![\"jj](\"https:\/\/eitc.elvisintheclouds.co.uk\/eitc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/jj-kick.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nOpening with an urgent and stunning Toiler on The Sea tonight, this is the best I\u2019ve ever heard it! The sound tonight is second to none and the band seem to be really at ease and totally into it. Next up; No More Heroes, Was It You and Threatened. Then another change Summat Outta Nowt is replaced by crowd pleaser Relentless. The crowd are lapping it up and the venue is heaving. The home crowd and the Wonky crowd seem to be like peas in a pod and it has to be said that it is one of the nicest atmospheres of any gig I\u2019ve ever witnessed.<\/p>\n
Peasant is perfect tonight, this song has been a Ruby highlight for me and tonight they\u2019ve nailed it!<\/p>\n
Peaches goes down well and during the show various items of lingerie are thrown at the boys. JJ and Baz respond in the appropriate and proper manner by carrying out the sniff test.<\/p>\n On to the slower part of the set allowing a welcome breather with Midnight Summer Dream, Golden Brown and Always the Sun.<\/p>\n Picking up the pace again it\u2019s time for Never to Look Back with the bass and drum arrangement on the opening being somewhat reminiscent of Public Image by Public Image. Then we\u2019re disco dancing for Thrown Away before ramping up for Nuclear Device.<\/p>\n A slight breather with Skin Deep then another crowd fave Time To Die. Lowlands goes down nicely in an appropriate setting. During the keyboard sequence in Nice N Sleazy, JJ and Baz come right to the edge of the stage and really get in the face of the appreciative crowd, a nice menacing edge.<\/p>\n Walk on By sounds amazing tonight and the solos are just out of this world, with Dave receiving a healthy applause at the end of the keyboard solo. Staying in the zone, Freedom is Insane sounds nicely psychedelic tonight. The classics Duchess and 5 minutes follow, then Hanging around sees Bazzainblack giving it his all with a bit of crowd surfing and an attempted stage dive. Encore time\u2026<\/p>\n The boys come back with a stonking Norfolk Coast then a welcome surprise, Grip is thrown in tonight and we even have the honour of being joined in the pit by none other than Mr Carne!<\/p>\n At the risk of repeating myself the sound tonight is awesome and the band are playing like they mean it! JJ\u2019s growling bass, Dave\u2019s swirling keys, Baz\u2019s biting Tele, and Jim\u2019s relentless pounding beat. First class! Surely this is unprecedented – a band in their fortieth year of existence going from strength to strength.<\/p>\n During All Day and All of The Night a good humoured bit of banter between JJ and Baz ensues over a tuning issue. JJ goes back to check his tuner and confirms he\u2019s in tune giving Baz a real \u201cOops!\u201d moment, as he confirms he needs to tune up. None of this deters from the delivery of the song which again is the best I\u2019ve heard it played along with some fantastic improvisation (loving the improv!).<\/p>\n Then we\u2019re at Tank and then it\u2019s all over…<\/p>\n …Or is it?<\/p>\n Well the band have finished but we\u2019re left with a good 90 minutes of a Punky Disco we have a darn good boogie with the fantastic Dutch crowd at this awesome venue, before we have to board the wonky Pumpkin back to the Hotel. Top night!<\/p>\n Back at the Hotel the party atmosphere continues and after being in the bar until closing people adjourn back to the lounge to carry on carrying on. I estimate around this time I must\u2019ve gone around 42 hours without any kip, so I decide to call it a night. My head hits the clean linen and it\u2019s good night…<\/p>\n \u2026Later that same evening in an Amsterdam Hotel, a lone and lost pigeon is wandering\/prowling the corridor\u2026<\/p>\n Knock knock knock!<\/p>\n \u201cHello\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAre you my uncle?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs your Uncle Dutch?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cErr, I don\u2019t think so!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen I\u2019m probably not you\u2019re Uncle!\u201d\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n Suitably refreshed after a few hours slumber we gradually start filing up to the fourth floor for breakfast and Pidge has us in stitches with his story of the previous night\u2019s adventure, which puts me in mind of Dr Who \u201cAre you my Mummy?