Why I am getting bored of rock music - another rant about the state of rock radio.

I never thought this would happen, but I'm starting to get tired of rock music. Why? It's due to the repetitive, dull, and unimaginative playlisting on rock radio. I thought DAB radio was going to be great when it first started, but I have found it increasingly disappointing over the past five years. Yes, we have a far better choice of stations - and that's great. But all the rock stations are playing the same songs.

Team Rock Radio looked like changing all this - they really were a much needed breath of fresh air when they started broadcasting two years ago. But they recently decided to stop broadcasting on DAB and go online only - a huge step backwards in many people's view. They say going online only and making people listen through their PCs or Apps on mobile devices is the future. It's certainly not what most people actually want, although apps have their uses and can (in theory) be good if you are out and about - but so can FM or DAB and they are far more reliable. Who want's their radio listening frequently interrupted when their phone signal drops out? It's no bloody use in my car either. So unfortunately I can't listen to Team Rock much any more - not at all at work where I used to have it on most of the day, and not much at home 'cos listening via an app simply isn't convenient. What the people running Team Rock don't seem to get is that people like the sheer convenience and ease of use of conventional radio. When I get up in the morning or get home from work I just want to press one button and hear instant music. DAB or FM can deliver this - apps can't. I get home from work, turn on my tablet, wait for it to start up, wait for it to find my Wi-Fi signal and log into it, then launch my 'radio' app. Meanwhile, my tablet is downloading various updates for Twitter, Facebook, Play, Amazon or various other apps. Then various Twitter and Facebook notifications pop up. It might even decide to update one of my radio player apps too. So around five minutes after I could have pressed a button on my DAB radio and be listening instantly I am still waiting to actually hear any music from my app. Sorry Team Rock, but  this is not acceptable. They claim the reasons they have come off DAB after two years aren't financial - but as they also say it costs around one million pounds a year to broadcast on DAB. Go figure....

Anyway, my train of thought has become derailed. Getting back on the tracks... Now Team Rock has chosen to remove itself from my list of DAB radio listening options what is left? Planet Rock? Well I was initially pleased to discover this station a few years ago when I got my first DAB radio, and also Absolute Classic Rock. But I soon realised they were both playing mainly the same songs - the same tired old classics that I used to love. Back then they both broadcast in good quality stereo. Oh how things have changed - and not for the better. See my previous blog on this subject. Team Rock is no longer on DAB while Planet Rock and Absolute now broadcast in poor quality mono - another step backwards. When I was a kid I first moved over from the BBC's Radio 1 to Capitol Radio because it sounded so much better in FM stereo compared to Radio 1's shitty mono AM signal. Later Xfm appeared - this was great in it's early years with plenty of rock, metal, and classic punk during daytime, as well as loads of great indie stuff. Xfm grew increasingly commercialised as time went on after various sellouts and takeovers - eventually dropping rock and becoming a pop/indie station. I originally bought a DAB radio to listen to Xfm at work where the FM signal was poor, but then I soon discovered several other 'rock' stations. Salvation seemed to be at hand - I no longer had to put up with pop dross like LaRoux and all the overhyped mediocre indie bands Xfm were pushing. I was mainly switching between Planet Rock, Absolute Classic Rock, and The Arrow (which was great 'cos it didn't have adverts, news, or DJs - just music) but it was all too good to last. I got bored with Absolute Crock when I realised it didn't play any new music. Planet Rock wasn't much better as the new music it played was by only a few bands and seemed a bit of a token gesture. New music by old bands, but not many new bands. Like other commercial radio what got played seemed to be dictated largely by the major record companies pushing their own artists, while smaller record companies with limited budgets didn't get a look-in - and unsigned artists could forget it.

Things started to get a bit boring. Then the audio quality (one of the big selling points for DAB in it's early days) started to be compromised. Stations which used to broadcast in good quality stereo went mono and also decreased the audio quality (again see my previous blog on this subject) so it was like going back to the bad old days of shitty mono AM/MW broadcasting that I thought Capitol Radio started to sweep away back in the 1970's. So much for progress.... Team Rock was never in stereo for the two years it was on DAB - even for a million pounds a year. I think the government is largely to blame for this as they privatised the radio broadcasting system, so now it is no longer a public service but a 'Cash Cow' for companies like Arqiva to extort money for providing a poor quality product. One million pounds a year just to provide a shit quality mono DAB radio signal across the UK. Someone is making a hell of a lot of money out of this while providing a very poor service.

