quick Recce, taking in the delights of Worthing, Sib and me dipped a toe in the briny. After drying off and walking on the beaches etc Etc EiTC…

…We caught a Pigeon, before meeting up with a whole host of Family in Black down at the local watering hole.

Venturing to the Assembly Hall to take in a performance by The Stranglers, we took up a spot on the barrier with Guildford Lil, Megabus Elaine and Straightenout to misname a few.

Although reasonably spacious in the Assembly Halls, tonight it was fairly hot and sticky and the crowd was yet to fill out.

I looked at the stage and saw in front of a me a guitarist’s amplifier stack consisting of Dual – Dual Rectifiers and a large cab and felt a slight pang of concern at having not brought ear plugs. As it (happily) turned out, this concern was unwarranted.

The said rig belonged to Tim Green, Axe wielder with tonight’s support act, the superb Brighton band The Last Cry. Tim harnessed the power at his finger tips with restraint and subtlety to a degree of perfection as he spun textures of darkness and light from his sonic armoury. While the solid bass and tech magic of Chris Carey combined to provide the musical juice comprising a dark atmospheric sound.

This was topped off by the exceptionally passionate performance of front man Andrew Birch. While visually there is something of Vincent Price about him, Andrew’s strong vocals and animated stage presence range from tormented to manic via blunt force trauma. Most captivating!

Recruited by none other than Jet Black himself for tonight’s show, The Last Cry gave a solid performance which warmed up the crowd nicely for the main event.

And the warming up continued as the crowd swelled, the lights dimmed and Waltzinblack…

A cheer and then lights up and JJ kicked off (literally) a One Two of Toiler on The Sea and Straighten Out. Awesome! No let up as barely a breath is drawn before Grip and the delightful I’ve Been Wild. The band are on hot form tonight, tight enough to convince yet relaxed enough to enjoy.

Up next the beautiful curve ball that is Four Horsemen goes down well. Unrelentingly they continue with a highly charged Relentless.

Then Jim cranks up Nice and Sleazy and there’s a noticeable up-tempo feel to it tonight which works nicely. During Dave’s keyboard passage, JJ and Baz make their way front and centre for some direct menacing of the crowd, which is most effective!

Hits time as Golden Brown gets a convincing sing-along from the crowd. As does Always The Sun.

JJ takes up the vocals next for 5 minutes complete with an (heat related?) extended intro moment as the band smile at each other knowingly, nonetheless the goods are well and truly delivered. Then a false start sees the keyboard gremlins appear momentarily before vanishing as Freedom Is Insane chugged along nicely like the well oiled crowd pleaser it has become. Time To Die next and then the vocal baton is passed back to Baz for Norfolk Coast which tonight they nail, it’s great when you get to see a band really enjoy delivering the goods like this.

A blistering IFLAW precedes a slight easing in pace/atmosphere for Skin Deep. JJ is on fire tonight performance wise as he is leaping, karate kicking, and shuffling in a manner that would test someone a third of his age! He also engages the audience with an intense stare and an air of menace and edge, all the while never too far from a smile. And continuing in this vein he makes his way to the centre where he asks a young lady at the front if the man standing behind her is her Father, to which she nervously replies in the negative, as he fires up one of the most famous bass lines ever – Peaches. Where, worse places to be seems to have been God’s changing Room??? (As opposed to God’s Waiting Room, a nickname for much of the South Coast.) Much to JJ and Baz’s amusement…

Baz is on fine form also; String-wise, vocal-wise and humour-wise as he teases the Worthingites about their town. As is Dave with his keyboards shining in all the right places. And Jim too, keeping everything in time and adding the occasional BV here and there.

A brilliant Time Was Once On My Side before an extended guitar intro from Baz leads in to Lost Control with all it’s mania and superb sub-bass. Two more classics in the shape of Duchess and Hanging Around round out the main set.

