Sunday 31 December 2023

Goodbye 2023...

 Well 2023 was certainly a year of ups & downs - mostly downs in the latter part...

I learned more about other people and how they can be a lot more complicated than they appear - and in the process I learned more about myself. Including that apparently (to quote a song written by Lemmy) "I ain't no nice guy after all"

"My shine wore off as time wore on" Ain't that the truth... ♠

That episode in the summer triggered another of my periods of self doubt and lack of confidence. It made me take a closer look at myself. Another thing I learned: On top of OCD (which I think I have had most my life without even realising it) I have now also discovered 'Imposter Syndrome' is a thing - a thing I seem to have.

For 2024: Press 'Control/Alt/Delete' to restart...

Sunday 11 June 2023

Pubs don't want to take my money!

It seems like an increasing number of pubs don't want my money. I went to the Good Mixer in Camden on Thursday night to see a band. No real ale available, or any other beer I particularly want to drink. I know at most dedicated live music venues and clubs this isn't unusual, but the Mixer is a pub that just has bands on sometimes. I guess they aren't that bothered about catering for my ale needs so I don't drink much in there.

On Friday I went to the Dublin Castle in Camden - a well known pub and music venue. There used to be three or four real ale pumps on the bar here - so at least I could usually get a pint of Trooper or similar, although the quality of the ales they served often wasn't good as the pub didn't seem to know how to look after them. Sadly the Dublin Castle has recently stripped out all the real ale pumps from it's bar, but at least I could still get a bottle of my old faithful standby - Newcastle Brown Ale. Now they even seem to have stopped serving that. I'd normally sink several pints in a night at the Dublin Castle, but on Friday I only bothered with one as there was really no beer in the pub that I really wanted to drink. They don't seem to be bothered about my custom so I don't bother to drink much these days when I'm there.

When I'm in Camden I like to drop into BrewDog before and after gigs. No real ales in there, but in spite of that they do always have a variety of tasty beers I actually want to drink. Not cheap, and the strongest beers aren't served in pints, but it's a handy port of call if I'm in a rush to get a couple of high strength liveners in before heading to a music venue where I might not drink at all due to the poor quality and high prices. I like to drop into BrewDog after gigs as well for a nice beer or two before jumping on the tube at nearby Camden Town station. However, although it's advertised as being open until midnight Thursday-Saturday it often seems to close earlier. More than once recently I've walked in there around 11.30 after a gig only to be refused service as the bar staff tell me they are closing. I have even gone there about 11.00 to find the place shut and all the lights out. Don't they want my money?

Last night I was planning to go to a gig in Greenwich - at a pub that apparently serves real ales. However, I found out too late that the band I wanted to see and I assumed were headlining were actually going on earlier than I expected. I realised that as it would probably take at least an hour and a half to get to the pub I was going to miss the band. So I'm showered and all dressed up with nowhere to go.

Disappointed but not wanting to put all that effort to waste on a hot summer night I decide on Plan B -  to take a late stroll down to my local. The Railway Bell seems an oddly run place at times. Tonight is one of them. This pub stays open until 1AM but rather bizarrely won't let anyone in after midnight - which means when I often get off the train at New Barnet virtually within sight of the pub around 11.58 I am denied admission by security to a pub which is still serving for another hour! This seems a strange policy as in the last hour of opening there are usually very few people in in the pub - in fact the number of security people present combined with the bar staff is around the same as the number of drinkers for the last hour so they can't be making any money. And yet they still won't let me in to contribute to the money taken at the bar. But last night shouldn't have been a problem as I rolled up around 11.00 - with two hours drinking time to go. When I tried to get in I found the doors were locked! The pub was obviously still open as I could see customers inside - although not many for a summer Saturday night. I point to my watch and try to have a conversation with a security guy through the window pane of the door which he won't open, but I can only hear him shouting that they are shut. At 11.00 on a Saturday night. Once again the Railway Bell doesn't seem to want my money.

