9/9/2021 The Wildhearts @ The Electric Ballroom

It's a long time since The WiLDHEARTS played in Camden but the Electric Ballroom seems exactly the right place to be seeing them.

The band really have been on a roll for the last couple of years;  After getting bassist Danny McCormack back in the band - something many fans thought would never happen, in 2019 they put out one of the best ever albums with 'Renaissance Men'. The band have been in top form with their live shows since then, and now they have followed up with their new '21st Century Love Songs' album - which like it's predecessor has some absolutely banging songs.

The band remain on top form tonight, and despite Covid there is an excellent turnout. And as usual at a Wildhearts show the atmosphere is terrific. There are a good few new and nearly new songs in the set to keep things fresh, and some old favourites that have been played at nearly every gig for years are being rested to avoid them getting stale. It's a great night, and one of those gigs that (nearly) everyone is at. Just as it should be.

29/8/2021 Little Gransden Air Display

The Little Gransden Air and Car Show didn't take place in 2020 due to Covid. When I attended the previous year (see my earlier post) is was probably the hottest day of the year, and having no motorcycle at the time I was forced to come by car - at least the car's SatNav made this place easy to find as it's in the middle of nowhere! Two years later and things are different: I have another motorcycle - easily the best mode of travel to an event like the - apart from flying of course! Unfortunately the weather isn't as good as last time - cloudy and colder, but dry.

Like these rare Mk 1 Hurricanes some of the aircraft are familiar.

And some aren't - like this Stinson Reliant.

Another communications/liason aircraft - an Auster.

Training aircraft were represented by this North American Havard.

And also from the same stable the North American P-51 Mustang.

These were once a very familiar sight in these Cambridgeshire skies.

Unlike at Duxford you can get much closer to the aircraft at Little Gransden.

There were plenty of other interesting aircraft, but some of them flew in from elsewhere and performed a display then flew back home without landing - like the de Havilland Comet racer. It wasn't worth trying to take pictures of anything in the air with my non-telephoto lens equipped digicam or phone.

I was standing right behind this Hurricane when it started up - it blew my hat off and I had to run quite a long way to retrieve it!

Not as memorable an event as two years ago, but well worth a ride out into the wilds of Cambridgeshire - the atmosphere is far more informal and relaxed than the much bigger events at places like Duxford. It's not just an air display - it's a whole family day out experience with plenty of stalls selling stuff, a live band playing in one of the hangers, and also a car and motorcycle show - most of the cars seeming to be Mustangs old and new. Here's hoping for more of everything in 2022...

27/8/2021 The Phobics @ The Birds Nest

Bloody hell - I'm south of the river! This venue once hosted shows by local acts Dire Straits and Squeeze in their early days, but this pub had another name back then. Today it's hosting another local act fronted by punk legend Tom Crossley - as well as fronting The Phobics for many years and playing every shithole in town he has also appeared in a TV advert - as himself. So he might look familiar even if you have never seen his band. Not only that, but another band have even written a song about him and his famous white shoes!

The event is part of the five day punk festival 'Nestival' at the Birds Nest pub in Deptford. There are over 30 bands playing.

Tom is a particular fan of the legendary Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers and their iconic 'L.A.M.F.' album - he is a man of great taste. And also remembers and namechecks an infamous London band from the 1980's who's guitarist is in another of the bands appearing today - a band I also happen to be in - which explains why I have made the long journey from North London to Deptford as we are also playing today. But that's another story, and no one is interested in all that shit...

14/8/2021 The Blues Dragons @ St Mary's Tower

It's a year since I saw Jimmy C & The Blues Dragons at this wonderful venue, and since then things have changed. A lockdown has come and gone, and Jimmy C has gone too. He was taken from us earlier in 2021 - not by Covid but by cancer. Little did I realise when I saw him play here with the Blues Dragons last August that he was already ill. He didn't let it show, and his trademark smile and curls were as captivating as ever. He touched a lot of people with his lively performances over the years.

Fortunately the weather is being kind to us today, and many people have come out to pay tribute to Jimmy along with his former bandmates and some guest performers.

More normally seen behind the drumkit in the Blues Dragons (as well as with Toyah back in the day) Stevie Bray takes to the mic to sing some songs in tribute to his old bandmate.

Stevie gets back behind the kit and another guest vocalist steps up to the plate. Max Edwards of Lord Algae takes a turn on bass/vox later but I didn't get any pictures this time.

The old Blues Dragons rhythm section of Paul Soper on bass and Stevie Bray on drums is reunited - it's good to see these guys playing together again, if in sad circumstances.

It's good to know that even though Jimmy isn't around any more, these events are going to carry on - both to raise money for cancer charities and to keep Jimmy's legacy alive. He will be missed by many.

6/8/2021 A visit to the RAF Museum

Not content with seeing a load of Spitfires on Wednesday, on Friday I go and see a few more of them - locally this time. The RAF Museum in Hendon currently has four Spitfires on display; from an early Battle of Britain era Mk 1, to the ultimate Spitfire the mighty Mk24.

This beast produced well over 2000 BHP and was capable of at least 440 MPH.

However, on this occasion I was particularly interested in seeing the Hawker Typhoon - recently returned from a visit to Canada.

For some reason the 2x20mm cannon are missing from the port wing, although they appear to be fitted on the starboard side.

This is the only example of the aircraft to survive in the entire world so it is particularly special and I am glad to see it back on display.

