We’ve had albums and TV, and I dare say books and films are to come, so what were your best nights out of the year? Thanks to my desktop calendar I know my list includes 34 nights out including the occasional afternoon matinee, with 2 more to come (The Unthanks winter tour at Earth in Hackney on Sunday and The Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House on the Saturday before Christmas).
The largest category is gigs with 14 and my highlights of the year were Peat and Diesel at Chinnery’s in Southend on Sea and The Unthanks reprising 3 early albums in an all-dayer at The Barbican in London. Apart from both fitting the broad category of folk music there is not much to link Peat and Diesel’s sweatbox-singalong-ceilidh and the dark Northumbrian broodings of the Unthanks but they were equally rewarding in their own way, and both sent me home transported by the power of live music.
Comedy is next with 9 entries, and the funniest thing I saw all year was Ross Noble being interviewed for Richard Herring’s Leicester Square Theatre Podcast. Ross is the funniest man alive, and his improvisation technique meant that wherever it started the conversation was going to turn into a Ross Noble gig. If that doesn’t count as a show because it was a podcast recording then top prize is Tom Davies at Woolwich Works in south east London, though the support Spencer Jones was even funnier than Tom.
There is a stand out entry from the 7 shows at the theatre and that was Sheridan Smith’s mesmeric performance as Shirley Valentine at the Duke of York’s Theatre in the west end. As a stage play it’s a one-hander and Smith captivated the audience for every second of her two hours on stage. We already have tickets for her next show, a new musical called One Night with songs by Rufus Wainwright, purely on the strength of her stage presence as Shirley.
Finally to 4 shows at the opera for a little high culture, and if we’re comparing apples and oranges the prize for the best thing I saw all year goes to [drum roll …] The Barber of Seville at The Royal Opera House, a rollicking production with fantastic staging and a star performance from mezzo soprano Aigul Akhmetshina as Rosina. Her huge projection and smoky timbre pinned me back in my cheap seat way up in the slips. I would call myself an opera enthusiast rather than an expert, but it was no surprise to me that Akhmetshina and Andrzej Filończyk (Figaro) took the prizes at the 2023 International Opera Awards. The stairwells, lifts and corridors of the ROH were absolutely buzzing as we filed out and everyone was raving about the show.
Aigul Akhmetshina sings ‘Una voce poco fa’ from the ROH production of The Barber of Seville.
How opportune I’m going to Seville tomorrow, had my locks shorn last week so I don’t need to see the barber.
As Figaro himself observes in LArgo al factotum everyone needs the baber, that’s what makes him so useful in all levels of society. (Translation courtesy of Wiki)
Bonny Light Horseman at Band On The Wall, Manchester.
The Mrs and I saw ‘Guys and Dolls’ at the Bridge Theatre in London. Superb production and we had interactive tickets, which meant on our feet, moving as the stages moved and close to the cast. It was terrific in every respect. Best night at the theatre we’ve had.
My gig of the year was Peter Gabriel but best night out would probably be a wonderful summer’s evening outdoors at the Ottawa Blues Fest with Robert Plant and Allison Krauss, last show of the tour, just a certain feeling you get sometimes when for a brief period everything seems right in the world
And worst night, I went to see “Lord” Ken Branagh in King Lear in London a few weeks ago at the end of a brief visit. My god that was bad, at times almost laughably so. Was also the day of the big pro Palestinian demonstration and the whole city seemed to be in chaos.Things did not seem right in the world
Was he at least audible? When we saw Ian McKellen as Lear a few years back we couldn’t make out a word he, or the rest of the cast, said. That was at The Duke of York’s on St Martin’s Lane, the same theatre where Sheridan Smith made sure everyone, even in the cheapest seats, was able to appreciate the performance.
Yes, he was pretty much audible even where I was , I was in the cheapest seats so cheap I was actually standing right at the back (Wyndham Theatre, nr Leicester Sq). Also lack of familiarity with the material probably didn’t help. Parts of the production were visually interesting but the fact he deliberately used unknown graduates from RADA didn’t help. And harshly I don’t think he’s a good enough actor to pull it off on his own (cue Lionel Blair reference)
I also saw it – not brilliant, but I didn’t think it was that bad. Heavily editted and fast paced, so it zipped along in 2 hours – but as a result lost a lot of depth of feeling and impact. I think Branagh is a fine actor but something like King Lear doesn’t play to his strengths – I think he is better at comedy than tragedy (I remember his production of Midsummer Night’s Dream years ago as probably the funniest I have ever seen.)
