Friday night finds me heading down to
The Black Heart in Camden to see a guitar legend, but first I have an appointment at the bar - yes,
Brewdog! Rapidly refreshed I get to the venue in time to see
Smoking Martha.
This mob are all the way from Australia and have been hard at work touring the UK. Their sound is raw dirtyrock 'n' roll. They look and sound like they mean business! Like their compatriots AC/DC they are tight and hard, but without sounding too similar.
I don't know when Smoking Martha will be back in the UK, but this is definitely a band I'd be interested in seeing again.
Next up is a band who have been treading the boards on London's toilet circuit for a while -
Katalina Kicks. They are grungy and very intense - with a powerful and manic drummer!
By the time the headliner takes to the stage the room is packed. Due to the crowded room and previous experience of
Bernie Torme playing
very loud I decide to enjoy the show from a safe (for my ears) distance!
Bernie is promoting his new
'Shadowland' double alum and this gig is the last but one show of his 'Final Fling' tour. Don't worry - the guitar legend
isn't planning to give up playing live - he's just not going to
tour any more. From the look on his face during tonight's show he is still thoroughly enjoying playing live! As usual, Bernie has very good musicians backing him up. He is on fine form tonight and wrings his Stratocaster to within an inch of it's life! His trademark guitar pyrotechnics litter the set and we are treated to a wide cross-section of his musical career. Obviously his solo work is heavily featured as he has a large back catalogue - so of course we get 'Turn Out The Lights', as well as the classic Gary U.S. Bonds cover 'New Orleans' from his days in the
Gillan band and their appearance on Top Of The Pops. There is also a surprise in the set when Bernie introduces a couple of songs with some emotion in his voice - saying "I haven't played these songs for over thirty years" before launching into Ozzy Osbourne's 'Suicide Solution' and 'Crazy Train'. Older rock fans will be aware of the poignancy and significance of Ozzy songs from this era and the connection Bernie has with them even though he didn't play on the albums they appeared on... Tonight was certainly a bit special.
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