So it's goodbye to Team Rock from me as far as regular daytime listening is concerned. Absolute is just too boring and repetitive - do I really want to hear 'Paranoid', 'Freebird', 'Smoke On The Water', 'Won't Get Fooled Again', 'Ace Of Spades', 'Back In Black', etc every single day for the rest of my life? And have some idiot like Russ 'The Cock' Williams who knows little about rock music and is reading notes off a piece of paper telling me "What a great song!" after every song - I don't need some moron telling me 'Highway To Hell' is a great song - I can tell that for myself thank you. Which leaves Planet Rock - which is now also in shit quality mono on DAB. Team Rock gave Planet Rock a much needed kick up the arse and made them add a lot of new and old bands to their playlists that they never used to play before, but now they are sitting back and relaxing as their main rivals have taken themselves out of the game. Planet Rock don't have to try anymore - and it shows. The station is getting lazy again - it seems to be more repetitive now, and the programming far less imaginative. It used to be so much better when I could switch between three or four stations all day at the press of a button when adverts, a song I didn't like or was bored of, or just too much talking bored me. Planet Rock is now the least worst 'rock' station on DAB. It's OK for three or four hours, but there is no way I could leave it on all day - it's far too boring.

I've almost entirely given up on the 'rock' stations now - they are killing my love of rock music with their repetition, and their boring and dreadfully unimaginative playlisting. I can't take any more! So what's the alternative on DAB? I've been listening to the BBC's 6Music at the weekends mostly for some time now. They do seem to champion mediocre singer/songwriters, and there is the odd bit of unremarkable pop music that belongs on Radio 1, but there is also a refreshing mixture of indie, rock, classic punk, blues, and old school rock & roll. Also, they seem to only employ DJs (or are they all 'presenters' now?) who are passionate and knowledgable about music *some other stations take note* and mostly musicians themselves. I don't like all the music, or all the presenters but that's always going to be the case on any station - but there is enough to keep things interesting and I like the variety. It's also the least repetitive station I know - I particularly like this. 6Music now sounds at times a lot like the 'alternative' music station Xfm used to be. Also, they play some old rock & roll and blues stuff that I won't hear on any other stations outside of their 'specialist' once or twice a week shows. It does annoy me at times that there is too much talking on 6Music though - it is called 6Music and Music is what I want to hear! If I want to hear talking I'll tune into a 'Talk radio' station OK? It's nice not to be constantly interrupted by annoying and repetitive adverts though - thank God for the BBC!

Ironically, I have also started listening to Xfm again! Ironic because Xfm is the reason I bought my first DAB radio, but I stopped listening to the station soon after as I discovered other stations that played the rock music that Xfm had stopped playing. Xfm now seems to be slightly less repetitive than it was when I gave up on it a few years ago, and seems to have largely abandoned the lightweight Radio 1 style pop rubbish they had started playing a few years ago. They might only play one 'rock' song every hour or so, and they still champion mediocre indie bands but they play some good new and old indie stuff too. Xfm has certainly improved, but it's certainly nothing like as varied and interesting as it used to be back in the days when it was a genuinely 'alternative' station. It's actually not that far from being a commercial version of 6Music now, but not as varied or with as good 'presenters'. Xfm still has the legendary Ian Camfield though - possibly the only genuine ROCK fan on the station these days, although he can no longer play Metallica, Motörhead, Iron Maiden etc all the time in daytime like he used to back in the golden days of Xfm.

Oh - and one other great thing about 6Music and Xfm that makes them much more pleasurable listening and keeps me coming back - unlike all the other stations I have mentioned they still broadcast in good quality STEREO at 128Kbps!  For more on this bugbear of mine read this - I'm not the only person who gets really wound up about how DAB radio has not lived up how great we were told it was going to be. Ever get the feeling you've been swindled?