As the crowd holler, whistle and wail for more, Baglady and myself postulate as to what we may hear in the encore; we’re thinking maybe Curfew and Walk On By when such postulations are curtailed by JJ’s bass pounding, signalling the set closer with No More Heroes and it’s Good Night Worthing. A very good Night Indeed!

A good few of us straggle back to the local watering hole and extend the night further with tales and camaraderie in black. Then we flit off our separate ways into the night. Sib and Me seeing Henry The Forge safely home before setting the Sugar Tongs back to the present in the vicinity of The Big Smoke via The Sticks.

Over…

MiB B&W Photography courtesy of Andy Miller.

Words and other Photos: EiTC

Guest Review – Hugh Cornwell – Horseshoe Tavern – Toronto Canada 28th June 2015

Gig Review – Hugh Cornwell – Horseshoe Tavern – Toronto Canada 28th June 2015

Maria Meli brings us this report:-

The Return of Hugh Cornwell

Hugh Cornwell has dabbled in biochemistry, acting, writing and dated various women, but his main and longest-term love is music. He returned to Toronto on June 28^th to share that love. It was the second time in 18 months he was here, this time performing at The Horseshoe Tavern, where he also played when he was in The Stranglers. (The Horseshoe is a live music institution. First christened for performances at the end of 1947, the venue has hosted both Canadian and international acts over this time such as, Willie Nelson, Stompin’ Tom Connors, The Tragically Hip, The Blues Brothers, Talking Heads, Ramones, Danko Jones and The Rolling Stones.) On both tours, he would start with a song from his 2012 CD Totem and Taboo and move to a Stranglers’ song and alternate T&T with Stranglers tunes.

He took the stage at 10:00 pm with Steve Fishman, his North American regular touring bassist since 2009, along with Seve Sheldon, the drummer from indie band, The Wild Ones, amidst cheers from the crowd. They kick-started the night with “Totem and Taboo” the title track and first song from his latest CD. It was a good choice as it has an interesting rhythmic arrangement and a punch that gets one’s attention. Cornwell was on fine form and in excellent spirits as he rotated between old and new songs. Among the new, he included, “Stuck in Daily Mail Land,” “God Guns and Gays,” “I Want One of Those,” and “A Street Called Carroll,” the last three songs influenced by his stays in the USA. Carroll Street actually exists in Los Angeles and Americans still worship at the feet of great and powerful Consumerism. The American way of life is rife with religious fundamentalism, the right to bear arms versus the violence caused by guns, and gay rights. Cornwell was in the moment as he closed his eyes and at times enunciated dramatically as he almost forced the words out of his mouth. He also played his ode to the other half of humanity, “God is a Woman.” Missing from his set was “Love Me Slender,” another pervasive ideal from across the Atlantic about the infatuation with being thin.

In keeping with his buoyant mood, he delighted the audience with several upbeat Stranglers’ earworms, such as, “Skin Deep,” “Grip,” and “Straighten Out.” He may have been nostalgic, since he included songs about his ex-girlfriends – “Duchess,” “Strange Little Girl,” and debatably, “Golden Brown,” on which he handled the guitar solo quite well. He did have requests fired at him, and at one point, he asked calmly, “Do you mind?”

Cornwell was in a playful mood. Early on, before beginning a Stranglers’ song, he teased the crowd by telling them the next song was “No More Heroes,” then he and the band launched into “Dagenham Dave” instead. He bantered with audience members. After about four songs in, he asked people seated at the back of the club, if they were comfortable and whether he should order any food for them. He shared the tidbit that people in Scotland call him Shug (a diminutive for Hugh). A couple of songs later, he commented on the cold and rain the city was experiencing and how lately, it always seems to rain in Toronto during the Pride celebrations. Kayvon, a British ex-patriot, called out that he had brought the bad weather. Cornwell replied, “I brought it? I just came from Califor-nae-ay. It’s 100 degrees there and sunny.”

