15/10/2010 King Salami & The Cumberland 3 + Pussycat & the Dirty Johnsons @ The Gaff

Subject	King Salami & The Cumberland 3/Pussycat & the Dirty Johnsons @ The Gaff
PostedDate	10/15/2010
	Friday night and I find myself back at The Gaff with it's fine selection of bottled ales. Well it's a fine selection to start with anyway, but later in the evening we have hammered it so hard that only the old standby Newcastle Brown is left.  Anyway, it's not just the beer that's rather fine tonight - so is the music!  Tonight The Gaff is graced with two of the best rock 'n' roll bands you've never heard of. Pussycat and the Dirty Johnsons are a lot of fun!  Musically, they are old school rock 'n' roll with a sound out of the 1950's - apart from their livewire feline singer who can't be pinned down to any particular timezone. Catwoman meets Tank Girl down the graveyard for a date with a zombie - and all Hell breaks loose! You can't not be entertained - but don't get too close 'cos this kitten's got claws! There's more old school proper rock 'n' roll to follow with King Salami & The Cumberland 3 This lot have replaced The DeRellas who were originally supposed to headline tonight. Again, the music is very much based in the 50's although the band's frontman certainly doesn't look like he's in a rock 'n' roll band! He looks like he's just got back from the beach is his very un-rock & roll shorts.  Only we're in Holloway Road, it's mid-October and there's a chill in the air. That said - King Salami is a very good frontman with a fine like in bullshit banter in the best blues/rock & roll tradition. And it doesn't hurt that he has a shit-hot retro rock 'n' roll band behind him in the form of the Cumberland 3.  I actually enjoy this band a lot more live than their recorded work on MySpace - they really are highly entertaining as well as sounding great! People moan a lot about ticket prices for gigs these days - maybe they are going to the wrong shows? Tonight we got two terrific rock 'n' roll bands at The Gaff for only a fiver, plus cheap drinks and a great atmosphere - you can keep all your 'corporate' venues, £4 pints, waiting ages to get served at the bar and queuing for a piss. Small venues like this are where I have my best nights out.

PS: This cool little venue is now closed.