I’ve never seem him at the theatre, but as far as screen Shakespeare goes I absolutely loved his Henry V and Much Ado About Nothing. Thought both were superb. Quite liked him in Othello, hated his Hamlet, didn’t care much for Love’s Labours Lost. (I enjoyed him actually playing Shakespeare in All Is True.)
I have never been a massive fan of his, find some of his performances to be cringeworthy. This play just didn’t draw me in at all, possibly for the reasons you give. It was kind of a last minute thing for me to go hence the (very cheap) standing ticket I wanted to go to the theatre that night and non musical and non film adaptation options were thin on the ground. King Lear is kind of a “best actor of his generation” role I believe, don’t think he’s that and his performance didn’t convince me otherwise. I wondered if it was just me but afterwards read this and saw I wasn’t alone.
https://www.westendtheatre.com/202973/news/reviews/king-lear-starring-kenneth-branagh-reviews/
The Palestinian march made such a racket that all you could hear was “A serviceable villain…. sit you down, rest you…”
Many years ago I saw Warren Mitchell as King Lear in the mad scene he took all his clothes off, that was ‘interesting’.
You saw his Bladdy Shirley Temple?
Should say The Smile were also brilliant at the Bluesfest
Saturday night at the Cambridge Folk fesival culminating in a triumphant performance from Niteworks.
Van Gough Alive – visually mesmerising and (if I may have two?) The John Martyn Project – superb interpretations.
Have as many you like! I mentioned half a dozen and just picked one as the overall winner, so feel free to mention any others that nearly made it into your top picks.
The night of my sixty seventh birthday when my Great Nephew’s beautiful opera singing girlfriend Xin sang Happy Birthday to me effectively silencing the hubbub of a busy Italian restaurant.
Coooool!
Very cool!
Gig: the Necks at Fasching, Stockholm
Cinema: Celine Song’s “Past Lives”
YAY!
Van Morrison Olympia Theatre, Dublin, February
Bruce S and the E Street Band, Dublin RDS, May
Wilco, Olympia Theatre, Dublin September
Ben Folds at the Royal Albert Hall
Roger Waters in Glasgow! Brilliant show.
Its hard to imagine that an evening this year would top one of the triumphal Sparks Shows (RAH) but Bodega at The Portland Arms (in Cambridge) was loud, sweaty and glorious fun.
As was Sunday Driver at the Portland Arms. A lovely surprise, as I’d only gone along to see the support band.
Oppenheimer at Altrincham Everyman. Nice sofas. Lovely bit of food. Hot cup of tea. Two thirds of the way into the film, a gentleman in our row, by the wall, became excitable during one of the stars colliding vision sequences. He began to call out. Some thought he was having a convulsion. I went over to see what was going on and he was clearly off his face on drugs. I suspect he took a dose just as the film started and it properly kicked in two hours later (it’s a long film). It took two of us to cart him out. An ambulance was called (not by me). After fifteen minutes, he dusted himself down, announced he was going to meet friends and staggered off.
That was the highlight of my social life this fucking year!
🙁
That’s Alty for you! Personally, I’m not a fan of Everyman cinemas – find the sofas uncomfortable, and have found myself sat next to groups more interested in necking burgers and booze than paying attention to the film. Home is my preferred choice of cinema in Greater Manchester – saw, and enjoyed Oppenheimer there but best film I have seen in a while was Anatomy of a Fall.
I think Oppenheimer was the only film I saw in a cinema this year. Quick review: plenty to enjoy but not a masterpiece.
Yeah. The film is alright.
I don’t understand why people want to eat a meal in the cinema, eat beforehand or afterwards, drinks are ok but keep quiet! Class A drugs perhaps not the best thing.
I think I liked Oppenheimer but the dialogue was so hard for me to understand that I must have misheard about a third of it.
Saw Dream Scenario last weekend which was certainly interesting but my film of the year surprisingly remains Indiana Jones.
If I’m going into a cinema it’s at bayonet point, and only then.
Ah, Napoleon.
Sacre bleu!
I ate snacks. High end snacks, but quieter than a bag of crisps. 😉
It was pickled onion flavoured Monster Munch wasn’t it?
The real connoisseur knows that Beefy flavour is the high end choice.
True but we’re talkin’ about Tiggs here.
It’s true. I am not a connoisseur of Monster Munch.
Makes the driving gloves all greasy huh?
Bad for his waistline – he has to eat six bags before he decides whether he likes them.
And each bag is huge!
Does going to other peoples’ houses count as a night out?