He was sporting a new drummer, who he said had come on with short notice (due to the untimely passing of Darius Minwalla). He asked the gathering whether Seve Sheldon reminded them of Animal from the Muppets. (He actually bears more than a passing resemblance to the frenetic drummer from the Muppet band, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.) Sheldon, along with his wiry-haired, enthusiastic head banging and constant smile while keeping time, has talent. He learned a catalogue of songs in a short time, played them well and with gusto, and memorized the order, as there were no set lists taped to the floor.

Further evidence that the Cornwell of yore has resurged was his trademark lyric altering, which he did with “Peaches.” He asked, “Is she trying to get out of Toronto?” and he could think of worse places to be, like Mississauga, a nod to a boring city, almost a suburb on the western edge of Toronto.

The set lasted an hour and at 11:01 they left the stage. The crowd wasn’t having that. They cheered and clapped for more, so Cornwell, Fishman and Sheldon retook the stage. As Cornwell adjusted the strap for his guitar, various requests were volleyed at him, such as, “Nice ‘N Sleazy” and “I want another one of those.” Cornwell, ever the deadpan artist, scoffed.

First up was indeed “Nice ‘N Sleazy” about the Amsterdam Hell’s Angels. This was very well received. From there, they moved to “No More Heroes” in earnest, however, without JJ Burnel’s familiar bass pounding and digit dextrous intro, it seemed a little lacking. As the strains died down, Cornwell said they were going to move to a slower song next, and they did. “In the Dead of Night,” a nice little number that ends Totem and Taboo, ended the evening.

After an enjoyable performance Cornwell came out and interacted with the fans. He easily chatted with people, signed CDs and graciously posed for pictures with them. He seemed genuine and to be enjoying himself. Not all artists will interact with fans like this and it creates stronger loyalty on the part of the fans. Just two weeks before, a tour bus pulled up in the middle of the road in front of the venue where Paul Weller had played, fifteen minutes after the concert and he made a dash for it from a locked side entrance, before fans realized what happened. A few minutes later, his band was escorted by security as they too made a run for the bus. Some contrast. Fair play Mr Cornwell.

Over…

Words, Images and Video: Maria Meli.

Gig Review – Motorhead/Stranglers/King Creature – Eden Sessions Cornwall 27th June 2015

While it may or may not have been the early hours of Saturday morning, the great adventurer Antro rolled down primrose hill. Checking in with MI6 for a mission briefing before collecting EiTC from the wilds of Battersea and heading west to the even wilders of Stanwell for SiB. Now, the triumvirate complete, they set off on an epic trek to the Rain Forests of Cornwall…

Deep in the jungle, the three came upon an alien landscape within a valley; here there were huge geodesic domes reminiscent of some strange insectoid cocoons. Closer inspection revealed an array of exotic Flora and Fauna (lots and lots of ants) housed within these giant structures…

Around and about, two great native tribes were gathered to witness a ceremonial ritual display from the revered tribal elders of the respective clans.

Arriving somewhere near the centre of the barrier, the three became five with the addition of Megabus Elaine and Mr T. Then they were three again as Antro and Sib broke off to explore further. Shortly thereafter the evening’s proceedings kicked off…

King Creature.

First up locals King Creature proved their mettle with a solid set of well-crafted heavy rock. Along with some very enthusiastic female fans at the front, the crowd very quickly warmed to what was an excellent display of their craft. Excellent, talented and well worth a listen…

The Stranglers.

Then, a dimming of lights and Waltzinblack heralded the arrival of The Stranglers.

The crowd suddenly came to life as Jean Jacques Burnel fired up his trademark growling bass for the epic Toiler On The Sea. And growl it did, and Dave, Baz and Jim kicked in, hurtling along at a fair old tempo.

Clarity! Yes that’s it! All became clear, in an eternal yet brief serendipitous moment… The sound that is! Crystal! The sound really was spot on tonight in this huge reclaimed clay pit/amphitheatre!

The bass growled, the Keyboards swirled, the Tele bit, the Drums pounded and the vocals combined to bring it all together – perfection and precision!

