5/3/2016 Part 2. London SS @ The Hope & Anchor

...and so I leave The Barfly behind and head for Islington, but not without a refueling stop at BrewDog before leaving Camden. And then another as I land in Islington for a more reasonably priced beverage before my second gig of the night. Soon after that I find myself at the Hope & Anchor - one of London's best known pub-rock landmarks. It's only £5 on the door for several bands, and the ale upstairs is decent quality and very reasonably priced - a venue that encourages you to return. Unfortunately you can't say that about many of London's music venues these days  The Hope & Anchor is a venue steeped in rock history, and tonight hosting a band dripping in punk rock mythology - the band that never was, but now is - the infamous London SS.

This is a band that never actually played any gigs in it's earliest days as punk was in it's formative stages in London back around 1975-1976. An amazing amount of people went through the band's ranks in a short space of time who went on to become well known in some of the UK's most legendary punk bands - but the London SS themselves fell apart before punk broke in Britain. Today the only member from the band's early days is ex-Hollywood Brats guitarist Brady who has reformed the band in recent times. Once again the band has a lineup prone to changes... Brady himself is prone to changes - of image. Hollywood Brats were a band ahead of their time - they had a full-on Glam Rock image but a punk rock attitude and sound - before anyone had even heard of punk. Brady can be a bit of a contrary bastard when he feels like it, and tonight he elects to go completely glam and dress in drag while playing the entire set sitting down on his amp - for reasons probably known only to himself...

Regardless to whatever is going on in his head, Brady certainly plays well tonight - even though he appears somewhat detached from the rest of the band.

It's up to livewire frontman Jimi to carry the show tonight, but even he seems a little subdued compared to his normal crazed self.

The band play well and sound good tonight, but it's a bit of a weird vibe compared to their usual performances.