PS My legal team has advised me to make clear that I am not a burglar
It isn’t just you – I’ve only been out four times this year, in fact four times since Feb 2020. All of them to see local bands in pubs. Total ticket expenditure about 20 quid.
The fourth time, some bugger gave me the ‘flu. It’ll probably be a while until I go again – I’ll be watching the Covid infection rates closely.
Seeing Smith & Burrows at the Prince Albert in Rodborough, a tiny pub probably only holds about 100 people but what a cracking gig. I was amazed that they would do such a small venue. Saw Springsteen earlier in the year at Hyde park which was great but made me realise that I prefer smaller more intimate gigs ( maybe it’s an age thing )
Jt’s not an age thing.Small gigs are better in every conceivable way
Almost certainly but when you are young you put up with way more to see favoured artists.
Small seated gigs can be annoying when you are sat next to an obnoxious moron shouting out recognition of every song and then singing along and you have no choice but to stay there.
Hey – I’m always willing to move if you ask me.
Stars – The Roisín Dubh, Galway in Feb
Bonny Light Horsman – NCH, Dublin in September
Soda Blonde – Dolan’s Limerick two weeks ago
Rickie Lee Jones was good as well but not my best night despite meeting our very own @Jaygee
Damn – I thought Sara McQuaid was last year but it was in January this year. Great night out.
She was in a bunch of half a dozen or so that closely followed my top picks.
Sparks as per my review. Never owned a record of theirs and real concerns I’d hate it. It was outstanding.
On first consideration, I didn’t think that I had had many nights out this year apart from the very brief get togethers with ‘the auld guys’ every other Friday in the Robert the Bruce pub. However, on checking my captain’s log and ticket collection, I find that I have been at a few other nights out.
January/February saw me attend Transatlantic Sessions and Roamin’ Roots Review at Celtic Connections (Justin Currie, Rachel Sermanni, Brewis bros, Aly Bain, Martha Wainwright). In April, I visited the V&A, Dundee. June – Peter Gabriel at Glasgow Hydro. October – Iris Dement GRCH; Oppenheimer Glasgow IMAX. However, great as they all were, I reckon the best night out so far was on 23rd November at St Lukes, Glasgow with Lanterns on the Lake who featured 2 drummers including Phil Selway of Radiohead. I had no great prior knowledge of them as this was a ‘mystery gig’ which made it all the better.
I don’t go out in the evenings. Ever. I’m not exaggerating. I absolutely love being at home in the evening and I realised, about ten years ago, that no evening event (party, concert, restaurant, concert, cinema etc) appeals to me anywhere near as much as being at home does. So I just stopped altogether. I’ll do day time activities and sometimes friends come round in the evenings, but going out after 8pm is 100% ruled out.
The Analogues at Manchester Bridgewater Hall in September.
Note Perfect !!
So good.
I didn’t go to a single gig in 2023 (there will be at least one gig in 2024 – I’m going to buy a ticket tomorrow for Adrianne Lenker at Berns in May – I hate their acoustics but I’ll put up with it for her!)
Usually I at least get to see some free gigs during the Stockholm Culture Festival, but this year I had to work during that week – and my work hours are during gig hours…
No cinema visits either of course, no theatre, no opera, not even a visit to the fun fair!
Only a few lovely restaurant visits with friends and family, and a fun birthday party (not mine) and some picnics by the sea. I can’t say that I feel very deprived!
Bonnie Raitt supported by Mavis Staples, Sydney, April
Ohhhhh….
Bonnie Raitt in Manchester (sadly not with Mavis Staples as support) would be high on my list as well. Such a class act.
Bruce Springsteen and E Street band Rome
Calexico Manchester
Angelique Kidjo Albert Hall
But my favourite was Michele Stodart at the Temperance in Leamington Spa – just wonderful and and really lovely person too.
Apart from old reliables the Undertones supported by Buzzcocks in Dublin the other week – always a great uplifting night out – I’d say Scary Pockets at the Button Factory, Dublin was the most entertaining night out. Lots of funky cover versions, musically very interesting and lots of fun. “Just think of us as the best wedding band you’ve ever seen,” as they introduced themselves.
Special mention for the remarkable Weird Al Yankovic at the Helix, Dublin with Emo Philips in support. “Tonight we’re going to play lots of songs you don’t know and won’t like.” It was actually really enjoyable but truly odd.
Undertones and Buzzcocks? They are still going? Two bands without their singer
All bands are still going, whether they’re alive or dead. You can probably go and see The Ramones somewhere.