Plan B has also fallen though. Disconsolately I turn round and start to walk home - all I wanted was a few beers in a pub on a hot Saturday night. There are actually three other pubs within a hundred yards, but one is a McMullens house and I don't like their ales, the other is expensive with ales that are average at best - plus I don't like it's 'sports bar' atmosphere, while the third is really expensive with ales that aren't as good as they used to be.

Then I realise High Barnet is only a short bus ride away and Ye Olde Mitre Inne is open until 1AM. I put Plan C into action and about ten minutes later I am in what is probably the best (and definitely the oldest) pub in Barnet and finally enjoying a pint of quality ale in a pub that actually want's my money.



Saturday 14 January 2023

14/1/2023 Electrics @ The Spice Of Life

It's years since I've been to The Spice of Life to see a band - this place is virtually a secret music venue in the heart of the West End. As you walk in at ground level it's largish bar with all the old pub character stripped out of it, but downstairs is an intimate bar and music venue. It's cheap to get in to see three or four bands, and the bar has real ales at surprisingly reasonable prices for the West End and it's tourist traps. It's only McMullens so the ale isn't up to much, but compared to what else is on offer in the area I'm not complaining.

It's only the second time time seen Electrics, although I think they have been going for several years. I saw them supporting Dirty Strangers at the Dublin Castle last year, and I think just missed their set when they previously supported the same band at the Mau Mau Bar a while back - it's a shame it's taken me so long to discover them.

It's dirty rock 'n' roll with a bit of a New York influence - via Portobello Road and Stonebridge Park. There is a distinct punk edge and attitude - with song titles like 'No Shit'.
Electrics are good musicians with some catchy and memorable songs - I shall definitely be going to see them again...

Next up are Pseudonym. A band with a decent frontman playing generic indie rock. Decent enough musicians, but not much in the way of memorable songs.
Final band of the night is Alphawaves. The frontman appears to be trying to be a more rock 'n' roll version of Van Morrison - and like 'Van the man' seems to maybe take himself a little too seriously. He's a good guitarist and makes an effort to 'perform', but the music isn't in the same class as the pop/rock classics of the 1960's onward that he seems to be trying to emulate.
I give Alphawaves a chance and watch them for a few songs, but don't stay to the end and wander back upstairs with my drink. Soon afterwards I ironically find myself up the road in another pub that used to be the Marquee Club.


Saturday 7 January 2023

7/1/2023 The Boys, The Vulz, & Continental Lovers @ The 100 Club

Saturday night finds me back at the 100 Club for a pretty good bill. First up are the Continental Lovers - a band I finally saw for the first time at the Dublin Castle last summer. I thought they were pretty good and had a cool New York/punk/rock 'n' roll vibe going on, but could really use a second guitarist. They have since addressed that, and are definitely a better band as a result. Unfortunately the new guy is on the far side of the stage and can't be seen in my pictures, but he does bring some added depth to the sound..

Continental Lovers are finally the full package now with their expanded lineup - good songs and sound, plus image and stage presence.

The opening band are from Nottingham, but the second act hail from closer to home...

In fact The Vulz lead guitarist Gary Pearce actually resides in Barnet.

The Vulz are straightforward UK style old school punk and very entertaining.

Headliners The Boys are genuine punk originals from the first wave of UK punk, and one of the very first to release an album - their self titled debut had some great tunes and earned them the well deserved title 'the Beatles of punk'.

Although currently only featuring two original members they are still a good live band with a great back catalogue. At first glance it appeared they had comedian Bill Bailey on lead guitar - again on the far side of the stage so not really visible in my pictures...

Can you spot a member of the infamous Hollywood Brats and later the legendary London SS excitedly pointing at his former Brats bandmate keyboard player Casino Steel?

All in all another pretty good night out for a reasonable price at one of London's best music venues. 😊

Sorry about the even worse quality of my pictures than normal - my PC is currently refusing to load pictures into my usual software for editing for reasons unknown.😠