Daffodils in January now?

This seems to be happening earlier every year.😮 Now in North London we have daffodils in bloom in January - this isn't normal. And still the Global Warming deniers walk amongst us... 

 

6/1/2024 The Boys + Dirty Strangers + The Vulz @ 100 Club

I like going to (and playing at) the 100 Club for a few reasons: It's history - particularly to the punk era. It was a few years later that I first got to play there, although it was still pretty punk as I was in a band supporting the UK Subs. Many of my rock & roll Heroes from Chuck Berry to Metallica have played there. Also, it's a pretty good music venue for the punters - apart from those bloody pillars! It's almost unchanged from the first time I ever went there, and one of the things that makes it great is that it's not a corporate venue - it's been family owned for many years and that has ensured it hasn't been ruined like like many other music venues. Also, although the price of a pint isn't cheap they have a policy of making sure there is always one pint available for under £4. OK - it's only Becks and it's only lager and not very strong, but what other dedicated music venue will sell a pint at only £3.99 these days?

Anyway, I'm not here for the beer - I'm here for the music. Tonight's opening band is actually from my neck of the woods, although like me they rarely play there as there is nowhere suitable for bands playing their own material. The Vulz play tuneful late 1970's style punk rock.

Lead guitarist Gary Pearce pops up playing in a few bands - some of them quite well known on London's underground rock 'n' roll scene.

The band are quite lively and entertaining while bringing in a bit of the feel of how British punk rock was in the late 1970's - before it turned into a studded leather jacketed Mohicaned cliche played by guys who wanted to play heavy metal but weren't good enough. All those bands looked and sounded the same.

The Vulz do their own thing and don't try to be anyone else. They don't seem to play very often but are worth catching if you get the chance.

From punk to a full on rock 'n' roll band, although with a punky edge - its The Dirty Strangers. This is the real deal.

There are a lot of bands out there who would describe themselves as 'rock & roll' bands. But they ain't. They don't even understand what rock & roll really is. They think if you just strap on guitars and turn them up loud that makes you 'rock & roll'. It doesn't. I see a lot of people who can play the right chords and the right notes in the lead parts and solos - good musicians who are always in time and in tune. They can play classic 1950's rock & roll songs note perfect - but what I hear still isn't rock & roll - it's tame and it's boring. They don't get it. It's not about playing perfectly and practicing endlessly to get every single note spot on - it's about the spirit.

The Dirty Strangers have the spirit - buckets of it. A lot of bands think it's easy and they know how to play rock & roll, but actually they don't and they can't. Because they don't have the spirit - and they don't even understand what it is. Because they don't feel it. They can play those classic old songs that used to sound so exciting perfectly - maybe too perfectly. And they make those great songs sound dull and boring. And the new younger audience hearing them think that old music is boring. But it's not the music that's boring - it's the bands playing it. That new younger audience should come and see The Dirty Strangers - then they'd get it.

This band are all excellent musicians, but actually you don't need to be great or very experienced musicians to play rock & roll and make it fun. That's what the punks discovered in the 1970's - it's about the spirit with which you play it.

Oh, and it doesn't hurt that this band also have a load of really good songs! As well as early rock & roll there is also a noticeable Rolling Stones influence - which isn't so surprising when frontman Alan Clayton tells the story of how he actually wrote a song with Keith Richards. That song is She's A Real Botticelli and it's usually in the band's setlist. If I'd co-written a song with Keith Richards I'm sure I'd often mention it too! 😉😎

Not only are the band and songs very good, but Alan Clayton is a lively and engaging frontman with a good sense of humour and a great line in patter. He seems to have an endless amount of good stories to tell - so many that he has written a book about his adventures. Alan has an easy going charisma and seems a natural onstage with his friendly and entertaining persona. And it's very obvious that he absolutely loves what he is doing and is having a great time on stage. This is no 'show business' bullshit performance - this guy means it. The songs have a realistic grit to them and deal with things like always being skint if you are any kind of artist trying to make a living, and you have no pension plan - hence the song 'Pirates Don't Get Pensions'. Chuck Berry is another influence, and this band share his love of songs involving cars. I love car songs so I'm well down with that!

And onto the Headliners. Old fans of 1970's English punk band The Boys who haven't seen them for a while may ask "Who are these guys?"

Bassist Kent Norberg and Bill Bailey lookalike guitarist Chips Kiesbye are both from the Swedish band Sator. Kent has replaced Duncan 'Kid' Reid who went on to form his own band, while Chips is standing in for 'Honest' John Plain who has been suffering from ill health for some time. They might not exactly look the part, but they are both more than competent musicians in their own right and do a good job in helping keep the band going.

Ex-Hollywood Brats and original Boys member keyboard player Casino Steel is still present and correct along with guitar/vocalist Matt Dangerfield from the founding lineup of the band.

Regardless of who is currently in the band there is a good crowd in London's legendary punk venue the 100 Club tonight. The Boys greatest strength was always the quality of their songs - not for nothing were they known as 'The Beatles of punk'. There are virtually enough good songs on the band's debut self-titled album alone to fill tonight's setlist without the addition of great punk/pop crowd-pleasers like 'Weekend', 'Brickfields Nights', and 'I'm A Believer'. All in all it's been a quality night at the 100 Club.