If you were so minded you could go and see Doctor Feelgood (with Nine Below Zero supporting) at Colchester Arts Centre next Friday. Or you could if it wasn’t sold out.
Not true The Beatles are not still going ….
(Receives message in earpiece)
Oh apparently they still are
The Undertones with Paul McLoone are just as good as they ever were. He’s a different kind of frontman but sounds remarkably like Fergal Sharkey at times. The Undertones were always about the O’Neill brothers for me anyway and they’re as magnificent as ever; one looking like an aging teenager and the other like Roddy Doyle but still playing those wonderful riffs with evident relish. William Bradley the bass player is great craic too.
Pete Diggle on the other hand is no singer. Musically the band were great but you’d definitely miss Pete Shelley.
Well, yeah Feargal wasn’t a songwriter but he was a pretty great singer. I do like Harmony in my Head but more the Shelley sung chorus
I’ve mentioned Bonnie Raitt earlier in the thread. Two other concerts, both at Band on the Wall, were fantastic as well – Courtney Marie Andrews, and Allison Russell.
I would like to mention a theatre show, but sadly can’t. I saw a number of productions in Manchester, Liverpool and London, but there was really nothing that was more than ‘not bad’ and a handful that were dreadful. Maybe it’s just me, but I really think theatre is struggling badly at the moment – too many poor directors; too many actors who can’t do Shakespeare to save their lives, too many regional theatres with a lack of funding, and way too many productions that are entirely built around some megastar name (Branagh, Fiennes, Tennant, McKellen, Cox, Snook, etc etc).
Certainly the most memorable was Nile Rogers and Chic at Cropredy. Not really my sort of music (I’d never listen at home) but the sheer professionalism and entertainment was astonishing, as well as the breadth of material, finishing up with a brilliant Let’s Dance. Amazingly good.
Best night at the theatre was the hilarious Noises Off with Felicity Kendall and Mathew Horne.
Mine was last night seeing The Coral at The Electric Ballroom with Iraina Mancini as support. I’ve just put a review in nights out 🙏
I’ve been out and about quite a bit this year, but my top concert would be The Waterboys, with honourable mentions for Haircut 100 and Mr Sting (I’m writing this before seeing Sophie E-B’s Christmas Disco show on Sunday, so I may need to revise my list). Biggest disappointment was Springsteen…but perhaps my expectations were too high.
Best theatrical production was Jesus Christ Superstar, honourable mentions to Crazy For You and Life Of Pi.
Two corking gigs I was at – The Necks in Bristol – two sets of beautiful improvised music, and Kid Congo Powers in Glasgow , covering the range of garage rock, Cramps and Gun Club songs, and flute ragas.
Three treasured Primevals gigs I played this year – The Engine Room in North Shields – supported by Black Olive who are equal parts Ennio Morricone and Dick Dale – The Hope & Anchor in London, which was a very sweaty one, and also let me catch up with @Mike_H – and lastly Hampden Bowling Club, a benefit gig for Papyrus who work to prevent teenage suicide. (The event raised over £1,000).
That’s two votes for the Necks – hurrah!
These…
And a couple of very memorable Sunday afternoon dad raves at the Hare and Hounds – Sasha (is still God) and Lauren Garnier.
The Baobabs at St. Georges. No contest.
Billy Bragg at Portsmouth Guildhall. The retrospective film instead of a support was a nice touch, even if it looked as though it had been edited on two home VHS players with no attempt to clean up some of the old footage, although that was probably deliberate. Plenty of chat between the songs and minimal slickness, in a good way.
I have my shortlist now, but there’s one upcoming gig that I have high hopes for.
Later.
I look forward to it. Alas, last night’s Unthanks gig at EartH in Dalston won’t be joining my top picks. Although there were plenty of highlights Adrian was right to apologise to the audience at the end because so much of the material was new and relatively unfamiliar. There were moments and whole songs which were wonderful, but too much of it felt under-rehearsed and under-arranged.
Becky’s 40-minute kazoo solo might be a tad ahead of its time
“Yer bairnies are goin ta love it”
@mike_h Later? I don’t think Hootenanny counts as 2023. (If this means I’ve outed you as Roland Rivron, “Mike”, I can only apologise..)
Definitely not that Later (than you think).
After midnight one May evening in the Community Centre in Kelsall on the edge of Delamere Forest. Sometimes a session just comes together in a way that no-one could have made happen. Sure, the ‘usual crowd’ were there, but so too were a scattering of the festival performers who were up for a late night. Sometimes it’s hard for a session to work for both musicians and singers, as they have different ideas of format, but this one just clicked. Talent, spontaneity, bonhomie, collectiveness. It’s a joy when that happens.