31/7/2015 The Vibrators @ The Hope & Anchor

I think this is my first visit to the Hope & Anchor this year and I find changes are afoot. It's business as usual in the ground floor bar and I'm pleased to find real ale on tap at reasonable prices. Downstairs where the bands play it's a different matter... The room is unrecognisable from my last visit and the bar has been moved yet again - it's now opposite the door as you go in and it's much smaller. This is not good when the room is busy. There is no sign of the old standby Newcastle Brown Ale either, so I have to keep running back upstairs when I want a drink. The stage has been moved to the other end of the room and is now equipped with a shiny new state-of-the-art PA system. The whole room has been completely refurbished in a similar 'modern' style to that seen in many pubs as they are refitted these days and turned into Gastro-pubs - and like those pubs all the old character that made them special has been stripped out of them. The old 'pub rock' vibe and character of this famous venue has been ruthlessly homogenised. I think this is the first event to take place since the refurb and they haven't even bothered to put signs on the toilet doors - leading to a lot of confusion for people who aren't familiar with the venue! Obviously a lot of money has been spent on modernising this small music venue - and yet the state of the toilets is disgusting! It's a pity they didn't sort them out while sanitising the rest of the place....

This sold out show is part of the Rockaway Beach series of club events, and tonight's event is in aid of the Rock 'n' Roll Rescue charity shop in Camden which is run by Knox of The Vibrators.

Ironically, although plenty of money has been spent bringing this well known venue up to date with state-of-the-art PA and lighting systems - the music from the bands tonight is very much from the past, with one band playing music from the early 1970's and the other band themselves dating from the mid 1970's. There is only one support band at this special 'One off' show - tonight we get to see the first ever performance from The Glitter Bombz.

If some of this new band look familiar it might be because they feature members from The Derellas and Healthy Junkies. The latter have a Glam influence, but this new band takes things right back to the classic Glam Rock days of the early 1970's with an all cover set.

It's 'Glam bam - thankyou mam!' all the way with this lot - with classics from Bowie, Slade, T-Rex, and even the Runaways. This is a lot of fun!

All too soon the Glitter Bombz set is over and the place fills up for the headliners.

I've seen The Vibrators a few times over the years, but never with anything approaching the classic original lineup that recorded the brilliant 'Pure Mania' album - a punk classic that is right up there with the first albums by The Clash, Damned, and Sex Pistols.

I actually think it is a finer collection of songs than any of them and 'Pure Mania' never got the recognition it deserved. However, the Vibrators set starts with the current three piece version of the band featuring drummer Eddie as the only original member along with ex-No Direction bassist Pete and punk rock 'n' roll journeyman guitarist Darrel Bath.

This version of the band plays some cuts from 'Pure Mania' as well as some of their more recent material - they are still touring and recording even now. Then comes the bit most of us have been waiting for - the newer members leave the stage to have their places taken by the people who wrote and recorded the band's debut album - it's the first time they have played together in 30 years!

Bassist Pat Collier doesn't appear in my pictures due to the crowd and the fact that he spent the entire set leaning against the wall at the side of the stage with an amused Charlie Watts style grin on his face. Singer/guitarist Knox was in the band until recently so is familiar with both the old and newer songs in the set. Like Pat Collier, guitarist John Ellis hasn't played in the band for around 30 years and has been more recently doing in his words "that singer/songwriter acoustic shit". He says it's good to be back playing rock 'n' roll again though.

After blasting through a few of the old 'Pure Mania' classics like 'Yeah Yeah Yeah', 'Sweet Sweet Heart' and 'Baby Baby' etc Pat Collier leaves the stage and another 'special guest' is introduced - it's Gary Tibbs who stepped in for the Vibrators second album 'V2' after Pat left the band.

More old Vibrators classics are cranked out, including hit single 'Automatic Lover'. There are a few technical problems with Knox's guitar, and Ellis makes a remark about it being some rubbish one out of Knox's charity shop as he says he never has problems with his own guitars! To be honest at times it looks like a bit more rehearsal time would have benefited the band as there is a bit of messing about and time wasted between songs when they have problems with equipment. They play OK overall though and seem to be enjoying themselves. To be fair, in spite of the shiny new PA system none of the bands get a good sound tonight and I don't think it's their fault.

Knox remains on stage for a few songs as the newer members of the band return - Eddie remains behind the drum kit for the entire show as the only original member - he's a real powerhouse and really seems to be the heart of the band as the member with the longest service. He also appears to have weathered the years far better than the other band members and is the only one who doesn't seem to look much different to how he did back in the beginning.

