Halloween 2023

Plenty of trendy clubs and bars put on Halloween events at rip-off prices, but it's perfectly possible to go out locally instead to have spooky fun. 👻 Barnet's oldest and best pub Ye Olde Mitre Inne has a band on and it's free to get in with drinks at normal pub prices - what's not to like? 🎃

The band are local outfit Mary's Exit who play a variety of mostly rock covers. 🤘 They play in this pub now and then, but tonight have a Halloween theme. 😈

I really like their spooky pumpkin lights! 🎃

Halloween tends to bring out the Goths, and they are Only Happy When It Rains - so they would have enjoyed the weather on the way home.

Not being a Goth myself although many people have only ever seen me wearing black, I was less than impressed with the weather at the bus stop. I couldn't help noticing empty black tins of K 8.4% cider floating in the gutter - so hopefully some local Goths had a good night out. 💀 I certainly did

19/10/2023 Supersuckers & Warner E Hodges Band @ Islington Academy

What a bill - these two great bands on a co-headlining tour! 🤘😈 Needless to say I have been really looking forward to this gig. 😁 I'm not the only one - this is one of those shows when it seems like everyone is there. Well nearly.

The Warner E Hodges Band always put on a great show, but maybe on this tour even they may be having to raise their game to keep pace with the Lemmy approved ♠ Supersuckers. 🤘

But as ever, Warner & Co hit the ground running.

The (p)ace is high straight from the start, and so is the bass player - in a literal rather than chemically enhanced state!

Yes, I finally managed to do the (nearly) impossible and capture the elusive Jason 'jump shot' that only the terrific Trudi Knight can normally get!

As this is a 'duel headline' tour and both bands have a 'country' side to their rock/punk thing it is probably inevitable that there will be some overlap resulting in 'guest' appearances in each others sets...

...and this is exactly what happens as Supersuckers frontman Eddie Spaghetti joins Warner & Co.

And he is joined by Supersuckers guitarist 'Metal' Marty. 🤘

It really doesn't get much more rock 'n' roll than this. 😎🎸

Although the Warner E Hodges Band are classed as a 'Country-rock' band the emphasis is very much on the ROCK and Warner will tell you that his favourite ever band are AC🗲DC. And this is very much reflected in the music his band plays tonight - including one or two particularly good AC🗲DC covers. They have also been known to do a stunningly good version of Black Sabbath's 'War Pigs, but we don't get this tonight.

But that's not to say the band don't rock very hard indeed tonight because they do.

And if that wasn't enough rock 'n roll for you in one night (and to be fair that was worth the ticket price alone) then we next get "the greatest rock-n-roll band in the world, The Supersuckers". I think our Rolling Stones might take issue with that, but that's another story...

...However, I'm pretty sure the Stones have for many years not been capable of putting on a high powered performance like this. And the Rolling Stones might have the classic and very dark (dark enough to have been covered by Motorhead) 'Sympathy For The Devil' their brilliant Born With A Tail is right up there with the best ever 'Devil' songs. 😈 And with a twist of humour that Lemmy must have liked. 😉

As with their fellow country influenced co-headliners there are more guest appearances.

Warner, Jason Knight, and Ben Marsden from tonight's previous act return to join Supersuckers on the stage

Naturally as well as 'Born With A Tail' (their 'Ace Of Spades') we also get the 'hits' like 'The Evil Powers Of Rock 'N' Roll', 'Rock 'n' Roll Records (Ain't  selling this year)' , and 'Pretty Fucked Up' (which although a fan favourite I never liked has more resonance for me now)  and some newer songs which ain't bad - there's nothing not to like here.

All in all a top night both musically and socially. 😎😁😈

7/10/2023 Duncan Reid and the Big Heads - The Grand Finale @ The Lexington

A great night, but also a sad one. I have seen Duncan Reid and the Big Heads many times since I first saw them nearly ten years ago at Buffalo Bar in Highbury. There have been some lineup changes along the way, but Duncan has always had a really good band. And also some interesting guests popping up here and there - including ex-Hollywood Brats frontman Andrew Matheson. That band's song Sick On You was later covered by Duncan's old band The Boys on their first album and has been a mainstay of Duncan's set ever since he formed the Big Heads over ten years ago.

After many Big Heads tours in the UK, Europe, and as far away as South America, plus five studio and one live albums Duncan has decided it's finally time to retire from the music business. There are various reasons behind his decision - one of which was a surprising discovery he made about himself which changed the way he see's life. This is dealt with in some of the songs on the recently released, last, and probably best Big Heads album And It's Goodbye From Him. Duncan has taken the decision to bow out gracefully while he is still at the top of his game and still enjoying it rather than dragging things out for too long like some artists do. It's sad to see he is choosing to pack it in, but at least he is making the decision himself at a time of his own choosing - and I totally respect that.

There is quite an air of anticipation for tonight's sold out show at The Lexington. We know the band will be great, and we know the songs will be great too. Unlike my pictures.🙄 The venue was full and I just wanted to enjoy what I knew would be a special show and enjoy the moment instead of fannying about with my phone camera. 😕 Duncan and band hit the stage running and the energy level is high from the start. Mostly tonight we get the 'classic' later lineup of the band with Sophie Powers driving things along with her high power rhythm guitaring and Nick Hughes cranking out most the lead and solo stuff, plus Karen Jones pounding away on the drums, and of course Duncan on bass and lead vocals.

I was hoping Andrew Matheson might make an appearance, but Duncan told me later that he has been ill recently. Needless to say we still got a great version of 'Sick On You' though. As usual we also got Boys classics 'Soda Pressing' which this band always do a particularly great version of. And also from the Boys first album the brilliant 'First Time'. Both those songs have featured in probably every Big Heads show I have ever seen,  but Duncan has no shortage of great original songs of his own - as heard on all five Big Heads albums. He obviously learned a lot about catchy tuneful songwriting from his time in The Boys - not for nothing were they known as 'The Beatles of Punk'.

The current Big Heads lineup is supplemented mid set by the addition of Heidi Cotton on guitar as she contributed to the final album. The atmosphere in The Lexington is terrific and the setlist packed with really great songs. Although I have all the band's albums I actually much prefer hearing the songs live rather than on CD.  As always Duncan Reid and the Big Heads deliver a strong and energetic performance of well crafted pop/punk numbers - there really is nothing not to like - apart from a tinge of sadness at knowing this probably really is the 'last time'. No more albums, and no more live shows. I ask Duncan afterwards if this really is the end - or could there possibly be the odd live show in the future if he feels he is missing performing? He wouldn't be drawn - apart from to say something along the lines of 'never say never', but he said it was unlikely. He seemed happy though, and content to draw a line at this point - so don't hold your breath... And he really did go out while still at the top of his game.

So I headed home a little sad at the thought of never seeing another Duncan Reid and the Big Heads show, but I will always have great memories of the live shows, and I still have all the albums to listen to any time I want. 😀

I am cheered up slightly on the way hope by seeing some of these chaps scurrying about on the tube station platform - does the Victoria Line have more mice than other lines for some reason?