18/12/2011 Ginger & Friends @ The Garage

Subject	Ginger & Friends @ The Garage
DateCreated	1/3/2012 3:10:00 PM
	So, last night I went to see Ginger play in Islington. Tonight, I'm also going to see Ginger playing in Islington - but different venue, different band (mostly) and different setlist, although a lot of the crowd were at last night's show too. However, that was the famous Birthday Bash, and this is just another show on the 'Ginger & Friends' tour - that happens to also be in London. Amazingly, I end up getting there early for the second night running - fortunately The Garage also has a Wetherspoons only a stone's throw away. Fortunately this cheap pub chain seems to like putting their pubs very close to Islington's music venues - a fact which has not gone unnoticed to some of us. And like last night I also bump into some friends in the pub before the show. Unlike last night, tonight's show has support bands - Exit International and Hawkeyes, who have both been supporting at the other dates on the tour. Although Ginger himself has been raving about these bands, neither of them float my boat - featuring lead and rhythm bass players instead of six string guitarists make them different, although I think this has been done before. To me it's just like Winebago Deal with two bass players instead of a guitarist - the novelty quickly wears thin and all the songs start to sound the same. Some us get bored and end up in the MiniBar instead of watching the support bands... I had heard a few hours earlier that Ginger might not even make it to his own gig - after partying a bit too hard up the road last night - and a bit too long afterwards. Well he was celebrating his Birthday and a highly successful gig earlier so I think he deserved it. Fortunately, he pops up onstage to play a song with one of the support acts and seems none the worse for wear - in fact he seems in high spirits! No need to worry after all. Needless to say, the set is a lot shorter than last night, but it's a cracking setlist all the same. Obviously a lot of last night's set has to be left out as there just isn't time, but we do get quite a lot of the same songs as well a few different ones. The set kicks of with a terrific version of 'Inglorious'. Ginger himself is on fine form is spite of partying all through last night. He takes to the stage in 'Corpse paint' face makeup - maybe reflecting how he felt when he woke up today? It soon sweats off him though. Were are treated to 'Splattermania' - which I don't think was played last night. Tonight's band is the same as for the other (non Birthday Bash) dates: Chris Catalyst (Eureka Machines, Sisters Of Mercy, Robochrist, etc), Rich Jones (Loyalties, Yo-Yo's, Amen, Black Halos, etc), the immensely popular and ridiculously talented Jon 'Random' Pool (Silver Ginger 5, Cardiacs, Wildhearts, Ginger solo & acoustic, etc) and Denzel on drums (most of Ginger's more recent albums) and Victoria on backing vocals, and Ginger himself obviously! I find the 'Cheers' theme drags on a bit to be honest, but plenty of the crowd still seem to like it. 'Don't Worry 'bout Me' goes on a bit too while we are waiting for the band to return for the inevitable encore... Apart from 'Cheers' the set is all WiLDHEARTS songs tonight - no one is complaining! The best is left till last - with the very welcome appearance of C.J. - playing onstage with Ginger again for the first time in two years. Apart from last night. As Ginger remarked himself - they sound good together. Needless to say - this goes down a storm with the fans. Especially when they blast though 'T.V.Tan', '...Headfuck', 'Vanilla Radio' (with Ginger's son Jake and Hot Steve), 'I Wanna Go Where The People Go', and finally the brilliant '29 x The Pain' - which we didn't get last night due to Ginger spontaneously deciding to play 'Crazy Horses' twice! Everyone goes home happy! Apart from those of us who go to the Minibar happy instead! And then we go home still happy later - around midnight to catch the last tube in my case. By the time I leave virtually the whole band apart from Ginger has appeared at the aftershow - maybe he turned up later like last time at this venue? A top night! PS: Unfortunately like many of my older blogs posts the pictures are no longer online due to various server/ISP changes, moves, and ISP takovers over the years that are outside of my control. 😖 However, I should still have them backed up on a memory stick so I might put them back in here one day... PPS: Years later I found the remains this ticket in the back pocket of a pair of jeans I hadn't worn for a very long tine. It brought back some interesting memories...