For the last part of the show the band return to their current slimmed down three piece lineup - with Eddie still thundering away on drums. I don't really know any of the songs they are playing by this stage, and some them are virtually brand new. This is the tightest and hardest the band have played all night - as if they really have something to prove - that they are still valid. And as these three members continue to tour and record together they sure are. Darrel in particular is really on fire by this part of the night! It's good to see him getting back to his old punk rock roots, although he's always been a rocker at heart even though he has been down more of a (mostly electric) singer/songwriter path in the past. At this stage of the night the current Vibrators have turned into an out and out rock 'n' roll band and Darrel is playing his heart out - I've never seen him this fired up before. I can't help thinking 'What if....?' when I see this guy rocking out - he really should have been a big rock 'n' roll star and I don't think I've ever seen such a 'natural' player.

It's been a wonderful night and great to see the original members of The Vibrators back playing together - a sight I thought I'd never see after missing them first time round. This reunion was intended to a a one-off for this special charity show, but the band announced tonight that the original members will be getting back together for another show at a larger venue nearby in Islington next year...

PS: You will be able to see The Glitter Bombz much sooner than that.

18/7/2015 Healthy Junkies, Hearts Under Fire, Hands Off Gretel, Stiletto Farm & PollyPikPocketz @ The Unicorn

Another Saturday night at The Unicorn in Camden; 5 bands, free admission, and drinks at pub prices - what's not to like? The first band was PollyPikPocketz.

This band with their double vocal attack, punky attitude and rocking grungy groove were a lot of fun!

Next up were Stiletto Farm - the only all male band of the night and not what I was expecting at all.

This was dirty rock 'n' roll with a heavy groove powering it along. Uncompromising and in your face - these guys play it like they mean it. If you like bands like Motörhead and The Almighty you'll probably like these guys too.

It's back to female fronted rock again as Yorkshire crew Hands Off Gretel take to the stage.

This band are fronted by a very Riot Grrrl influenced singer who demands your attention without being screechy and annoying. As with many of the bands at this monthly 'Rock N Roll Rendezvous' club there is a strong grunge influence. Like the previous bands this is another I'd definitely like to see again.

The female fronted theme continues with a band who are actually all girls, but southerners instead of the more usual northerners at this club. Hearts Under Fire deliver a more straight ahead punk rock sound, but with a slightly annoying singer - sometimes it's good to talk between songs, and sometimes it's not.

Hearts Under Fire definitely sound like the least tight and well rehearsed band of the night and probably should have been first on, but they are also the most original sounding act of the night..

Last but most definitely not least tonight are Healthy Junkies with their tuneful brand of punk/pop/grunge/glam rock driven along by a fantastic drummer.

This band just get better and better as they play all over London along with festival and tours further afield and into Europe. Not content with rehearsing and gigging a lot, they are constantly dropping new songs into their already two album strong repertoire. Album number three is in the pipeline...

Another great value for money night in Camden - it makes such a refreshing change not to feel you are being ripped off every time you go to the bar - it's things like this that keep you going back. Sorry about the poor picture quality; As it was actually decent summer weather for a change I decided to travel light and leave my jacket at home - meaning I had far less pockets to put things like cameras in. So I decided to try out the camera in my new phone instead - not a great success as you can see! Not only is the picture quality less than great under gig lighting conditions (maybe I need to experiment with the settings - it's great in daylight) but the new phone also a very slim, smooth and slippery shape - leading to it getting knocked flying at one point and hitting the deck - fortunately with no apparent damage. However, I don't want to risk getting it smashed as it's not as expendable as the cheapo £50 digicams I normally use - and I've already broken two of them at gigs. I can do without a camera easily enough, but having a working phone is more important.

5/7/2015 East Barnet Festival - Part 2

Sunday finds me heading back down to the park for the last day of the 2015 East Barnet Festival. Once again the weather is lovely - warm and mostly sunny, without being too warm. Unfortunately, I don't manage to make it down in time to see the The Silver Manatees who were one of the bands I had been looking forward to seeing - they were very good last time I saw them. Being in the pub until after midnight after yesterday at the festival probably didn't help matters... Still, Sunday is an interesting day at the festival - with a few surprises.

