29/7/2023 BelleFest @ The Underworld

This is a difficult one. The late Belle Star was a much loved and respected figure on our underground rock scene in  London: Drummer, mixer, producer, and DJ - he was great at all these things. His sudden loss was totally unexpected and came as a shock to our scene. Some people just knew Belle as a DJ - particularly at the Glam club Decadence, but he wore many hats. I knew him best as a musician and saw him in a quite a few different bands over the years - mostly in Lilygun and Maleficent in more recent times, and last in Bexatron. The latter band evolved into Glitter Kick who were his current musical focus and he had recently finished recording their debut album. Sadly he died before playing his first show with this new band, but he had finished recording his drum tracks. As well as his renowned skills behind the drum kit he was also an excellent sound engineer with a very good ear for getting a good mix.

Belle was a charismatic and popular figure on London's underground Glam Rock scene - and also a very glamorous figure in his own right - if he was in a room everyone would notice! He was well known for his strength and having a very loud snare drum sound, but also as a very nice and kind man - I have never heard anyone say a bad word about him. He will be greatly missed by many and his family and friends have arranged this event at a tribute to him.

Opening the evening were the wonderful Glitter Kick. Formed from the ashes of Bexatron. who also featured Greg and Belle later to form Glitter Kick. They were a fun band who I only saw once at the New Cross Inn but wanted to see again. Sadly they split up before I managed to as singer Bex decided she didn't want to do it any more. So the remaining members got a new singer called Roxi who I had seen a few times in the past fronting a band called The Transmitters. They rebranded as Glitter Kick and seemed to be about to step up to the next level. An album was recorded - with Belle recording and mixing as well as playing the drums. Then, before the band could play their first gig tragedy struck. And now with tragic irony Glitter Kick play their first ever live show without and as a tribute to their much loved drummer.

There is an unknown dep drummer, and no one I speak to seems to know who the extra singer is or why he is there. He seems totally superfluous and totally upstages Roxi - who is more than capable of fronting a band on her own.

Glitter Kick turn in a good performance - in spite of their extra member distracting from what they are really about. 

They are an excellent live act with a good selection of catchy pop/rock tunes and also an entertaining and engaging singer.

I very much look forward to hearing the band's completed album featuring Belle on drums - which has apparently already been recorded...

Next up are another (of many) bands of which Belle has been a part of.

Dark. Heavy. Goth. This is Nosferatu.🦇

Next things take on a different but very London vibe.

Flash Mob consist mostly of members of the infamous King Lizard and feature many faces well known from London's trashy Sleaze Rock scene of the first ten years of this century. We got a few minutes of rock mayhem and chaos - exactly as expected!

 

After the previous carnage things calm down with Anna Christina along with David Ryder Prangley of Rachel Stamp performing a touching acoustic song specially written as a tribute to their friend Belle.

Things soon get louder again when Belle's former band Killing Miranda take to the stage.

Their fearsome Goth/Industrial Metal noise blasts out into the confines of The Underworld and the band appear to be taking no prisoners.

Next on the stage it's David Ryder Prangley & Friends.

Many of whom are familiar, and some less so.

And finally DRP returns to the stage again with the band he is most associated with - Rachel Stamp.

I can think of no finer act to pay tribute to Belle - even though he wasn't actually in this band...

...but this band's drummer Robin Guy and Belle were great friends who often helped each other out with gear issues and depped for each other at gigs.

Rachel Stamp are a flamboyant and gripping live act with some banging pop/rock tunes.

I think Belle would have been proud and happy to see this big sendoff from his many friends.

A fine finale and salute to the much loved Belle Star - he will be greatly missed.

23/7/2023 Pump It Up! Powerpop weekender @ The Finsbury. Day 2

So, back on Sunday for for final day of the Pump It Up! weekender. This time I manage to see all the bands. First up are The Stayawakes.

Bouncy New Wave style powerpop from a bunch of guys who look the sort of age to be playing plodding blues in pubs, but bring something original and different to the stage instead.

Next are Spearside who look like the might be a Thin Lizzy cover band but definitely aren't. They do rock a bit harder than yer average powerpop band though.

Next up are Nervous Twitch - I think a husband and wife team who dish up the most interesting and original act so far. A bit of a rockabilly twist to bouncy pop tunes.

Things change again for the next band - all the way from Sweden. 

Psychotic Youth aren't actually very youthful and have been going for many years, but turn in by far the most powerful and energetic performance of the day.

This is by far the most full-on rock 'n' roll set of the day. Although they are from Sweden this band is so good I am surprised I can't remember ever having heard of them before. They seem to have brought quite a crowd here to see them and I would definitely like to see them again. It's very rare to see guys of this age play with such passion and commitment - like they really mean it. They leave most younger bands for dead.