\u201d replace Mummy with Uncle and that becomes one of the Slogans of Wonky IV, along with an ode to Dave Higginson\u2019s Hind quarters!<\/p>\n After breakfast, some of us gather and chill in the lounge again, whilst others make their way to the airport for some shopping. Then it\u2019s all aboard the wonky bus again for the road trip to Lille.<\/p>\n En-Route to Lille, PaulinLondon and bellabelle run the raffle, while Pidge provides the DVD entertainment of the Paris Olympia gig. All very entertaining plus EiTC won a raffle prize! Also, rather incredibly, MiB Mark Mulkeen’s Mrs has lovingly made stranglers themed cup cakes for the whole bus, yum!<\/p>\n Before long we arrive at our Hotel in Lille and get our allocated rooms, we have a few hours to kill before the gig tonight and a pattern appears to have emerged; while some stay at the hotel and chill, others go and explore (well at least 30 yards down the road to the first boozer and or McDonalds!)\u2026 I do a bit of both as Non-wonky Fran had arrived earlier on his Guzzi, he\u2019d already scoped out the town and pointed me in the right direction of a decent supermarket, so that\u2019s where I head for supplies.<\/p>\n I chill out in the sunshine on the window sill of my 5th<\/sup> story room, whilst having some banter with my fellow travellers in the garden below.<\/p>\n In a trice it\u2019s bus time and we all board for the wonderfully named Le Splendid\u2026<\/p>\n The mood is upbeat on the bus, everyone is rested and up for it!<\/p>\n Evidence of sleep deprivation part 3. <\/i>Upon arrival I come to the gloomy realisation that I\u2019ve left my bleedin\u2019 ticket back at the hotel. PaulinLondon suggests that I cut my losses and get another at the box office rather than mess around with taxis to and from the Hotel. I walk up the road a bit to see if the coach is still there but it\u2019s gone. I see no taxis either. After walking a couple of blocks, Paul\u2019s words of wisdom sink in and I turn around and head back for the box office.<\/i><\/p>\n Inside I see Owen who thankfully has a solution to my conundrum.<\/i><\/p>\n I make my way to the front and find the Wonky crew mingling in with the locals. It\u2019s packed and it\u2019s hot and sweaty.<\/p>\n Tonight we have a support act, a lone troubadour who introduces himself as David Zinc. He receives a fair bit of flack\/banter from the crowd but he skilfully brushes it aside. Every put-down he has an immediate come back for and you\u2019ve got to admire this man for his super sharp wit and for having the balls to take on this crowd.<\/p>\n Crowd interaction aside, David Zinc has a great voice and is an accomplished guitarist playing a great fingerpicking style using alternate tunings and having a small kick drum for accompaniment. It really sounds great and his material is good. Responding to heckles of \u201cplay something we know!\u201d, he asks \u201cwhat do you know?\u201d Some smart Alec replies \u201cPostman Pat!\u201d And he immediately responds with the opening verse of the Postman Pat Theme. Much to the astonishment and delight of the crowd.<\/p>\n Soon enough, he has the crowd eating out of his hand and his rendition of The Boxer gets the crowds sing-along juices flowing nicely. Great stuff!<\/p>\n In the interval I meet up with evonx (great to meet you sir!) and a few other familiar facesinblack. The DJ keeps the sing-along spirit going by playing ELO\u2019s Mr Blue Sky which gets just as hearty a sing-along as it received at Birmingham in March.<\/p>\n The Lights fade\u2026 Waltzinblack\u2026<\/p>\n Kicking off with Toiler on The Sea again tonight, the sound is once again really good and the band are tight and up for it. The crowd respond accordingly and it\u2019s difficult to say what the locals are making of the rowdy Brits. It\u2019s a bit tighter in the pit tonight and not as laid back as last night but after a while it all settles down and everyone appears to be getting on and enjoying the band.<\/p>\n The set is similar to the previous night but the big change tonight is the song everyone is in anticipation of! And it arrives\u2026 La Folie.<\/p>\n During the early part of the set I located myself at several different places within front few rows of the crowd and had established eye contact and sing-along recognition with several of the locals, including a rather statuesque red-headed lovely. Who, when La Folie began, turned to me and said \u201cIt\u2019s our turn now!