Saturday 15 August 2009

The Bermondsey Joyriders at the 100 Club


Thursday’s gig at the 100 Club was a cracker. I’d been wanting to see The Bermondsey Joyriders for some time now, especially since I heard their eponymous album. Gary Lammin is a shockingly good guitarist and all-round good bloke, and he and his two bandmates, Keith Boyce and Martin Stacey (ex-Chelsea, co-writer of ‘Right To Work’) more or less played the whole album. Add to which they were joined on stage by John Sinclair (Gary’s been playing with him recently and they have a mutual appreciation society going) for ‘The Screamers’ off his Full Circle collection.

Gary’s previous includes Cock Sparrer and he’s redone their ‘Runnin’ Riot’ for the album, plus there’s a kind of tribute to Johnny Thunders in ‘Part Of My Problem’ which joyously quotes the Dolls. Spotted in the audience was Charlie Murray who’s described Gary as a ‘cross between Ian Dury and Son House’. That’s pretty much how it is, and certainly the appearance of various Millwall faces on stage during ‘Who Are Ya?’ testified to the South London roots of it all. Plus it was cool to see punks back in the 100 Club and have Spizz playing some tunes.

Wednesday 12 August 2009

Willy DeVille



I'm not going to do much more than mark the passing of Willy DeVille. Our good pal Bill Holmes has said it just as good over at Dr Bristol's Prescription and I entreat you to go and read his words.

Suffice to say we salute Willy in the sure knowledge there's some fine Spanish strolling going down in heaven. Because it was the album nearest to hand I've been playing Le Chat Bleu and loving it all, especially the co-writes with Doc Pomus 'Just To Walk That Little Girl Home', 'That World Outside', and 'You Just Keep Holding On'. Magical and timeless.

Tuesday 11 August 2009

You've Got To Be There For The King


Alan Tyler and Jon The Boatman present

Come to ELVIS: THAT’S THE WAY IT IS this Sunday 16 August at the Betsey
Trotwood
, Farringdon Road, London. It’s a special Elvis night to mark the
32nd anniversary of the death of The King. It’s 3 floors of Elvis; at 6.30
we are screening the live music documentary That’s the Way It Is in the
upstairs room, in the basement there’s dancing to the Hillbilly Cat with Djs
Jon the Boatman and Dan till 12, and in the bar you can hear more choice
cuts of Elvis throughout the night. There will be Elvis food and drink too.
No dodgy impersonators, no live music, just 100% solid gold Elvis all night
long.

If you love Elvis already you’ve got to be there.
If you don’t love Elvis you’ve REALLY got to be there!

Elvisly yours

ELVIS: THAT’S THE WAY IT IS
SUNDAY 16 AUGUST 2009
6 PM - 12 PM
Betsey Trotwood 56 Farringdon Rd, Clerkenwell, London, EC1R 3BL
£4

Saturday 8 August 2009

Roky Erickson in the UK


People have been wondering about the line-up to accompany Roky Erickson at The Green Man Festival and at The Forum in London on the 20th August. I've just been in touch with Troy Campbell who's co-tour managing with Roky's son Jegar, and these are the guys

Kyle Ellison - guitar (Meat Puppets/Butthole Surfers)
Matt Harris - bass (The Posies/Ian Moore/Oranger)
Kyle Schneider - drums (Charlie Sexton/Ian Moore)

As you can see they all have pedigree.