16/7/2011 Pussycat & The Dirty Johnsons @ the 12 Bar Club

Subject	Pussycat & The Dirty Johnsons @ the 12 Bar Club
DateCreated	7/18/2011 2:21:00 PM
	On Friday night I saw a rather entertaining glam rock covers band locally - I think every single song they played was from the early to mid 1970's.  Now Saturday night sees me heading for the west end... I was tempted by the Urban Voodoo Machine show at The Lexington but the band weren't going on until midnight and I can do without the (unneccessary) hassle of having to make my way home after the trains have finished on a cold and damp summer night - especially as I'm going out again on Sunday night and have stuff to get done during the day. After a pint in the Intrepid Fox  and a perv at all the guitars in the shop windows of Denmark Street I find myself in the intimate confines of the 12 Bar Club. I'm here to see Pussycat and the Dirty Johnsons. They were originally due on at 10.30, but this has now slid back to 11ish, so I head back out to look at more guitars in shop windows.  Back in the club at 11.00 the previous band is still playing and it's probably gone 11.30 when the Johnsons finally take to the stage. The sound mix is surprisingly good up on the balcony tonight. The band turn in an excellent performance and throw in a couple of new songs - also rather good.  Towards the end of the set the band's bass player decides he doesn't want to be confined to the club's tiny stage and climbs up via the balcony to play a song precariously perched on a beam over the audience below - you never know what's going to happen at a Johnsons show! The band's take on 50's style rock 'n' roll mixed with a little punk attitude and a crazed Catwoman/Tank Girl hybrid singer goes down very well with the crowd. After an encore the show ends in chaos with Pussycat pouncing on the bass player's back, and him trying to throw her off over the front of the stage! I check the time just after the band finish - it's 12.07 - the exact time of my last tube connection to my train out of Kings Cross.  So much for catching the train home instead of missing it to see the Urban Voodoo Machine!  Fortunately I haven't missed the last tube though, and I manage to finish my journey home via 2 tube trains at the expense of a longer walk through the drizzle instead of getting off the train closer to home. At least I didn't have to resort to the dreaded night bus and the eternal misery of waiting in the cold and damp for a bus that may or may not stop, and may not even let me on if it does stop.