22/7/2007 Vamps N Gypsies, Bubblegum Screw & Gasoline Queens @ Bar Monsta

Subject	Vamps N Gypsies, Bubblegum Screw & Gasoline Queens @ Bar Monsta
PostedDate	7/22/2007
	Going to see three bands - all at the same venue for once! This was another gig I'd been really looking forward to as it is a good bill, and I haven't seem Vamps 'N' Gypsies for what seems like ages now. OK, it's only a couple of months - but it seems far too long! I arrive at Bar Monsta as the Gasoline Queens are playing. They are a new band to me, but I am pleasantly surprised and find their brand of punk 'n' roll to my liking - fans of bands like the Yo-Yo's should like this lot.  The bass player looked rather familiar - it turned out to be Dave Renegade who I've seen in various bands on the Camden scene over the past few years. He normally plays the other guitar in this band, but was standing in on bass duties for this gig. They finished their set of otherwise original material with a New York Dolls cover - which went down very well with the crowd. The New York Dolls vibe continued with the next band, who had a marked Dolls influence even though they didn't play any covers. The New York theme was further enhanced by the band appearing to have DeeDee Ramone on bass and Johnny Thunders on guitar! This was the third time I've seen Bubblegum Screw recently, but they seemed to suffer at the hands of the soundman tonight and they got a noticeably worse mix than the previous band. Headliners Vamps 'N' Gypsies also suffered somewhat from a poor sound mix - apparently the guy doing the sound tonight wasn't the normal bloke and the band definitely normally sound better at this venue - a fact that was reinforced when Flash Danny shared lead vocals on 'Running After You' and was virtually inaudible.  However, the band did their best to compensate for the inferior sound quality by putting on a highly entertaining show as usual.  I never get tired of watching this band as there is always plenty happening onstage - apart from the obvious attractions of their lead singer!  As usual at a Vamps 'N' Gypsies show stuff happens - rhythm guitarist Danny ends up on the floor at some point, although that's not unusual! Lead axeman Stubio breaks a string and Danny takes the 'playing guitar with your teeth' thing a bit too far... You can never get bored watching this lot! One of the things I really like about this band is their genuine and total enthusiasm for what they do - they always look like they are having the time of their lives on stage - and that rubs off on the audience too.  I enjoyed all the bands and it was an excellent night - the most fun I've had for a while.

Around the time of this show Bar Monsta was one of the coolest small venues in London, but it metamorphosed into the infamous 'Camden Rock' and became one of the most horrible.