Must be Novelty Island at a small club opposite Finsbury Park tube in May. After a bit of a wait (no support, just groovy sounds from Shindig DJs), Tom McConnell took to the stage with a papier-mâché television on his head. Along the way, the show took in interviews with a giant rubber duck and ended with Tom conducting us with giant extended arms. All the garnish to some fantastic, trippy but earwormy tunes.
A man singing with a huge papier-mâché structure on his head? That will never catch on.
You know it won’t.
It really won’t.
Talking of strange headwear, there’s something of the now-hibernating* Fonda 500 about that Novelty Island clip.
(*) since Saturday’s final gig. I didn’t go. I miss Bod already.
Did any lucky Afterworders attend the inaugural SAULT gig/experience/happening that all the London-centric media are rhapsodising over? I haven’t actually heard a note by this collective, but the event sounds like it was utterly transcendent.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/dec/15/sault-review-debut-gig-drumsheds-london?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/music/sault-drumsheds-live-inflo-little-simz-cleo-sol-live-review-b1127172.html
“London-centric” implies that there are places that aren’t London. This is a bizarre and dangerous notion.
Well, nowhere of note, obviously.
The best afternoon/evening was my wife’s birthday in March when we saw Cabaret in the afternoon and then Akhnaten in the evening. The most enjoyable single shows were the Cambridge University G&S Society’s Ruddigore in the Round Church in Cambridge, which I think was a tenner, and the Franck Quartet in Queens College Old Hall, which was free.
In April we went to Sydney to surprise my wife’s brother for his 60th bash. What a night. Met someone who, from my accent, guessed that I must be from Woking ( ! ) and revealed he went to my school a year after I did.
Everything started at 7pm and we were still in the pub at 3am (ish). Things got a bit messy when a fully inebriated bloke on crutches thought I had taken umbrage to something he said. I hadn’t – and he was requesting that we sort it out “like men” outside. Oh dear. It actually added to the fun in the end because he’s just one of those people that starts a fight in an empty room and I was his latest muse.
We gathered for brunch at another pub at midday on Sunday and, er, stayed there until about 9pm. Despite the above, it was a really nice vibe throughout and reminded me of my countless lost weekends in my twenties when I had literally no responsibilities. Took a week or so to recover from it though.
After some deliberation, my top ten nights out of 2023.
1) Cleveland Watkiss Presents The Great Jamaican Songbook – Watford Pump House Theatre, 20th May. The finale of the 2nd Watford Jazz Junction Festival. A rousing finish to a mixed-bag could-have-been-better 4-day festival. Dancing in the aisles of the theatre, for those who could get to the aisles, otherwise dancing (or at least wiggling) where you were in the seating. Superb sounds from a top-class band of Jamaican veterans (and a superb young white trombonist) plus a crew of three at the sound desk applying dub effects as necessary.
2) Jazz Jamaica – Jazz Café London Camden, 4th March 2023. Big-band ska and reggae bangers from a hot band led by bassist Gary Crosby with guest vocalist Juliet Roberts on a selection of lovers rock classics. At the end I hot-footed to the Chandos Arms in Colindale to catch the last 3 or 4 numbers of The Silencerz (Madness saxophonist Lee Thompson and his son Daley’s Ska/Reggae band). The pub was absolutely rammed, to the point where the quickest route from the main bar to the Gents, in the back bar, was out of the pub door onto the street and back into the other bar by it’s street entrance.
3) Hejira Play Joni Mitchell – Cockpit Theatre, London NW8, 17th November. Tiered sating on all four sides of a square space with the 7-piece band including singer/guitarist Hattie Whitehead performing facing each other in the centre. Material from Joni’s live “Shadows And Light” album/DVD reproduced and augmented to fill two 45 minute sets. Highlights for me were somewhat psychedelicised versions of Woodstock and Hejira (incorporating bass clarinet), Coyote, Edith & The Kingpin, Goodbye Pork-Pie Hat and In France They Kiss On Main Street. Great little friendly venue and the band, who’ve been touring this show pretty much all year now, were hot, Plenty more gigs to come from them in 2024.