Another big change for the next band. Fast Cars are another band I'm amazed I've never heard of before, although I think they have played at a previous Pump It Up! event. The guys from Some Weird Sin are incredibly good at finding 'the best bands you've never heard of' for their weekenders.

They play catchy tuneful punk inspired but more New Wave powerpop that fits in well with the theme of these events. Excellent hook filled songs that like the previous band leave me wondering how they slipped under my radar first time round...

Finishing proceedings off this weekend is another band I think have played at a previous Pump It Up event.

The #1s hail come from Ireland and seem to have brought a sizable crowd along with them. Their bouncy catchy and enthusiastically played pop/punk songs defy current fashion along with their image - things I suspect they never gave a thought to 'cos they just wanna have fun playing music for their mates.

The Undertones are an obvious influence although they play their own original material. However, they do make a basic schoolboy error when they invite one of their aforementioned mates onto the stage to sing the Undertones classic 'Teenage Kicks'. Said mate is obviously very very pissed and barely capable of standing - let alone performing a song - even one as gloriously simple as 'Teenage Kicks' which is basically just the same verse/chorus repeated. He can't remember all the words or when to come in or stop singing - chaos descends and things go downhill rapidly from there....

Apart from the shambolic 'Teenage Kicks' it's been a great day/night and all the bands have been quality acts that bring something new and different to the table - even if they may not actually be new. But all the bands have been worth watching, and as usual for a Pump It Up! weekender I have discovered new (to me) bands I would like to see again. Sadly this is almost certainly going to be the last ever of these events. Apparently it's become increasingly difficult to make these shows viable - Covid 19 and the resulting lockdowns really took the wind out of the sails of the live music scene. Many clubs and music venues have closed for good and it has been very difficult to regain the momentum the scene used to have. Prices have greatly increased and a lot of people have just got out of the habit of going to to pubs or to see live music. Also, these weekender events featuring many bands (many from abroad)  are now even more difficult to organise than before - with bands often dropping out and being difficult to replace at short notice. And Brexit hasn't helped either with getting bands in from abroad as things have now got a lot more difficult and complicated. And these events are completely organised and run by just two people! So hats off to Simon and Mauro from Some Weird Sin club nights for managing to keep things going for a long as they have over the years at various venues. But although this may be the last ever Pump It Up! weekender their club nights featuring DJs and bands still take place regularly...

22/7/2023 Pump It Up! Powerpop weekender @ The Finsbury. Day 1

I always enjoy these events put on by the guys from the Some Weird Sin club. This year their Pump It Up! powerpop weekender is taking place at The Finsbury pub in Manor House.

It's a nice little music venue almost next door to Manor House tube station - so it's easy to get to for a lot of people. There are usually some decent real ales on draught - a bit pricey, but as it can take an incredibly long time to get served at the bar you won't spend as much as you probably would if you could get served quickly... Fortunately I'm here for the music not the beer. The back room where the bands play has a decent stage, but no bar.

For reasons I can't remember (probably me being a disorganised idiot who can't get his shit together) I miss the first band Continental Quilts - but knowing this event's previous track record I'm sure they were good. But I do see some cool 1970's style punky NYC style rock 'n' roll from BBQT.

'And now for something completely different' as they used to say in Monty Python. This is Food Fight and they are from France. I had no idea what to expect from them but they were really good! I think they take their influences from the geeky side of late 1970's British punk and New Wave and have really good catchy pop songs. They reminded me of the Undertones and Buzzcocks.

Their image was pretty weird - I don't know if they were being 'ironic' or whether that sort of thing is or ever was cool in France? One thing is for sure though - it really made them stand out from the crowd. And that is important if you want to get people's attention or to be remembered. I don't think a lot of bands get this. But in this case the band's performance and songs were excellent and left me wanting to see them again.

Next up was something also rather different to anything else to be found in this current scene. I have known singer Jimmy for many years from his old band Anglo/Italian punkers The Roolettes and later GABBA so I was interested to see what he is up to now. The band name Young Francis Hi Fi is confusing and doesn't give you any clue what to expect. So I wasn't expecting what appeared to be a bunch of 1980's NWoBHM relics wearing badge and patch festooned denim cut-off battle jackets to clamber onto the stage! Double denim? Yes!

Then when they unleashed their uncompromising aural assault on us I got another surprise - they sound absolutely nothing like they look! Irony seems to be alive and well in Manor house tonight, but they sounded fantastic! Instead of 80's metal they blasted us with fast and furious tuneful punk rock. A definite Ramones influence, but I'll never have a problem with that. This was the most fun band of the day.

Then next we again get something completely different, but still something very much influenced by bands of the band. But this time it predates punk and hints at bands like The Faces and 1970's Glam rock. And also the 1980's as band leader Marc Valentine was also in Last Great Dreamers - peers of The Quireboys, but a band who never quite got they breaks they deserved at the time and disappeared into oblivion. Until 2014, but that's another story....