Admission to this excellent museum is free and as it's only a few minutes ride away I try to visit every year. It's always interesting as things are often being changed around with new aircraft being added or swapped with ones held in store.

4/8/2021 IWM Flying Day @ Duxford

Time to get on the bike for a nice trip out into the country - it's SO much better than the car for this sort of day out. This event isn't one of the well known big weekend air displays at this famous Battle of Britain airfield - this is a much less formal midweek 'Flying Day' run by the Imperial War Museum who own the airfield and have an outpost of the museum on site. These less publicised events showcase some of the IWM's airworthy aircraft, and some owned by other organisations also based here.

There are less aircraft flying than at the big displays, but the entrance price is also a lot lower - and still includes admission to the museum hangers which are full of aviation treasures in addition to the many museum aircraft parked outside. Interestingly, this is the only place I have had to show proof of Covid vaccinations on admission - even though the event is outdoors and there are no crowds!

All the aircraft pictured here could be seen flying - in the air where they belong, not gathering dust in a museum.

The weather was perfect, both for the ride to and from the airfield, and also the event itself. It was much less crowded than the big displays here - still well attended, but with a much more relaxed atmosphere.

The Spitfire and Hurricanes are rare Mk 1 versions and actually flew in the Battle of Britain - these aircraft are living history.

In addition to the aircraft to be seen flying on the day, there are more Hurricanes and Spitfires than you can shake a stick at to be found tucked away in the hangers - and most of them are airworthy.

The museum at Duxford is well worth a visit in it's own right even on a non flying day. Duxford is still an active airfield and many privately owned historic aircraft are based there, along with many in the process of either being restored for the museum or restored to full flight status - so you may well see activity on the airfield itself or aircraft being test flown. The American Air Museum on site is also worth a visit on it's own. It's not all aviation related either - there is the Land Warfare Hall to visit if tanks are more your sort of thing, and on some days you can even see some of them in action outside. There is a great deal to see even if there is no flying going on.

30/7/2021 The Needful Things + The Oblivion Kids @ The Black Heart

Summer is here and on the pub and gig scene things are finally at least starting to get back to what used to pass for 'normal' - whatever that was...

So I find myself back in Camden for the first time in nearly 18 months - going to an actual music venue. But not without one or two liveners up the road in BrewDog first - I have largely stopped drinking in music venues now due to the bar prices and poor quality beer. Suitably refreshed it's back down the road to the Black Heart - a nice little music venue, but no longer a good place to drink - and the unisex toilets there are dire too. However, tonight there are two excellent bands to tempt me. The first might look familiar even if their name isn't.

This is The Oblivion Kids. They take their name from a song by the Last Great Dreamers. In fact this band is essentially Last Great Dreamers playing as a 3 piece without guitarist and lead vocalist Marc Valentine who is having to take time out from the band for health reasons. Lead guitarist Slyder now steps forward to take over vocal duties - and does a pretty good job of it. Slyder has changed his image slightly, and the guitar sound is harder and heavier. The set is mostly Last Great Dreamers songs, but not all the more familiar ones, although one or two of the 'hits' do make it into the setlist. The band work well as a power trio, but you do definitely have the feeling something is missing - as indeed it is. This is effectively the rest of the band keeping their hand in until Marc's eventual return...

There are familiar faces in tonight's headline band too, although this is a new band - even if the material isn't. Actually, I haven't seen some of these guys for so long and their image has changed so much that when I see them before the show I have difficulty even recognising them.

The Needful Things are a bunch of guys from other now defunct bands formerly well known on the underground scene - a bunch of mates who thought it would be fun to pool their resources and old setlists from their previous bands and go out on tour just for fun. And guess what? It is fun!

The singer is 'Hilda' from the infamous Drugdealer*Cheerleader and Waterbratz. He looks like he's really missed being on a stage fronting a band. Lead guitarist Ben Marsden formerly of The Main Grains and currently The Spangles is no slouch on 6 string duties and more recently has been recording and touring with the Warner E. Hodges Band. Sadly his 'Van Halen guitar' only lasted one song before breaking.

Fortunately he had his trusty Gibson ES-335 on hand - a proper rock & roll guitar!

Bass duties are taken up by Rob Lane AKA Laney 74 formerly of Teenage Casket Company, DIP, BulletBoys, and even Let Loose - plus touring/depping with many other bands. In recent years he has been playing with Ryan Hamilton & The Harlequin Ghosts.

Also featured are guitarist A.J. and drummer Chris Reed from New Generation Superstars.

Together they are the self styled "Greatest Underground Supergroup EVER!" and play songs from all the bands they are best known from.

Even if you aren't that familiar with these guys and their previous bands you can be sure that you will be well entertained by The Needful Things and see some guys who are well known on the underground rock 'n' roll scene for good reason - even if not while in this band. Yet. And you will also see a bunch of friends who are out performing for the right reasons - to have fun.

It was great to see some of the regular old faces from London's live music scene in the crowd - people I haven't seen for about two years. This isn't just about the music - it's also about socialising and having a life. For nearly two years now many of us have just been existing, surviving, but not living. Now maybe we can finally start living again.

It looks like live music is coming back - enjoy it while you can, because it may not last. Now is the time to get back to supporting live bands and music venues. They have both been really struggling for well over a year and some have already fallen by the wayside.

As long as there is an audience the show can and will go on - but you need to be there if our rock 'n roll culture is going to survive...