Toiler gave way to a mighty Grip. Then a classic Sleazy which saw JJ and Baz providing some menace down at the front of the stage…

No let up as they gave us a soaring Relentless (great to see a not specifically Stranglers crowd really responding to numbers like this) and an epic 5 Minutes.

Then it was hits time with uber crowd pleasers Golden Brown and Always The Sun before returning to the rockers.

Walk on By sounded superb, especially the subtly frantic stand-out bass work on the (excellent) solo sections. A pristine Peaches continued the fine form and crowd delight as Jim nailed the drums! Time Was Once On My Side (another relatively newish song well received).Then another crowd pleaser in a delightful Duchess. More well recieved modern era goods with Norfolk Coast before the classic Hanging Around.

JJ’s Bass beating signalled the intro to No More Heroes, also signalling the end of the set and a swift exit leaving the huge crowd satiated yet hungry for more.

Motorhead.

In a seeming blur, the stage was radically cleared and redressed in preparation for Motorhead and the crowd packed in tighter.

Motorhead took the stage with Lemmy announcing ‘We are Motorhead and we play Rock and Roll!’ And they proceeded to deliver the (Heavy) goods. The sound while not as clear as for The MiB was certainly a tad or two louder (this is Motorhead after all!)…

Kicking off with a set consisting of; We Are Motorhead, Damage Case, Stay Clean, Metropolis and Over The Top, it really was fantastic to see Lemmy up on stage continuing his recovery and the crowd agreed as they showed their appreciation and adulation and packed in ever tighter.

Lemmy and Drummer Mikkey Dee exited leaving guitarist Phil Campbell up on stage then an atmospheric synth pad backing fired up, affording him the space to stretch his musical legs with a superb bluesy solo.

The boys returned and it was up another notch as the main set continued with; The Chase Is Better Than The Catch, Rock It, Lost Woman Blues and Doctor Rock at the end of which Phil and Lemmy disappeared to leave Mikkey Dee firing off a huge salvo of a drum solo from his mega-Hi-rise drum riser.

And the crowd packed in tighter. By now people were beginning to suffer a little as quite a number fainted or blacked out and had to be rescued by the excellent security team who were bang on the case, add to this the crowd surfers and they certainly had their hands full!

Phil and Lemmy returned to delight the crowd once more with Orgasmatron and Going To Brazil. And the crowd packed in tighter, in time for the closing number Ace Of Spades.

And the tightly packed crowd yelled, screamed and whistled for more before packing in tighter and being rewarded with an extended Overkill then over…

Epilogue

After hunkering down in a nearby encampment for the night we made a detour on our homeward journey finding ourselves at Carlyon Bay former home to the St Austell Coliseum host of many a gig in its day but now flattened and gone. We were approached by some locals (and a London Lady among them) who chatted with us about the gig and how great The Stranglers and Motorhead were.

It seems that everywhere we went we encountered Motorhead T-shirt after Motorhead T-shirt. At Exeter services a father and son engaged us in conversation where the dad misty eyed (and a hardcore Motorhead-head) told us how blown away he was by The Stranglers and that he hadn’t seen them since the No More Heroes tour but would definitely be seeing them again. A not unfamiliar scenario in regard to the Stranglers continuing renaissance (and a testament to how brilliant they sounded)!

Conclusion: Two Superb Legendary bands in a fantastic location with excellent company.

Over…

Words: EiTC.

Photos: Mr T, K V Antro & EiTC.

Addenda:

More Photos by Mr T:

More Photos by KV Antro:

And even some of EiTC’s Photos came out:

Gig Review – The Damned – London – Roundhouse – 6th June 2015.

Gig Review – The Damned – London – Roundhouse – 6th June 2015.

