18/3/2011 Zombina & the Skeletones/The Go Getters @ The Boston Arms Music Room

Subject	Zombina & the Skeletones/The Go Getters @ The Boston Arms Music Room
DateCreated	3/20/2011 10:26:00 AM
	I think this is one of the shows that would have taken place at the much missed Gaff but is now at the Boston Arms Music Room in Tufnell Park - a much larger venue. It's not a bad place, if not as easy to get to as The Gaff was. One good this about this place is the bar serving at pub prices!  What other London music venue will serve you Newcastle Brown for only £3.20? This is to be encouraged!  The bloke serving behind the bar is obviously inexperienced in the ways of us beer drinkers though - he serves me with a bottle of Newcastle Brown, and a glass - with ice! It's not bloody Magners mate!  It's several years since I've seen Zombina and the Skeletones. The only previous time was at The Old Kings Head in Holloway Road before it became The Gaff - the place didn't even have a stage back then. That show was rammed! I remember the band were wearing these rather odd matching yellow and black outfits at the time. Since then things have changed - not only with the venue but the band too. Not only have the band changed their image to a far more suitable one, but the music has changed as well - there is not much sign of any ska tonight. It's punky horror tinged rock 'n' roll all the way! I certainly like this version of Zombina and the Skeletones a lot more than the incarnation I saw before. Their trips down south to London used to be quite rare, and I haven't been able to see them the last few times they've been down here. Fortunately, they seem to be playing in London more often these days so hopefully it won't be too long before they are back. Tonight's headliners hail from Sweden - where rock 'n' roll seems to be more popular than it is in the UK these days.  I've never heard of the Go Getters so I have no idea what to expect. Watching the band's gear being set up indicates this isn't an ordinary band: The drums are set up near the front of the stage, and there is a microphone for the drummer - not normally a good sign!  What we get is a rockabilly band with a stand-up drummer like the Stray Cats. The Go Getters turn out to be a pretty good rock 'n' roll band. The drummer also takes lead vocals. Their look and sound is very much straight out of the 1950's - apart from the (probably borrowed) Marshall amplifier. It's an enjoyable set of mainly original tunes. They throw in a cover of the old Larry Williams classic 'Slow Down'. Later in the set they surprise us with a rockabilly version of the Undertones 'Teenage Kicks', and also the Ramones classic 'Blitzkrieg Bop'! A good fun Friday night in Tufnell Park.