\u201d I assured her of our love for this song too and joined in where I could (i.e. the chorus!). The locals really did seem to click with Midnight Summer Dream, Golden Brown and Always The sun too.<\/p>\n It is boiling in here tonight, lots of bare chests and gallons of steamy sweat. Kudos to Mark Mulkeen for making it all the way through in his fabulous MiB outfit, how cool is that!<\/p>\n The crowd is really lively and Thierry gets the ball rolling with the crowd surfing (Bazza follows suit during Hanging Around and is joined by an enthusiastic local. Big al and one or two others join in).<\/p>\n The band very generously donate their water bottles to the flagging crowd for some much needed hydration. Thank you!<\/p>\n Once again Walk on By sounds very good tonight with Dave\u2019s keys and Baz\u2019s guitar solo both sounding superb.<\/p>\n JJ is both in fine voice and on it bass-wise tonight.<\/p>\n Jim\u2019s drums are top notch and tonight he gets some recognition\u2026 A late night discussion in the lounge in Holland the previous night led to a plan being hatched to honour Jim with a chant in the \u201cJet Black! Jet Black!\u201d style, saying instead \u201cJim Mac! Jim Mac!\u201d The moment arrives and we get right into the chanting and it must be said the bands reaction was a picture\u2026 At first they looked a little confused, then you could see it register with JJ who turned to Jim to acknowledge the fact. Then he came to explain in French to the locals. A golden moment! Which leads me to wonder if that had anything to do with inspiring the particularly lively drum solo at the end of Something Better Change tonight.<\/p>\n Tank and a few pics then Elvis left the building.<\/p>\n We board the bus back to the hotel then set off to the centre of town for some supper we end up at a restaurant called La Chicoree (if my memory serves me correctly) where we settle for dinner. PaulinLondon declares that we will not be going home tomorrow and that the party will continue and we will make our way to Lessines. A plan is hatched to hijack the bus and we start to assign roles \u2013 PiL is the Mastermind, Henry the Bankroll, Bag Lady the Cashier, Fran will provide the fire power (badabing!), while TBC and Myself will provide the distraction\u2026 Simultaneously TBC has inspired us to form Punk Supergroup \u2013 The Hitler Cats\u2026 Our raucous laughter is heard down the street by Audrey and Sandra who come in and join us for a while. Slowly we start to disperse I get back to the hotel at around about 4am and it\u2019s at least two hours before the rest return (bearing in mind that we need to be on the bus to leave at 10.45!).<\/p>\n I just about manage to get up in time to make breakfast and meet up with some of the other Wonkers. After perspiring and being slightly dehydrated at the gig the night before, I ended up with cramp and am craving minerals. Surprisingly there is no salt available, I\u2019m not sure if this is normal in France?! I ask one of the waiters who supplies me with some of the white powdery substance and implies rather humorously that it\u2019s very Rock and Roll to be having Salt with my breakfast!<\/p>\n With 20 minutes to go I return to my room on the fifth floor to find my key is no longer working. I knock on the door to see if Henry is awake or still there but no reply. So I head to reception to get my key re-programmed.<\/p>\n Evidence of sleep deprivation part 4. <\/i>I return to the room with 10 minutes until departure and discover Henry is still fast a kip. I apprise him of the situation thusly \u201cOi Henry you better get up mate, we\u2019ve got 10 minutes till the bus leaves!\u201d Henry responds accordingly. \u201cF*ck!…\u201d <\/i><\/p>\n Happy that he\u2019s awake and getting it together I collect my stuff and head out to the bus. On the way I play knock-down-ginger on Bag Lady and Ravenette for one last time and also See Thru Being Cool. Aboard the bus, Owen asks if there\u2019s anyone else to come so I inform him of the four I know of. The others arrive and lastly Henry makes it to the bus just in the nick of time to rapturous applause and we set off for Calais.<\/p>\n The party mood just keeps on keeping on\u2026 The wine flows freely. I share some of the supplies I\u2019d bought the previous day with those who\u2019d missed breakfast. While once again Pidge provides the DVD entertainment with the excellent Damned MGE 25th<\/sup> anniversary concert. Turkey Troter is in on the Hijack operation and will be providing the stockings\u2026 but somewhere along the way it all goes awry\u2026 We get distracted by the Rise and Fall of The Hitler Cats and their greatest hits such as \u201cUn, Deux, Trois Cats!