After a rendezvous in Euston with the Human Mic Stand (HMS), we were joined before not too long by Guildford Lil. Enjoying the afternoon sunshine in Euston Square, we came to pondering as to the whereabouts of Mr and Mrs Silverback. A quick consultation with the tricorder revealed that they had in fact been standing 50 yards due west of us the whole time (at the local watering hole of course).

Eventually we found ourselves in India with Ravi Shankar, where sustenance was provided, giving us the strength to make the arduous journey to Camden Town in order to rescue Antro and Pidge from The End of The World.

Armageddon narrowly avoided, we ambled along Camden High Street up to Chalk Farm where we found a Kate in Black. From there we ventured inside an old railway engine turning shed for a promising evening’s entertainment…

Time once more played its tricks, for, as we arrived, opening act Rubella Ballet were drawing to a fine sounding conclusion, shame we missed them. Having not seen them since the Centro Iberico days, was rather hoping to catch their set…

The family were well represented tonight as evidenced by the plentiful MiB tees on display. We met up with FdN, then after a quick chat with Mr and Mrs Rockula, we sought refreshment at the bar. From whence we made our way toward the front, (where we encountered Ravenette) in time to take in the soothing dulcet tones of Johnny Moped!

JM and band went on to blast through the set in his/their own inimitable manner. Culminating in the highlight of Hard Loving Man. It was interesting to note the dizzying height of the drummer Dave Berk’s cymbals and said percussionists passing resemblance to (a somewhat long-armed) Rat Scabies, maybe it was a trick of the light.

As the hour drew nearer the crowd began to swell with a mix of good folk from all walks and of all ages (family outings for many passing the baton to younger generations). And then…

…The Damned Express Locomotive entered the shed for a quick greasing/oiling and refit!

An intoxicating melodic madness began to issue from the region of Monty Oxymoron who eventually morphed his meandering musical musings into Melody Lee (try saying that a few sheets to the wind!). Suddenly he was joined by his cohorts as they blasted into song.

The captain welcomed us in his (non) native German for the intro to Love Song, along the lines of – Damen und Herren How do? Moving swiftly through a selection from MGE including 2nd Time Around, Just can’t be Happy and Plan 9.

And they were puffing along nicely now as Pinch and Stu kept the wheels firmly on the track while Captain and Monty shovelled mountains of musical coal upon the furnace and Driver Dave steered everything masterfully along, with his fine whiskers giving him a somewhat distinguished air (even more so than usual).

The set tonight was initially divided up by album and it was the turn of The Black Album next. The opening numbers in track order; Blackout, Lively Arts and Silly Kids Games were backed up with History and a rather spiffing 13th Floor Vendetta.

Then the Strawberries era was represented by the epics Ignite and Stranger on The Town.

From here on in the set was comprised of a selection. Kicking off with some fine guitar picking from Mr Sensible on an awesome Alone Again Or.

A stonking Eloise preceded Antipope, which in turn led to the first ever punk rock single in the form of New Rose. And the main set was rounded out with the superb Neat Neat Neat (please please please reinstate the Break on Through section at some point!)…

Encore time as they kicked off with a blistering Nasty in dedication of Rik Mayall. Then Dx3 got further representation in the form of Fan Club and Feel Alright.

And before we knew it Smash It Up signalled the servicing was complete and saw us turned around and sent back out into the night from where we came.

The Damned were on top form and sounding great. At times the keys and bass got lost a little but I think that’s a general problem with both the acoustics of The Roundhouse and standing near Mr Sensible’s side of the stage. At one point Dave asked said guitarist to turn it down which he duly and correctly obliged. In other highlights; Monty came out from behind the keys for a boogie centre stage much to the crowds delight, Pinch called Captain over to prompt him to make an announcement pertaining to a certain important 40th anniversary that would be taking place in 2016 and went on to inform us that they will be playing at The Royal Albert Hall in a 3 hour extravaganza in celebration (order your tickets early folks, they’re selling fast!) and Captain again displayed his advanced yogic technique of guitarasana, levitating his instrument several inches above his head. Of course there were the usual unimaginative suspects whose failed attempt to start a SAW chant were met with Dave’s groaned “They’re here” and Mr S’s mumbled STFU which surprisingly they mostly did (TFFT!).

