13/7/2012 Idol Images @ The Barfly

Subject	Idol Images @ The Barfly
DateCreated	7/17/2012 2:42:00 PM
	A nice trip to Camden. I'm only attempting to see one band for a change, and have quick and simple journey planned that will have me there in well under an hour - what could go wrong? Oh - it's Friday the 13th... Arriving at Highbury & Islington I'm pleased to find an overground train already waiting. I jump on quickly just before the doors shut - I'll be getting off at Camden Road in no time. Well I might have been if the train was heading in the right direction.  A couple of minutes later I'm on the platform at Canonbury waiting for a train in the right direction - it's OK, the indicator board says the next train is only five minutes away. It gets down to two minutes, then changes to twelve. I'm still waiting half an hour later...  I eventually arrive in Camden. Fortunately the band I want to see isn't on til late - just as well I had a plan for beforehand. The gig is the Jubilee Club @ The Barfly and although the club starts at 10.30 the bands tend to go on stupid late. I find the Barfly a fairly horrible (and expensive) place to drink and kill time in waiting around so I have devised a cunning plan which I have found works rather well: Go to the BrewDog place in Camden before the gig. I find this a far more enjoyable place to kill some time before the show. I start off sampling BrewDog's own Tokyo*. It's the first time I've tried this very exotic beer and I find it's rather fantastic! I try a variety of other brews before having another Tokyo* and heading for the Barfly suitably 'refreshed'. All very enjoyable - almost too enjoyable! Fortunately, the band I want to see are on at a more reasonable time for a change at this club - I already knew beforehand that they'd be on around 11.25 and much to my relief they actually were and I arrived just as they started their set. I've seen this band quite a few times over the years with various lineups. Until recently they were called The Transmitters but are now Idol Images. Although the personel in the band have changed over time, the style of music remains much the same: Indie pop with a bit of a punk edge, and a dash of funk and soul thrown into the mix. I think this is the liveliest version of the band to date; a singer with plenty of stage presence as well as a decent voice, plus some very intense and energetic guitar playing over a tight and solid rhythm section. Sorry for the crap quality of my pictures - bright lights and smoke machines don't go well with my cheapo camera. Unfortunately the sound mix in the venue was as poor as my pictures tonight, but the band gave a good performance - click here to find out what they are supposed to sound like. A short sharp half hour set from Idol Images and unlike some of my previous visits to the Jubilee Club I can still get the tube home - and due to having a few BrewDog liveners beforehand no need to patronise the Barfly's poor quality and overpriced beverages. Result!