After reforming, touring and releasing more well received albums Last Great Dreamers went on hiatus while Marc and guitarist Slyder took time to record solo albums and tour with their own bands. Marc has been the most prolific of the pair and put an excellent band together. Although this is a rock band, Marc has a good ear for writing a catchy pop tune while also being a charismatic frontman. This is quality stuff.

Fittingly today's final band are The Speedways - a band featuring Some Weird Sin club's Mauro Venegas on guitar and were only originally put together for a one-off show as a previous Pump It Up! event. But went on to play many gigs and record some albums.

The Speedways are a really good powerpop band with excellent stage presence and a bunch of tuneful and catchy songs. Well worth catching them if you get the chance.

So that was fun! Back for more of the same tomorrow...

14/7/2023 Seeds of 77 + Queenie and the Peanuts + Electrics @ The Hope & Anchor

And Friday night is 'The New Saturday night. So I find myself at the Hope & Anchor - which is a good place to be on a Friday night. Especially when 🗲Electrics🗲 are playing!

This lot can always liven things up with their 'jagged rock 'n' roll'© 😉

They are a West London band with a punk edge and snotty attitude.

Although they are from London there is a definite New York influence - particularly Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers.

Along with the snotty attitude there are some memorable tunes.

There is a certain commitment to their performance - they are doing this because they love it, not because of any interest in 'making it'.

Some interesting and less than radio friendly song titles from 🗲Electrics🗲.

Next up are Queenie and the Peanuts.

1970's style UK punk rock.

Then it's something darker and sleazier from Seeds of 77.

A more exotic feel and a bit of a New York vibe from this lot.

Like the other bands tonight Seeds of 77 have a punk feel without the obvious in your face cliches of the studded leather jackets and Mohican brigade.

An interesting and varied night at a venue with a strong connection to punk rock history.

13/7/2023 The Priscillas @ The Hope & Anchor

 Thursday night is the new 'Friday Night' - continued...

The Priscillas are always loads of fun - especially when you see them in a venue like this! The Holloway Road and Islington area is very much their home turf - so much that they wrote a song called 'All The Way To Holloway' about exactly that area.

This is definitely one of the most entertaining bands in the area - and London as a whole. A bit of a 1950s/'60s sound, but with a 1970s punk rock attitude.

You really can't go to a Priscillas show and not have a good time!

This is a shorter post than usual. The truth is that I am writing this so long after the actual event that I can hardly remember anything about the night, although the pictures show that I was actually there. Also, there are some bands that I have now seen so many times (often in the same venues) that it is difficult to write anything fresh about them without repeating what I have written before. 

9/7/2023 Back in Hornsey yet again.

Only a few weeks since I was here for a similar event, but a sudden spur of the moment decision on a Sunday afternoon  brings me back again.

A day of quality live music in London doesn't have to be expensive. In fact it can be virtually free - a possible charity donation if you want, but no pressure. Plus whatever you choose to spend on food and drink - either in the adjacent pub, or you are free to bring your own. You never know - the sun may even come out too! 😎 If your musical tastes include blues/rock/soul then these free events in North London might be for you.

It's always a really relaxed and friendly atmosphere here.

A totally unique setting with an interesting history There is plenty to see if you choose to wander around the churchyard and surrounding area between the musical acts.

And you can also visit the adjacent pub for a break and some refreshment. The pub is happy to let visitors to music events over the road use their toilets as well - just as well as there are no facilities in the church grounds.

The Great Northern Railway Tavern is quite welcoming and has an excellent range of ales! If I need to pop in to use the toilet I think it's only polite to buy a drink to show my appreciation. Well that's my excuse anyway - do the right thing. 😉🍺

The pub has some interesting features and is largely unspoilt - something that is rare these days. And back to the music...

And back to the pub - this stuff is nice!

And more music....

...Back to the pub...

Nice relaxing surroundings in an old pub that has managed to retain some of it's character.

These summer events at St Mary's Clock Tower are a tribute to local blues musician Jimmy C. His band the Blues Dragons play here with a variety of special guests to perform some blues and rock standards, along with some of Jimmy's original songs. Probably the most interesting and moving of these has a strong local connection - it's about two people who are actually buried in this churchyard.

Jimmy's song 'Jacob Walker' tells a fascinating and touching true story concerning a grave that can be found only a few yards away from the spot the song is being performed.

There are information boards around the churchyard telling the story of the old church of which only the clock tower remains - and also some of the graves to be found nearby - including the story of Jacob Walker as told in the song...

Another interesting and enjoyable afternoon spent in Hornsey. Back to the pub to use their 'facilities' and 'one for the road'. Well one for the rails actually as Hornsey station on the Great Northern main line is almost next door. Will I be able to resist popping into the pub within sight of New Barnet station when I get off the train? 🚆🍺