23/3/2018 Ryan Hamilton & The Traitors + The Main Grains @ Surya

This is a really good bill at a surprisingly small venue - I guess it's the best (available on a suitable date) London venue they could find while booking this 'Young, Dumb, and full of Rum' tour. Not surprisingly, it's sold out in advance. I arrive to find this intimate downstairs venue already packed out. so as Main Grains frontman Danny McCormack is having to play the gig sitting down until he adjusts to his 'new' leg it's not worth bothering trying to get any pictures as I can hardly see him! The band turn out a good set of solid tuneful punk 'n roll though - not a million miles away from Danny's old band The Yo-Yo's. This band are good fun, and new single 'The Rain Is Over Now' is a definite progression form their earlier heavily Ramones/Yo-Yo's sounding materiel.

I've only seen Ryan Hamilton and the Traitors once before (supporting Ginger Wildheart) but was sufficiently entertained to want to see them again. Country rock isn't really my thing, but Ryan and Co. put a decidedly different twist on it and it's more 'rock' than 'country'. Ryan himself is a very open and engaging frontman who tells some interesting and funny stories about his earlier career between songs - he was signed to a major record company deal with a band while still quite young and naive - and got screwed over big time by the music business. He doesn't seem bitter about it though, and seems to regard it all as a time of valuable lessons learned. And he has some great stories - his Tom Petty one is particularly touching.

The set is more 'rock' than 'country', and with Rob Lane on bass it was always going to ROCK! The lead guitarist was pretty good too! There is more talking between songs than at a normal rock show, but it's cool on this occasion as Ryan has a very relaxed onstage persona that draws you in. He is also very funny - particularly when he takes some audience members to task for talking during his performance instead of paying attention to the show! It's a top evening's entertainment!

PS: This venue has since closed.

PPS: Ryan Hamilton and The Traitors are playing at Camden Rocks festival

 this year along with the Main Grains - I highly recommend you go!

It's been a long day so I don't hang about after the show as I've already had trouble with the trains getting to the gig. As I walk back from the station I notice what appears to be a lot of smoke rising into the air. As I get closer I see flames and a lot of flashing blue lights - the (now disused) pub round the corner is going up in flames! I count at least five fire engines in attendance.

This is a very sad sight to see as the estate now has no pub and it was a well known local landmark as well as a local amenity while it was still open. I can't help feeling this fire is very 'convenient' for the owners/developers. Not a very nice end to a good night out.

16/3/2018 Shush @ Nambucca

Well it's been a while....

 ...since a sausage roll? No - since I either saw Shush or went to Nambucca. I haven't seen Shush simply because for various 'real life' related reasons the band just haven't been doing anything. That might be changing... As for the venue itself - it's been largely off my radar since it reopened (again) in 2014. This is probably because the venue's current batch of promoters move in different circles to me, and also they simply haven't been putting bands on that I'm interested in seeing - the place seems to have largely abandoned rock/punk/rock 'n' roll and gone back to being a mainly indie hangout. Nothing wrong with that, but it's not my scene.

The venue itself has changed beyond all recognition: The new much larger stage area now repositioned right at the back of the venue is vastly improved and now much move like a proper dcdicated music venue.. The bar has been (no doubt at great expence) moved from one side of the room to the other - this seems really stupid and pointless - if it ain't broke, don't fix it.Real ale has gone and the prices have gone up massively, so I do my drinking at the Coronet (Wetherspoons) down the road instead.

It's great to see Shush back in action again after hardly playing at all for several years, and they are as good as ever - especially as the legendary ex-AntiProduct drummer Simon 'Gonk' is back in the band. This man is a real powerhouse and drives things along greatly. The band have plenty of excellent and catchy pop/punk songs, although I am slightly disappointed that their pissed-off anthem 'Fuck You!' is missing it's usual finger gestures on this occasion!

It's good to see some familiar friendly faces from the old AntiProduct days in the crowd to support ex-AntiProduct and current Shush members Milena (vox/guitar) and Gonk (drums) , and also nice to note that people will still come out to see Shush after a long break from the scene - lets hope the band's appearances will become a more regular affair from now on....

The following band are not doing anything to excite me, and discussion with Shush guitarist Andy and some other friends reveals that I'm not the only one feeling that - so a short walk down Holloway Road to Big Red is suggested. This turns out to be an excellent idea! Not only is the beer better and cheaper, but we discover there is also a band playing. It's free to get in so what's not to like?

Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the band (may have been Stonewire), but they were excellent! Going to Big Red turns out to be a very good move, and it's also much closer to the tube station for the journey home - just like the old days. Well I say 'old days' but it was less than ten years ago that I was at Big Red and the much missed Gaff Club just up the road all the time - great days!

2/3/2018 Duncan Reid and the Big Heads @ The 100 Club

The 100 Club is pretty much the spiritual home of punk rock in London, so it seems the ideal place for Duncan Reid and the Big Heads to play....

...and so it proves - as the middle aged bloke who has had a little (maybe more than a little) too much to drink demonstrates when he leaves a little puddle of puke on the floor by the stage before having to excuse himself and lurch off to the bogs. 

He's obviously having a good night anyway. But will he remember any of it tomorrow?

Punk rock chaos takes place on stage, but this band are actually very good live performers.

The music is very tuneful pop-punk - Duncan Reid learned a thing or two about writing a catchy tune when he was in his old band The Boys - they weren't known as 'the Beatles of punk rock' for nothing.

Although this band's songs are very catchy, and dare I say it commercial - there is plenty of rock 'n' roll and punk attitude in their performance - the level of energy is very high!

Duncan's own songs are very catchy and tuneful, but as usual the band finish their set with some Boys classics like 'Brickfield Nights', 'Sick On You' (originally by the infamous Hollywood Brats) and 'First Time' - always a fantastic show closer!