24/3/2006 The Texas Chainsaw Travelling Horror Picture Show

Subject	The Texas Chainsaw Travelling Horror Picture Show
PostedDate	3/24/2006 4:14:00 PM
	Once again I am faced with a gig clash!  This time the gigs I want to go to aren't both in Camden, although they aren't that far apart. I quite fancied going to 'Hotter Than Hell' at the Purple Turtle as there were some decent bands on there - Mad Dogs & Glory had been particularly recommended to me and I'd seen Nothin' To Lose and King Lizard before and wouldn't mind seeing them again. I knew there would be plenty of people there I knew which is always a bonus, but I'd already promised some people I would be going to see the Texas Chainsaw Travelling Horror Picture Show at The Dome in Tufnel Park. I had hoped maybe I could do the two gigs in one night thing again and catch the better bands at each show, but a bit of research into stage times showed this to be impossible.  I arrived at the Boston Arms in Tufnel Park around the time the Urban Voodoo Machine were supposed to be onstage. However, upon paying in and getting myself a pint there was little sign of anyone taking to the stage and no sign of Gary from Plan A - the only person I would recognise from the band.  The only thing I recognised was a 'robot' on the stage which I had seen with another band upstairs at The Garage last year - rather good from what I remember... On enquiring at the door about Urban Voodoo Machine and if they were running late I discovered that I was in the wrong place!  I hadn't realised that there are actually two live music venues at the Boston Arms - and I was in the wrong one!  I was informed that the show I wanted to be at was round the corner. Fortunately I got my money back, but had to down my pint on the spot before getting to where I intended to be. About 20 minutes after Urban Voodoo Machine were supposed to take to the stage I finally find myself in the right room. Fortunately for me things are running late and I arrive just as the previous act are finishing. Although I had heard of the band because Gary the Plan A drummer was playing with them, I had absolutely no idea what to expect as MySpace is refusing to let me listen to any music on band's pages at the moment.  I guessed due to the nature of the event they would be old style rock 'n' roll of some description, and at least in that respect I was right. There were eight people on stage with Urban Voodoo Machine - including two drummers! There were also horns and a stand-up double bass. This was raw 50's style rock 'n' roll with a New Orleans twist - and pretty good it was too.  The guitar playing frontman looked very familiar from the Camden underground rock 'n' roll scene and I've seen him playing with Daryl Bath (in Barnet of all places) in the past as well although I can't put a name to the face. This band were a damn fine start to the evening and there was always something different happening onstage as band members switched instruments. After an entertainingly rude and bloody cabaret horror style intermission and a gory short film called 'Jack The Ripper' featuring the next band and one of their songs, the Vincent Razorbacks took to the stage. They kickstarted things with a very 1950's style full on rock 'n' roll set. This was high octane stuff with shades of punk attitude and some heavier guitar work than you'd have ever heard back in the '50s. Good stuff!  Between each band we were treated to a variety of dark cabaret style entertainment - not unlike a more evil Suicide Girls show - with added blood in addition to girls wearing little to virtually nothing. I thought the £12 on the door was a little steep at first, but I had to admit we were certainly given good value for money with the wide variety of dark and sleazy entertainment on offer in addition to some hot rock 'n' roll from the bands. Next band was the particularly evil rock 'n' roll of Lucifer Star Machine.  They did a good job of stirring up the crowd, although I was a bit taken aback by the sight of their previously bequiffed singer with a now shaven head and big black shades looking like a 1950's Rob Halford! The final act was the Reverend Johnny with his preaching and attempts to save our evil souls - particularly the girls! He was backed in his efforts by a mean rock 'n' roll band as he 'redeemed' a (very) scantily clad young lady in need of 'saving' by tying her to a cross. He was assisted by a wide variety of scantily clad (or unclad) young ladies in fetish style costumes. All this carried on til well after midnight, and then we had DJs playing all sorts of rock 'n' roll until around 3 in the morning. The crowd thinned a bit after the midnight hour, which at least made it easier to get a drink - a task which was bloody difficult earlier in the evening.  A bottle of Newcastle Brown was reasonably priced which made a nice change in a music venue though.  All in all a pretty good evening of hot rock 'n' roll and evil and twisted entertainment.