Friday night finds me heading south of the river. It's rare that I head down this far - on my old map it says 'Here be Dragons!'. Improved transport links make it more viable these days, but even though I only need two trains to get to New Cross it still takes well over an hour. However, I know JoanOvArc will make it worthwhile. I am also interested in checking out a venue that's new to me and looks like having quite a few events I'll like coming up.
The Amersham Arms in New Cross is a pub venue with a surprisingly large room out back where the bands play, but the ales are expensive for what seems a fairly run down working class area. As a music venue it seems well set up though. - a large stage and a decent PA.
JoanOvArc are on good form tonight, although I don't think they have any other form - I've seen them countless times and they've never been less than excellent. In fact I've seen them so many times that I'm running out of things to say about them without constantly repeating myself. I'm glad to see they seem to be getting out and playing live more often again, after been rarely seen on the live scene for a couple of years or so - possibly due to their previous management, but their current mob seem to be much more enthusiastic and on the ball!
There is a change of lineup in the band tonight - the band's usual drummer the amazing Debbie Wildish is absent tonight due to other commitments, and her place is taken by Charlotte from Haxan - who does a pretty good job standing in for one night. Don't worry Debbie fans - she'll be back for the next gig!
As this is a headline show JoanOvArc get to play a long set. We get the band's usual powerful and passionate performance, with a mixture of the old favorourites like 'Live Rock N Roll', 'White Trash', 'Dragon In The Sky', and 'Seeds Of Summer', along with newer songs like from their latest album Ride Of Your Life like 'Running Away', 'Work', and also new single 'Girls Wanna Rock'.
As the set draws to a close the band are joined by a guest - Sam from Haxan joins drumming sister Charlotte on guitar/vox for a cover - I can't remember which song as I'm writing this months later.... Shelley Walker hands over her guitar to Sam for the song and takes a spare guitar and amp instead - which then refuses to work!
After the end of the show the venue security quickly hustle everybody into the front bar - annoying as I would have liked to have had a chance to talk to the band. By this stage the front of the pub seems to have turned into some sort of club night - playing utterly shite music and with an irritating crowd of trendies. This doesn't encourage me to hang around and buy any overpriced beer so I head for the station - and then things start to go wrong.... My efforts to find out train times before leaving the pub were a waste of time - the train I was planning to catch has been delayed, and is eventually cancelled. The same fate befalls the next two trains as well.. After an hour I'm cold and bursting for a piss, and of course there is nowhere to go and there are loads of people on the platform also waiting for a train. There is NO information provided about the train service - everyone is left in the dark. Eventually a train arrives - on the opposite side of the station and everyone has to rush over to the farthest of the four platforms is case it leaves without us! Just when things seem to be looking up I find this train won't be going as far and Highbury & Islington. A while later I find myself stuck at Dalston Junction as the train company have decided to terminate it there. By now I am desperate for a piss. Guess what? Dalston Junction has no toilets. The next train isn't due for some time. I am eventually forced to leave the station and go for a piss outside in some undergrowth before the next train arrives. My journey home which should have taken not much over an hour eventually takes over three cold and miserable hours thanks to the shit late night train service! This doesn't encourage me to go to any more gigs in New Cross....
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