The first act I actually managed to see was Kerrie Masters. This girl was new to me but seems like seasoned and experienced performer. She is a soul/jazz type singer who also plays the flute.

Kerrie has an excellent voice and knows how to use it. Her band are good too - although a bit on the dull side. Maybe this is deliberate to highlight the singer? The songs are funky and soulful, but there is a bit of a a surprise when Kerrie launches into an AC/DC song! The unexpected cover of 'Whole Lotta Rosie' is performed in a very laid back and relaxed fashion - so much so that I suspect a lot of the audience don't even realise they are hearing one of the all time classic hard rock songs!

The tempo is taken up a bit when well known local pop/rock/soul covers band Paparazzi take to the stage.

This is probably the most varied set of the day and includes numbers by The Scissor Sisters, Creedance Clearwater Revival (in a Tina Turner style) and even Guns 'N' Roses! Their singer Andrea can really belt out a tune!

Paparazzi have a good sound and play really well - definitely one of the highlights of the day.

The next act is a bit of a surprise - no one seems to know who Vigilante are. The singer has an American accent but claims to have been born locally. Fortunately their playing is better than their wigs!

The band play original hard rock songs and aren't as bad as they look - I guess they don't mean to be taken too seriously anyway. The frontman is actually quite charismatic and entertaining - which is just as well as the songs don't really hold your attention that well.

Next up is well known local musician Mark O'Connor - who appears to be a last minute addition and doesn't appear on the bill. He performs a short solo acoustic set and is always a lively performer.

Next were popular local rock covers band Texas Flyers. The band are all highly experienced musicians and regular performers at this festival as well as in local (and further afield) pubs. Their set consists mainly of well known rock and blues classics, but there are a few more rarely heard songs thrown into the set as well to keep things interesting.

This is a band who know the right sort of songs to play to get people going.

A Texas Flyers set is always entertaining, but all too soon it's over and it's time for today's headline act...

Variety has always been a feature of the music at the East Barnet Festival, and today is no exception. After various acts earlier in the day featuring funk, rock, pop, and soul (and that's just on this stage - there are 3 others) today's show is brought to a close by something completely different - Minnie's Henhouse. I've known about this band and been wanting to see them for a long time, but this is the first time I have actually managed to see them. This is a long way from the type of music I'll normally go and see - it's from a time before there was even such a thing as rock & roll. I wasn't even sure if I'd like it as people had been telling me it probably wasn't my kind of thing. Minnie's Henhouse is an act as much as it is a band, and the musical style is taken from the 1920's to 1940's. Not the sort of thing people who know me would expect me to like at all. Little do they know that many many years ago I used to listen to a show late at night on Capital Radio that used to play this sort of stuff. I listened mainly because there was nothing else on the radio at that time of night to be honest. But I still listened - so there must have been something I liked about it...

This is a cleverly put together act, and although this music is from a time before 'rock' - it rocks! It swings and it rolls too. The music is lively, fun, and energetic. Minnie herself has great stage presence and charisma - a natural performer who works hard all the way through the set - although there is one entertaining interlude where she takes a chance and asks a member of the crowd to get up on stage and carry her while she sings a song - something that could have easily ended in disaster depending on how much he had been drinking - good thing she didn't ask me! It was very funny though - and didn't quite end in disaster! At one point a 'special guest' is introduced to sing - the brilliantly named Pimms Brooke (New/East Barnet residents should get the joke) who had apparently flown in from Dubai for the show.

There were a few surprises in the Henhouse - just when you are getting into the 1920's/30's vibe - a very familiar song pops up in the set - one you are more used to hearing played by Nirvana! This band certainly keep you on your toes...

Most the band had dressed in period costume to some extent - apart from the violin player - but at least her hairstyle was very 1920's. I'm not complaining though 'cos she had great stage presence. Nice boots too!

There always seemed to be something happening on stage and it seemed a polished and professional show - while still being a lot of fun and having a slight edge to it.

In spite of Minnie's Henhouse being a long way from the sort of act I'd normally go and see I thought they were worthy headliners for Sunday's bill and I thoroughly enjoyed their set - great fun! This was a great end to the 2015 East Barnet Festival and I look forward to seeing this band again.