\u201d, \u201cTumbleweed\u201d, \u201cDon\u2019t Spurt!\u201d and the cover of \u201cChanson d\u2019amour\u201d.<\/p>\n By the time we get to Calais the skies have clouded over and it appears to be a rather dull day, no complaints though as the weather has been with us for a beautiful mostly sunny weekend. We alight for passport control, I\u2019m a little concerned as I look nothing like the short haired clean shaven chap in my passport photo of 8 years ago! I only hope that Henry\u2019s skills at forgery stand up to the test\u2026 No need for concern as I sail through and the customs officer chats to me about when he used to have long hair!<\/p>\n Aboard the ferry we head straight for the bar, then a few of us decide to go up on deck, where we spend the rest of this leg of the journey; discussing The Hitler Cats, renacting scenes from Titanic and general other shenanigans; Inversions for me, gallons of wine for the rest and most of all laughing. Reports come back to us that those in the bar have found the MiB on the juke box and are extending the party below decks. Before we know it the klaxon sounds the announcement that it\u2019s time to reassemble down to the lower decks for our arrival. A quick group wee then it\u2019s back on the wonky bus to Blighty.<\/p>\n After a couple of drop offs in Kent we tunnel under the Thames into East London and work our way to Victoria. Lots of fond farewells then a group of us head for The Shakespeare to spend the time waiting for buses and trains later that day. Upon finding that the Shakespeare is closed I suggest the Wetherspoons in Victoria Station where we adjourn for a few final drinks. There\u2019s a real sense of a slow come down but still a great buzz from the whole experience I stay for a while and eventually pootle off home (which is only a couple of stops for me)\u2026<\/p>\n It\u2019s nearly a week later as I finish these ramblings\u2026 I\u2019m still not fully recovered and still buzzing!<\/p>\n Top stuff!<\/p>\n Thanks to Owen and Jac, The band, The FiB and all involved in pulling off such a fab weekend. Here\u2019s to the next time.<\/p>\n Over\u2026<\/p>\n Stranglers Photography courtesy of<\/em> Marcel Van Oosterhout<\/a> \u00a0MiB and Thierry pic courtesy of Rebus Bloggs.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0Wonky IV – The Stranglers Family in Black – Wonky Bus IV weekend. Abstract A travelling hoard went abroad, Across the Eastern Sea, To see The Stranglers in Holland and France, And home by Sunday Tea! \u2026Apologies once again for the delay in transmission\u2026 Once more much activity in the time stream, including being stuck … Continue reading The Stranglers Family in Black – Wonky Bus IV weekend. 18th – 20th April 2014.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,6,4,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2014-archive","category-news","category-eitcs-views-and-reviews-on-music-and-maybe-life-in-general-from-time-to-time","category-fansinblack"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eitc.elvisintheclouds.co.uk\/eitc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eitc.elvisintheclouds.co.uk\/eitc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eitc.elvisintheclouds.co.uk\/eitc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eitc.elvisintheclouds.co.uk\/eitc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eitc.elvisintheclouds.co.uk\/eitc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=281"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/eitc.elvisintheclouds.co.uk\/eitc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":314,"href":"https:\/\/eitc.elvisintheclouds.co.uk\/eitc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281\/revisions\/314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eitc.elvisintheclouds.co.uk\/eitc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eitc.elvisintheclouds.co.uk\/eitc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eitc.elvisintheclouds.co.uk\/eitc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>Part 3 \u2013 Lille – \u00eates-vous mon oncle?<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nPart 4 \u2013 Homeward bound \u2013 Got the post Wonky Comedown Blues\u2026<\/h2>\n
Conclusion.<\/h2>\n
\ntaken at\u00a0Haarlem Patronaat 18th April 2014.<\/em><\/p>\n