7/1/2011 Darrell Bath Trio @ Bullet Bar

Subject	Darrell Bath Trio @ Bullet Bar
DateCreated	1/9/2011 5:42:00 PM
PostedDate	1/9/2011 9:42:00 AM
	A bit of a change for my first gig of the year, and a little more laid back than most I go to - but none the worse for it. Kentish Town's Bullet Bar has changed a bit since I was last there - and a lot since it's previous incarnation as The Verge. It went a bit upmarket when it re-opened as the Bullet Bar, but has become rather 'low rent' recently.  It's actually free to get in tonight, but even that doesn't tempt much of a crowd to go out on the first weekend of the new year. It's always a bit quiet gig-wise at the begining of January when everybody is either skint after Christmas or still recovering from the over-indulgences of New Year. It's a bit of a weird vibe here tonight and not at all rock 'n' roll.  The band playing as I arrive are terrible - some art/funk/hippy outfit who you would need to take a shitload of drugs before you 'get' what they are doing.  Judging by some of the dancing from one of the band members, he would appear to have done exactly that... I arrive later than planned, but it's looks just as well I did 'cos I'm told the previous band were pretty dreadful as well!  I start to think about taking up smoking just so I have an excuse to go outside and escape the shite music and weird atmosphere... I can't even cushion myself from the dire hippy music by imbibing some quality ale as not only are there no real ale pumps (not surprising) but there isn't even anything decent in bottles behind the bar - unless you like little bottles of overpriced lager. To be fair, the price of pints of the various fizzy yellow and black liquids available is fairly reasonable by London standards. Even though we didn't have to pay to get in, there is nothing to encourage the rock fan to come back to this venue. Unfortunately, due to the bar's location there is nowhere nearby where you can pop out fro a crafty pint while you are waiting fro the band you have come to see - if this was Camden Town or Holloway Road there would be some good options for this.  The music the DJ plays between bands is also pretty horrendous - until before the headline act when some classic rock & roll gets an airing. Some familar faces from the local(ish) rock 'n' roll scene drift in to see Darrell Bath. They are rewarded with a longer than usual set by the ex-Dogs D'Amour/UK Subs/Crybabys, etc guitarist. He's on very good form tonight and his band play well. One change is that Darrell is now playing a Stratocaster instead of one of his usual Gibsons, so the sound is slightly different, but his playing is as fluid and effortless as ever. Very simple stage setup - basic Fender valve amp and no pedals on the floor - there's no need when you're this good. I tend to describe this guy as as a 'musician's musician' as they in particular appreciate what he does and how he does it - virtually everyone I know who has come to see him tonight is a musician - nearly all of them guitarists. Darrell has an amazing talent which I don't think he even realises he has - like the late great Stevie Ray Vaughan he just makes it look so easy, like he's not even trying as the notes just drip from his fingers. I'm not sure he even knows or cares how good he is - he just does what he does. It's just a shame that more people don't know about it, because he really deserves a bigger audience.

PS: This pub was originally The Castle, but became a well known music venue as 'The Verge' in the 1990's. Later it re-opened as Bullet Bar, then became 'The Flowerpot' for a while - a free admission music venue. It closed for probably the final time in 2011.