16/10/2011Headcat & Ginger @ The Garage

Subject	Headcat & Ginger @ The Garage
DateCreated	11/11/2011 3:55:00 PM
PostedDate	11/12/2011 8:58:00 AM
	The Garage used to be one of my favourite venues. Not any more.  It's now far more 'corporate' since it's major refurb and is no longer a 'rock & roll' venue as far as I'm concerned.  It's too 'nice' inside these days for dirty rock music.  The bar prices have taken quite a hike since venue re-opened and it's now one of those venues where I just stay away from the bar and do my drinking elsewhere before/after the show.  However, if it wasn't for the corporate dirty dollar the place would probably have never re-opened, and it's still not as unpleasant a place to visit as the Underworld. And like the Underworld, if something special enough is happening I'll bite the bullet and go anyway. Tonight is one of those nights. I was really looking forward to finally getting the chance to see Headcat and bought a ticket months ago before the support act was announced. So it was quite a bonus to find Ginger added to the bill! Only acoustic mind, but Ginger is one of very few acts I will go and see in this guise. His shows are always entertaining, with plenty of witty banter as well as a load of great songs. For these gigs Ginger is joined by Chris Catalyst (Eureka Machines & Sisters Of Mercy) and Jon 'Random' Poole (Cardiacs, Silver Ginger 5/Wildhearts, etc) - both of whom are also reknowned for their on-stage banter so this is bound to be fun! The place fills up nicely (it had sold out some time ago anyway) and the atmosphere is excellent as usual at Ginger's gigs. The man is on good form and obviously enjoying himself. The set contains a lot of crowd pleasing Wildhearts classics, plus one or two more obscure ones and a selection of songs from the rest of Ginger's career. I think he could have easily sold out this show without the headliners, but I know he is pretty chuffed to be supporting Lemmy's band - even if it isn't Motörhead! But of course he has supported Motörhead with the Wildhearts in the past anyway. And so to the headliners. This is Headcat's eagerly anticipated first ever UK show - and the only UK date on a short European tour. The band are a side project playing the occasional gig just for fun mainly in L.A. Lemmy absolutely loves 1950's and early 60's rock 'n' roll, and this band gives him a chance to play some of his favourite classic rock 'n' roll covers, along with Slim Jim Phantom of the Stray Cats on drums and the less well known outside the States Danny B. Harvey on guitar. Sorry for the poor picture quality - I wasn't near the front and the stage lighting was terrible - I did hear a rumour that the lighting on Lemmy in particular was deliberately poor. The songs Headcat play tonight range from Chuck Berry and Little Richard to The Beatles. They aren't just some of Lemmy's favourite songs - they are some of mine as well! I'm not too sure about the Stray Cats song they throw in though - great song as it is, it will never sound anything like as good unless it's the actual Stray Cats playing it. Even if you've never seen this band before (as virtually no one present had) you'd still know most if not all of the songs. So, what do you think a band that's a cross between Motörhead and the Stray Cats would sound like? Well guess what? They sound exactly like you'd expect! Like another well known newish band - what would you expect a band that's a cross between Queens Of The Stone Age and Led Zeppelin to sound like? But then, that's probably why you bought a ticket - and with either band you won't be disappointed. Slim Jim still looks and sounds like he's in the Stray Cats, but is obviously thoroughly enjoying himself! Lemmy still looks and sounds like.... Lemmy. Not quite the same as when he's playing with Motörhead, but his unique sound and style is still unmistakable. He's still playing his iconic Rickenbacker through his 'Murder One' modified Marshall amp head, but his rig tonight consists of a single amp and speaker cabinet - a fraction of what he uses in his 'day job' band! Because of this his sound isn't as distorted as usual, but his voice is still that famous bark - even with your eyes shut you'd know it was Lemmy on stage.  It's also pretty exciting to see yer actual rock 'n' roll legend in such a tiny venue! I thoroughly enjoyed Headcat's set, although to be honest I didn't think they were quite as good as I was expecting them to be. Mr Harvey is a good guitarist and has quite a reputation in Stateside rock & roll circles, but I didn't think he had the stature and stage presence to match his two bandmates. I'd definitely go and see Headcat again though, but I thought that like the bar prices asking £20 for a T-shirt was taking the piss - so I saved my beer money for later.... I have to say the aftershow in the Minibar was 'interesting'.