11/12/2008 Warrior Soul & Zen Motel @ the LA2

Subject	Warrior Soul & Zen Motel @ the LA2
PostedDate	12/11/2008
	I actually managed to get to a gig early for once!  I had to on this occasion if I wanted to see Zen Motel. They had been booked months ago as 'main support' for the Warrior Soul tour, but due to some music business bullshit had been shoved to the bottom of the bill and had to go on first out of four acts tonight.  The result of this was that they were forced to go on soon after the doors opened and had to play to a nearly empty house.  As anyone who has any experience of the music business will tell you - there is no justice... However, it takes a lot to get these Essex rockers down and they hit the stage in full force with all guns blazing!  This is the 5 piece version of the band which first appeared at Soho sleazepit Madam JoJos a few months ago. It's good to see this band on a larger stage and in a better venue than usual - it's certainly what they deserve. Zen Motel take to this larger venue really well and look like they are well suited to it. Lead guitarist Alex Green is back for this show, which frees up frontman Lee Wray from guitar or bass duties to concentrate purely on singing and fronting the band - a role he is looking more and more suited to which each gig. Lee also looks like he's enjoying his slightly changed role even more as well.  However, this is probably Alex's last gig with the band as he has now moved to Brighton - where someone has actually entrusted him with running a bar!  I'm really not sure this is wise... The band put on an excellent show as usual, and are very well received by the crowd as the venue slowly starts to fill. Alex is last seen after the show walking around clutching two bulging carrier bags full of tins of beer...  The following act (one that has bumped Zen Motel down the bill) is a very  generic metal band who got their place by saying they could sell 350 tickets. This is a blatant lie and I'd be surprised if they had more than 50 fans in the venue - I'm amazed anybody believed their bullshit.  I'm not sure if even the headliners sold 350 tickets as the venue certainly isn't full.  Next up we get Almighty frontman Ricky Warwick. I'm sure more people came to see him than the previous bunch of Metal Hammer hyped chancers - even though he's just playing a solo acoustic set. He puts plenty into his performance, but even though I recognise a couple of Almighty songs it doesn't really do it for me - an acoustic act should have been the show opener. Ricky announces that the next song is a touching love song and I'm just heading for the bar as he launches into 'Ace Of Spades'! It certainly gets my attention and is the highlight of his set as far as I'm concerned - but then it's back to the bar... Apart from frontman Kory Clarke I think the entire Warrior Soul band has changed since I saw them only last year. However, I'm still sure Kory will have put together a damn good band - and this turns out to be the case. Kory is one of the best frontmen out there - or is that one of the most out there frontmen? Whatever - he delivers a great show. Whoever else is playing with Kory, this is a pretty hot and in your face band. If some of you think the bass player looks familiar, it's ex-Radiator (and very briefly Queen Adreena) man Janne Jarvis. As usual, the management of the LA2 can't get us out of the venue quick enough after the show - so those with beer money still in their pockets have to either go home (at 10.30 on a Friday night?) or find another bar to spend their money in.... As usual, I head for the Intrepid Fox. By coincidence, this happens to be where the Warrior Soul aftershow is happening - although I'd have gone there even if I didn't know that. A bit later on I find myself in the upstairs bar at the pub and having a slightly bizarre encounter with Kory Clarke who suddenly appears in my face from nowhere and starts talking to me like I know him, although I'm sure he has absolutely no idea who I am!  I somehow find myself wearing a wristband which entitles me to stay behind for the aftershow after the pub closes at 2 AM. I am eventually ushered out of the pub at 4.30 in the morning - I think I am the last person to leave.  Fortunately, the night bus turns up more or less straight away. I am in a state of disrepair by this time, and halfway home I fall off my seat and hit my head on something (it's still tender days later). I pick myself up in front of a few probably disgusted onlookers.  The bus driver has to wake me up at the last stop - which is fortunately where I normally get off anyway. Living at the end of a bus or tube service has it's advantages...  After arriving home at 6 AM I spend virtually all Saturday asleep, before going out to another gig and seeing an unexpected cover of 'Ace Of Spades' for a second night running - but that's another story...

This venue was demolished to make way for London's 'Crossrail' project. The Intrepid Fox has also closed, but now reopened in Archway.