Once again a top notch and tight performance from a superb band that after 40 odd years on the go and somewhat like a fine wine, just seem to get better with age.

Over…

Words: EiTC.
Photos: Courtesy of Ms Teri and Mr E.

AFEAO!

Gig Reviews The Membranes – London – 22nd May 2015.

Gig Reviews – The Membranes…

Blimey! Once again reviews not unlike London buses, after waiting for what seems like an age, eventually come along two at a time, safety in numbers or what!

The Membranes have recorded an awesome new album Dark Matter/Dark Energy. On 22nd May they held an album pre-launch gig at The Lexington in London’s Islington. Serial gig goers, roving reporters and hobbyist time travellers Baglady and EiTC were there.

Baglady saw it thusly…

The Membranes – Pre-Album Launch at The Lexington/Islington 22nd May 2015.

In need of a night out away from my cherubs, Mr IntheClouds suggested that I make a trip to Islington.

Thus, after many calculations and celestial manoeuvrings, I found myself sugar tonging back to relaxation (helped in no small part by reading Haruki Murakami on a train, a man who would surely understand and appreciate the sugar tong time travel concept).

Eventually I arrived at Angel and transferred to The Angel to be greeted by a guardian angel and an angelic beverage. Despite taking the usual detour via India we eventually arrived at a location new to me, The Lexington.

Packed and with music already floating down from the heavens. We waited on the stairway for the feisty looking You The Living band members to descend, their set having already been completed. After ascending we found we had made a jump from all matters light into the dark. Not a sinister leap but into the dark that provides invisible bonds.

Faerground Accidents were commanding the stage with a tightly packed audience. They were definitely a strong force drawing people in, strange and charming in every direction.

The Wolfhounds followed. Like Canis Major pursuing Lepus the hare they chased down some solid tunes.

Then we made our way to the front for one of the coolest gigs I’ve been to, in both senses of the word. Bringing us a selection of tracks from their soon to be released album Dark Matter/Dark Energy, The Membranes commanded the stage. With tracks like The Universe Explodes, Do the Supernova, 21st Century Man and Money is Dust, you knew they had the singularity of life covered.

It was Life, Death, the Universe and everything between bonded by high energy drums and guitars and, of course, the gravitational pull of those strong vocals. Towards the end of the set the energetic John Robb launched himself into the audience, a rocket aiming to prove he still had fuel to burn.

This crowd was an eclectic set of bosons and leptons, movers, shakers and statics together creating an atmosphere all its own. It could have gone on ad infinitum but curfew was upon us.

Reluctantly spiralling back out into the reaches of the known universe via The Angel, Angel and the reality inducing Waterloo station I made my way back to mission control.

Not too long now until the release of Dark Matter/Dark Energy. It’s true, it’s out there!

While EiTC thought it was more…

Gig Review The Membranes at The Lexington Islington 22nd May 2015.

Breaking with tradition…
Your rights are all that is left and they left a long time ago…
It’s definitely turning into a left turn kind of evening…

Turning left out of Elvis Towers then left again and a general bearing to the left found me On A Bus! From there it was only a matter of short inevitability before more left turns afforded me the status update of On A Train! More left turn shenanigans found me turning left out of Angel Tube to rendezvous with Baglady at a local Wetherspoons. From where, we wound our way leftwards, narrowly avoiding a cop-foiled heist on a Fried Chicken Outlet, until we found our way (left) to India and partook of a feast of veggie delights in honour of Ravenette.

Time spent in India and a curiously slow entrance procedure meant that we missed the first band – You The Living completely. And, after finally making it in, saying hello to Mr Robb who was meeting and greeting by the Merch Stall at the entrance, we also almost missed the whole set of Faerground Accidents. Almost but not quite, fortunately we made it in time for their final one and a half songs. Very impressive they were too. A fact borne out by the eager punters crammed down at the front duly showing their rapturous appreciation.

