2/4/2009 Roxville, Livid, Kitty Hudson & The Erotics @ The Gaff

Subject	Roxville, Livid, Kitty Hudson & The Erotics @ The Gaff
PostedDate	4/2/2009
	Thursday night and I find myself at what has become one of my favourite small venues - The Gaff in Holloway Road. This is one of the very few venues where real ale is available on tap, although the quality of the Bombardier on offer leaves a bit to be desired.  On paper this is another pretty good bill from Pure Rawk promotions at a bargain price on the door. The first band on are Roxville. They are a new name to me, although apparently they are fairly local. Although they look fairly generic, they actually turn out to be rather good. They play classic hard rock in quite an 'in your face' way. I'm glad I've seen this band and will be looking out for them in future. Next up are Livid. I've seen these lads from Stoke-on-Trent once before and been very impressed, so I was looking forward to seeing them again. They don't disappoint! Style wise they offer nothing new - in fact they look more to the classic bands of the 70's. Imagine if you could see Aerosmith covering Led Zeppelin songs (or vice-versa) but without actually sounding like either band. The thing is - they do it really well. Their frontman has the style and charisma of Stephen Tyler, but with a soaring voice to match Plant or Gillan. The lead guitarist just drips Joe Perry cool and has a great sound. Livid don't play in London very often. Most other London hard rock or retro bands should be very grateful for this, because Livid leave them for dead and would blow them right off any stage they shared with them. They really are that good live.  Third band tonight has rather a different vibe to the previous couple - this is south London's always fired up and rocking Kitty Hudson. They don't play north of the river very often - and most other London punk/rock 'n' roll bands should be grateful for this, because Kitty Hudson have better songs than almost all other rock  bands in London of any genre. They play their short sharp set with real passion - their music is dirty and raw, but packed full of catchy hooks that would put most bands you hear on the radio to shame. Of course radio won't touch them as they don't conform to this year's 'in' look or sound - but I doubt Kitty Hudson give a shit. As well as a load of great songs of their own like 'M.I.A.' and 'Everyone Loves You When You're Dead' (including a swipe at the whole Jade Goody phenomenon in it's introduction), they also throw in a cool cover of the Heartbreakers 'I Wanna Be Loved'. I wish Kitty Hudson would venture north of the river more often.  I mentioned earlier that this was a pretty good bill 'on paper'. This is where it all falls apart.  For the second time in about a year I see a touring 'headline' act from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean totally blown off the stage by the other bands on the bill. Even new local act Roxville were much more professional than The Erotics tonight. Apparently the boys from over the pond had been drinking heavily beforehand - probably not the best of ideas before their opening show of the tour. Anyway, that's my job!  It's not the band's first visit to the UK, and an experienced international touring band really should know better than to get hammered before the show.  They don't sound very together when they start the first song - and halfway through it the bass player's guitar cuts out. (this later turns out to have been his own fault due to 'finger trouble') He throws a prima donna rock star hissy fit mid-song and takes his guitar off and slams it into the stage really hard. It breaks. He doesn't have a spare. And it's only the first song of the first show of the tour. Kitty Hudson's bass player saves their sorry undeserving arses by lending them his guitar. They are lucky anyone was prepared to chance lending them anything after that.  It doesn't get much better thereafter. The songs are nothing like as good as the previous band, and the singer has a shit voice. The current album they are touring to promote is called 'Rubbish'. Their set tonight was 'rubbish' too. People expect more of a band that travel all the way from the USA - they expect them to actually be good - especially if they are the headline act. Tonight the Erotics were easily the worst and least professional band on the bill - they deserved to go on first instead of last. Even my camera batteries cried enough halfway through their set and I had to take pictures on my phone instead. Things did improve briefly when Richie Hudson joined the Erotics for an AC/DC cover - once again Kitty Hudson propping this hapless mob up. Once again, an undeserving 'headline' act from the USA has shown why after many years they are still playing tiny half full venues... In spite of the headliners shambolic and unprofessional performance I still had a good night as the other bands on the bill made up for it - I'll definitely be going to see them again. I don't think I'd cross the street to see The Erotics though, as there are far better bands than them playing regularly in toilets all over London. I'm told the Erotics got their act together for their next show in Nottingham and were much better. It's a pity the journalists from a well known rock magazine were at the London show instead of that one...

PS: This venue is now closed.