4) Paul Booth & Ross Stanley, with guitarist Chris Allard – Jazz at the Elephant, North Finchley, 16th July. Tenor/soprano saxophonist Paul Booth, Hammond (with Leslie speaker) maestro Ross Stanley and guitarist Chris Allard augmented by house saxophonist Jeremy Shoham on alto and soprano and house drummer Rick Finlay. A great selection of tunes received with great pleasure by a seated bar audience (Thai food from the upstairs restaurant optional). The band were obviously really enjoying playing together and sparking each other and we punters were appreciative of that.
5) Mark Kavuma and the Banger Factory – The Forge, London Camden, 30th March. The Forge looks like a repurposed industrial unit with seating along the sides, a DJ booth/sound engineer space in the middle about half-way back, a large stage at the front and a bar on the left at the back. Mark Kavuma (trumpet) and his fairly young band play mostly traditional ’50s/’60s Hard Bop, a mix of originals and a few standards. Trumpet, tenor and alto saxophonists, trombone, keyboards, guitar bass and drums produced an exciting show. Quite a few dancers down the front, wiggling and grooving to Thelonious Monk’s “Well You Needn’t”. Augmented by an additional tenor saxophonist for the second set. Great musicianship and good sound.
6) Jazz Manouche – Jazz at the Elephant, North Finchley, 19th March. Guitarists Simon Moore and Ducato Piotrowski with bassist Pete Thomas and house regulars Jeremy Shoham (alto & soprano saxes) and drummer Rick Finlay. A superb evening of what used to be called “Gypsy Jazz”. Beautiful interplay between the two very accomplished guitarists and some excellent soprano sax from Mr Shoham. A very pleasant evening indeed. Great vocal cameo from local singer Dexter Moseley on “Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen” to round things off.
7) Francisco Garcia de Paredes and Jay Verma – Karamel London N22, 28th September. Young guitarist Francisco and pianist Jay played a duo gig at this community café/bar space in Wood Green. Mostly playing their own compositions with a few jazz standards thrown in. Excellent interplay between the pair, who gig regularly together in trio and quartet formats usually. This was one of a semi-regular series of gigs at Karamel, under the auspices of the Tomorrows Warriors jazz development/education charity organisation. I’ve been to a couple of these at Karamel. This one was outstanding.
8) Clive Carroll & Dariush Kanani play John Renbourn – The Half Moon, Putney, 29th October. Absolutely jaw-dropping acoustic guitar virtuosity and interplay from this pair. The Half Moon is a great venue, one of London’s treasures, but sadly it’s quite a trek from my home patch. This gig was very much worth the journey. Seated concert. Mr Carroll is an engaging performer with an easy manner.
9) Stanley Dee – Nells, London West Kensington. This band have been playing the music of Steely Dan for a good few years now, mainly in my local area and in pub venues, with occasional forays to The Half Moon in Putney. This gig at Nells was an opportunity to move up a rung on the circuit, with potential to play larger venues from the same promoter if they did well. They absolutely smashed it. Nells is an odd sort of venue, situated over the top of a supermarket and slightly off the beaten track, with a long, steep staircase up (and down) to navigate. I would be wary of getting down those stairs in one piece if too much strong drink had been taken. A decent-sized roomy space with a good-sized stage and some raised seating towards the back with good sightlines. Sizeable dancefloor front of stage. New-ish guitarist John Russell has settled in well and the trio of vocalists (lead singer Cavan Daly and “The Babylon Sisters” Katy Ayres and Jen Good) could be clearly heard, as could the excellent brass section (tenor and alto saxes and trumpet/flugelhorn from Steve Joy, who also plays acoustic rhythm guitar on a few and sings lead on “Josie”). They managed to pretty much fill the place and the audience lapped it up. They inject a sense of fun into their show and there ensues plenty of singing along to the hits.
10) The Primevals / Los Coyote Men / Rockabyes – Rockaway Beach at the Hope & Anchor, Islington, 26th August. Glaswegian garage rock veterans T he Primevals can generally get booked for one of Timmy DeRella’s Rockaway Beach shows, if they come down to London. A three-band lineup is the Rockaway Beach format, with Punk/Goth/Garage high-energy clatter the preferred style. All of the bands on this particular bill were good. I particularly enjoyed the Mexican-wrestling-mask-wearing Los Coyote Men, who I’d not heard or indeed heard of previously. I commend them to you, if you should see them on a bill somewhere. The Primevals are my favourite bluesy garage band, fronted by the charismatic Michael Rooney. Of course guitarist Tom Rafferty should be familiar to us Afterworders. The Hope & Anchor is a decent basement space, somewhat cramped but pretty well-appointed.
doffs hat
Gracias, amigo!