Shortly thereafter The Wolfhounds arrived and proceeded to deliver a set of finely crafted poppy punky indie rock with a healthy hint of dissonance providing a nice edge. Definitely a worth a look!

A traveller approached in a Black and White T-Shirt it was Membranes skin basher Rob Haynes who turning left, stopped to say hi on his way to the stage.

And then it was time…

The Membranes took to the stage captivating the gathered mass with their fusion of heavy abstract sound and frenetic energy. There’s contrast here, the slower paced (but no less heavy) set opener The Universe Explodes giving way to the more up-tempo Do The Supernova with its tribal drums and musical jaggedness (one for the money).

The mainstay of tonight’s set was material from the new album Dark Matter/Dark Energy. Indeed Human Dynamo, frontman and bassist John Robb announced part way through that they were only playing new material tonight. Although truth be told they threw in a stonking Spike Milligan’s Tape Recorder and a manic Myths and Legends.

The Membranes offer the listener an infectiously deranged sonic experience. Rob’s solid Drums and John’s Bass combine to provide a platform for the contrasting guitar walls of Nick Brown and Peter Byrchmore. Peter also triggered sounds from an iPad loaded with virtual synths, adding an atmospheric dimension to the sound.

Also in tonight’s set: In The Graveyard, 21st Century Man (during which JR elicited some audience participation, this was repeated for the encore), Space Junk (not the Devo Song) and Money and Dust.

The Membranes ingest all of Rock and Roll and regurgitate it in their own unique form to the chirping chicklets eagerly waiting beaks agape in awe.

Verdict: Manically, marvellously, compulsively compelling! Check out the new album!

Over…

1st review Words: Baglady.

2nd review Words: EiTC.

Photos: EiTC.

Guest Review by Rebus Bloggs – The Monochrome Set – 16th May 2015

The Monochrome Set
The Islington
Saturday 16th May 2015

We set off from home, heading for the bright lights of London town. The Weather is fine and dry with no sign of rain. After a swift visit into the local convenience store to obtain a couple of Gin & Tonics for the arduous train journey, Lou and I meet up with our good friend Andrea and board the train.

Arriving at Finsbury Park and we obtain suitable comestibles, including fags for the girls and board the number 4 bus towards Waterloo. Which passes Highbury and heads down Upper Street passed Union Chapel and the legendary Hope & Anchor. We get off the bus at The Angel and head into the local Wetherspoon’s for a couple of beers, and meet up with another good friend Mick, who has been with me to see the band before. Mick has to make a swift exit to get to the venue as he does not have a ticket and the reports are that it has sold out.

A short five minute walk to the venue and we find Mick with the lucky sixteen people in the queue to get the last tickets. Another couple of beers later we are sitting outside enjoying the North London ambience when we are joined by the usual suspects that are; Matt, Phil, Domestos and Guildlford Lil. Some more beer is consumed before we are joined by the world champion Pinot consumer himself Lord London and his fellow musician and friend Nigel.

The band take to the stage and we attempt to enter the room through a large curtained door – inside it is rammed, a small room that is full to bursting. I move forward and try to squeeze my sylphlike frame further into the crowd.

The Monochrome set have started with the title track from their last album Super Plastic City, followed by the superb classic Jet Set Junta. The whole set was well played and the highlight for me were Waiting for Alberto and Cowboy Country (the intro to which I blatantly nicked for a recording many years ago). I think they finished with “He’s Frank” but by then I had made my way down to the front in search of the mosh and I could be mistaken as to what they played for an encore as they were so good (The Monochrome Set may have been in there somewhere – EiTC).

Back out in the main bar we assembled to compare notes from the MS virgins and those like me who had seen them many times. The band were milling about and our congratulations were given for a superb gig. The DJ was playing some very good tunes from back in the dim and distant past. The assembled choir sung their hearts out to such classics as; “Guildford Lil”, “Guildford Lil” and the old favourite “Guildford Lil” A word was had and the DJ duly responded with “Toiler on the Sea” which we all had a leap around to.

