17/11/23 Zara @ The Birds Nest - Spooky Night

Friday night finds me taking the long trip down to Deptford. I don't do it that often, but I do enjoy the occasional trip on the Dave Lee Roth. I love being able to sit at the front and pretend to be the driver! 🚂

I also like it because of the way it twists tightly and ducks steeply up and down - it reminds me of going on the ghost train when I was a kid. 👻🚂 It's nice to be able to have fun on the way to a gig for a change! 😁

Kind of appropriate that I was thinking of ghost trains as the event I am going to is labeled Spooky Night - I guess tonight was the closest date the venue was available to actual Halloween. 👿👻💀🧛🦇

I miss the first couple of bands but the DLR drops me at Deptford Bridge near the Birds Nest pub in time to see Zara. They are an alt-rock band with grunge and strong Goth influences.

So naturally they are dressed in black. 🦇 The standard of musicianship is high and their songs are interesting.

Just to confirm their Gothness to anyone who might not have noticed, they drop in a long cover of the Bauhaus classic 'Bela Lugosi's Dead'.

There was another band on after Zara, but I couldn't take any pictures or anything as I was otherwise engaged... 😉

Then back to the station to catch the ghost train. 👻🚂

16/11/2023 The Answer @ Islington Assembly Hall

I've been to a few gigs in Islington over the last few months - mostly at the Hope & Anchor, but tonight in a much bigger venue. Fortunately Islington Assembly Hall is also conveniently close to Highbury & Islington station so nice and easy to get to. I'm here to see The Answer.

This band from Northern Ireland have come a long way since I first saw them early this century. Back then they were playing in the tiny Windmill pub in Brixton. Even back then they were bloody good - and seemed like nice chaps too.

Since playing small South London pubs they have released six albums to much critical aclaim, and gone on to play at venues as large as the O2 Arena in Greenwich supporting the mighty AC/DC.

The Answer spent two years on tour with AC/DC during their 'Black Ice' world tour - which must have been an amazing experience for them.

The band had quite a strong Led Zeppelin influence in their early days, but since then have evolved with their own sound and style - while strongly retaining the 'classic rock' sound and feel.

They can certainly deliver the 'Big Rock Show' when required, but have the musical skills and songs strong enough to stand up on their own.

Even in their early days playing in pubs this band came across as polished and professional, and even back then you could tell they were too good to be slogging round that circuit. And so they proved. Their debut album 'Rise' was very strong.

For the band's 6th album 'Solas' they evolved and took a different turn away from their previous sound and style. This release was still very much a 'rock' album with quality songwriting, but the sound and feel was much more modern. And then they disappeared. Completely. For several years. And everyone thought they had given up and split up....

And now suddenly they are back - with a brand new album 'Sundowners', and they are out on tour again. And guess what? They are still really good!

With most bands when you go to see them play live there are always one or two particular songs you want or expect to hear. With The Answer for me that song is always 'Come Follow Me' because of the fantastic guitar work. Tonight I don't go home disappointed.

It's not all big rock bombast - the band know how to pace things and take it down for a while with some audience participation.

The good thing about 'taking it down' is that when you take it up again it seems more exciting - a lot of heavy bands don't seem to get this.

All in all, a pretty good night of classic rock style music - without the cliches and rock star bullshit that many bands seem to think they have to have in a big rock show. The Answer are still pretty good. I wonder if they are going to 'disappear' again after this tour and album?

15/11/2023 Warrior Soul + The Fiascos @ Boston Arms Music Room

A bit of an odd show in (Nigel) Tufnell Park tonight, but it gets off to a flying start with the always excellent Fiascos. 😁

Formed from the ashes of the great Kitty Hudson - a band who I saw many times back in the day from Croydon to most the coolest venues north of the river - the lineup changed over time but the constant thing was that they always had a load of really great songs! Evolving into The Fiascos with the addition of Keef from Dead Identities on 2nd guitar/vocals they have lost none of the old band's power.

Since I first saw The Fiascos in Camden in 2016 they have carried on the same full-on in-your-face rock 'n roll onslaught and attitude from the Kitty Hudson days.

And they have the amazing Robin Guy on drums - the ultimate rock drummer showman.

Robin is probably best known as the drummer for Rachel Stamp, but as a session and live drummer he has played with some very big names.

It's been a while since I've seen Warrior Soul. The lineup seems to change every time I've seen them, but Kory always manages to put a good band together to back that rasping roar of a voice that he has.

But this for this tour something seems to have changed. The room is probably less than half full - which is unusual for a Warrior Soul show in London. Certain people I would expect to see at this gig are noticeably absent, and there seems to be somehow a different dynamic - something is missing.

Robin Guy takes to the stage towards the end of the show to help out with backing vocals. 

The band sound OK and play well enough, but the usual atmosphere seems lacking in the room. Although Kory Clarke gives his usual 'in-your-face' performance, he seems a bit more 'hippy' and less punk than in the past.

Although it's certainly not a bad show there doesn't seem as much bite or commitment as past Warrior Soul shows I've seen. And they didn't even play 'The Wasteland' - a song I was looking forward to more than usual as my life feels a bit of a wasteland at the moment.

A slightly disappointing evening I felt, but at least The Fiascos were on fine form and I really enjoyed their set.

10/11/2023 Head Hunters + The Phobics @ The Hope & Anchor

An interesting Friday night. So many good gigs to go to. Green Day playing a 'secret' show at the Electric Ballroom that everyone knew about, but of course it sold out in minutes while I was at work and I had no chance of getting a ticket. 🙄 Then the band cancelled the show at literally the last minute due to 'illness' even though they had apparently actually turned up at the venue. They had played a packed and even more 'secret' gig in a small London pub the previous night so maybe someone had picked up a lurgy in the sweaty confines of that cramped room? 😳

Meanwhile, in Islington in another small pub venue all three bands actually turn up and play. This is the monthly 'Rockaway Beach' punk club at the Hope & Anchor - always great value for money!

I don't arrive in time to see Vicious Love, but The Phobics are always worth seeing! 😁

Old school authentic punk rock from the streets of South London. Our heroes from Deptford always deliver the goods.

Catchy tunes and music you can dance to including plenty of social comment with songs like 'Gentrification', 'I Can Tell', 'Politics', and 'Whatever Comes My Way' - what's not to like?

Nice and genuine people in the band, and also plenty of songs about issues I can identify with. I seem to be seeing this band quite a lot this year.

Headlining tonight are Head Hunters. - featuring former members of Gunfire Dance and Lords of the New Church.

Some of you may recognise well known London underground rock 'n' roll scenester Jez Miller who as well as being a member of one of the later lineups of Lords of the New Church has more recently been seen playing drums in The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, but is now taking the lead vocal/guitar role in Head Hunters.

The music is pretty much what you would expect to hear from members of the first two bands mentioned, and the venue is very full of people who have come here for exactly that. They are not disappointed and I think everyone goes home happy.