5/1/2013 The Men Who Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing @ The Wheelbarrow

Subject	The Men Who Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing @ The Wheelbarrow
DateCreated	1/11/2013 1:41:00 PM
	An interesting Saturday evening in Camden and thereabouts. Some good friends are celebrating their engagement at The Black Heart but I can't resist popping into the BrewDog pub first as it's only a few yards away. I have to sample their Tokyo* - I've got to say it's a bit special, but at 18.2% it has to be treated with respect. Unfortunately the Black Heart only had one ale on tap - a rather nice stout, but when it ran out so did I... The plan was for everyone to head on to the nearby Wheelbarrow (formerly Tommy Flynn's) for a free gig featuring steampunk outfit The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing. I went first as scout for the advanced party - not many actually made it in the end, although The Wheelbarrow was pretty busy. On before the headliners was Scant Regard - featuring Rachel Stamp guitarist Will Crewdson. I assumed this was a full band, but it is actually Will on his own accompanied by a backing track - he is an accomplished guitarist. The music is instrumental only - very Surf influenced and danceable. Hopping back between BrewDog and The Black Heart I find myself back at The Wheelbarrow in time for the headliners. The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing usually play larger venues than this, so seeing as this is a free gig in Camden on a Friday night the place is quite full by then. Although I've been aware of this band for a while this is the first time I've actually seen them. I wish I hadn't left it so long as they are rather good. Steampunk is still very much an underground genre in both music and style - remaining largely unknown to the masses. It's sort of an offshoot of Goth, but unlike that genre there is humour to be found here. This band's music is influenced by punk and metal as well as English folk music - and probably a bit of Chas & Dave too! The subjects covered in the lyrics cover subjects such as Victorian engineers, family trips to the seaside, Victorian Zombies, good manners, and foxes. The songs are entertaining, inventive, and witty - I think I will have to investigate their albums... The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing are a band who really stand out from the crowd with a strong identity of their own - it's not that often you can say that these days. By around 11.30 the band have finished and the crowd is thinning out, so I decide to do the same. There's still time for another crafty beer at BrewDog before catching the tube, but I unexpectedly find myself in Tufnell Park at Aces & Eights instead - but that's another story...