A great evening was had by all, but it had to come to an end and we all made our ways to our homes. We got a bus (number unknown) to Finsbury Park where we managed to obtain one of the world’s best ever Kebabs before taking the very slow train back to the north.

Rebus Bloggs (AKA Turkey Troter)

Thanks to Kevin Shepherd for the set list picture.
Band picture Courtesy of Mrs Bloggs.

An Apple for the Teacher – Wilko Johnson – 26th April 2015.

An Apple for the Teacher – Gig Review – Wilko Johnson – Shepherd’s Bush 26th April 2015.

Dear Miss Bag Lady,

Please accept this apple as a sign of Elvis’s appreciation for your understanding with his recent run of homework tardiness.

Here, along with the apple, I submit the final piece of the jigsaw which brings his assignments up to date.

Thank you for your understanding,

His Mum…

So…

Returning from the great STL revision conference of 2675 with a shiny future/past/present proof perpetual Sugar Tong License, travel chaos was encountered!…

Forced to ditch TFL altogether, the Time Machine was fired up once more to bring us (via Clapham Junction 1973 in order to collect SiB) safely to Shepherds Bush in the year of 2015 and the 26th day of April.

We took shelter in Turkey, dining with the locals before heading off to The Empire, where we encountered a few familiar faces gathering in anticipation of the legendary Wilko Johnson.

Up first, chips off the old block, Eight Rounds Rapid whet the audience appetite with a delivery of their blend of hard hitting R & B. The gathering crowd showed their appreciation.

Then the moment was upon us as; Wilko, Norman and Dylan took the stage, kicking off with an energetic All Through The City. Cobwebs well and truly shaken off they led us on a musical journey of magical proportions!

The sound was the best I’ve ever heard in this venue tonight. Wilko was on fine form both fret-wise and vocally as well as being full of beans with his stage act, an amazing transformation and a genuine inspiration! Norman, as mentioned in some of my previous ramblings, resides in the zone but tonight he appeared to set the bar even higher. While Dylan tied everything together with his solid yet fluid drumming style, making it appear effortless with his cool calm demeanour and ever present smile, geeing up players and crowd alike.

Their energy was translated in to the music with numbers like The More I Give and Roxette being noticeably up-tempo. There was plenty of light and shade too, as witnessed with an excellent atmospheric Dr Dupree and plenty of legroom/breathing space within the songs themselves.

The audience were responding, absorbing every ounce of the performance tonight, hanging on every lick getting right behind classics such as Going Back Home, Back In The Night, She Does It Right and Paradise.

Time flies etc etc EiTC…

All too soon it was time for the set closer Everybody’s Carrying A Gun during which Norman was seen to levitate several feet above the stage with his awesome blues/Jazz improv stylings and Dylan was once more on the spot delivering another belter, while Wilko continued to engage the crowd drawing us ever further in, Pure Magic!!!

They exited to a rapturous applause. Returning to leave us breathless once more with the encore farewell of Bye Bye Johnny.

Verdict – Wow!

Over…

EiTC.

Gig Review – Hugh Cornwell – Horseshoe Tavern – Toronto Canada 28th June 2015

Gig Review – Motorhead/Stranglers/King Creature – Eden Sessions Cornwall 27th June 2015

Gig Reviews – The Membranes…

Baglady saw it thusly…

The Membranes – Pre-Album Launch at The Lexington/Islington 22nd May 2015.

While EiTC thought it was more…

Gig Review The Membranes at The Lexington Islington 22nd May 2015.

The Monochrome Set The Islington Saturday 16th May 2015

An Apple for the Teacher – Gig Review – Wilko Johnson – Shepherd’s Bush 26th April 2015.

The Monochrome Set
The Islington
Saturday 16th May 2015