And as the (surprisingly reasonably priced) beer tent shuts at 21.00 - it's back to the pub....

Same time next year then?

PS: Did anybody spot that a certain bass player turned up in more than one band?

4/7/2015 East Barnet Festival - Part 1...

Always a good day out - if the weather is OK. Fortunately this year the weather could hardly have been better. I would say that the East Barnet Festival is always great value for money, but actually it's better than that as it's free! Well it's free to get in, but obviously things like the beer tent and the funfair aren't free - although (very unusually for a festival) the beer tent has real ale and the beers are at normal pub prices. Why can't all festivals be like this? It's so nice to be able to have a few festival beers in the sun without feeling you are being ripped off. However, I'm not here for the beer - I can always go to the few remaining local pubs for that.

There is a wide variety of live music to be found over the various stages, but none of the early acts on the Saturday look like my sort of thing and I've got to get my shopping done so I don't get down to the park until mid-afternoon when The Fraudsters are playing.

This fairly well known local rock covers band turn out a solid set of crowd pleasers. Then it's time for something a bit different. With a name like Dark Skies this band isn't likely to be a 'pop' or indie act - and they certainly aren't. If you were expecting something more Goth/rock/metal then you'd be right - Metal to be precise. Their sound is not a million miles from Black Sabbath. They are obviously good musicians and have written some decent songs, but how do they expect anyone to take them seriously as a metal band when they dress like this?

I quite enjoy their music, but although they play well they appear to be performing a set of entirely original material. The crowd don't recognise any of the songs - they just don't 'get it' at all. And the singer doesn't seem to 'get' why although he makes a good effort at giving a proper 'rock show' performance no one really seems to be into what they are doing.

Lose the shorts guys - as a 'metal' band they make you look ridiculous. A basic schoolboy error, but you are not the first 'rock' band to make the same mistake at this event.

Next act on the main stage is local blues band and East Barnet Festival regulars Hokum. They look like a standard middle aged pub blues band, but they actually give a more lively performance than many of the younger bands today.

Meanwhile, there is good stuff happening elsewhere on the site. There is a stage for new young bands and some of the times the stuff going on here is more lively than what's happening on the main stage - at one point there is a good band of kids with a girl singer doing a Rage Against The Machine song - one of the heaviest things I hear all day.

I seem to miss Rangoon back on the main stage - or at least I don't seem to remember anything about them - shurely I wasn't in the beer tent the whole time? Things got a bit strange after that. Next was something billed as Pop Coulture and a 'special guest' was introduced. I can't remember his name but I think he was a 'celebrity' from some TV show like Pop Idol or The Voice. He was given 'star' status and performed solo to a backing track. Nobody seemed to know who he was - apart from the handful of 'fans' who seemed to be going crazy in front of the stage. Maybe they had bused in specially? Or minibused in. And there would have been a few spare seats on the bus. Another act that no one apart from a (very) few who the hype seemed to work on seemed interested in. He was the only act of the day to do an 'encore' (even though hardly anyone was watching and it was so obviously pre-planned) and returned having changed out of his 'pop star' threads into jeans and a leather jacket for some instant 'rock-cred'. I doubt anyone was convinced (apart from the tiny rent-a-fan 'crowd' at the front) or even cared.

Fortunately things took a major turn for the better with today's headline band - an act I suggested for this festival years ago but I never thought would play in spite of their local popularity..

The Fabulous Feedback Band used to play regularly in Barnet a few years ago and built up a considerable local following. They are (or were) a rock covers band - a very good one but have now moved up in the World and call themselves a 'Function band'. Nearly all the rock stuff that earned them a big following has been ditched in favour of a far more indie/pop set for wedding and corporate gigs. I don't think many of the currant local festival crowd actually knew of this band previously, but they went down a storm regardless - getting a far bigger crowd down the front and dancing that the previous 'star' turn. And they didn't even resort to playing 'Mustang Sally', 'Brown Eyed Girl' or the dreaded 'Sex On Fire'. Well done lads!

This band were easily in a different class to anyone else - all the other bands I saw today looked like 'pub bands' however well they played. The Fabulous Feedback Band were the only ones who didn't wear shorts - none of the other bands seemed to get why shorts make you look shit. This is why they will remain pub bands. Go figure.

The Feeedback band played songs people like, and they played well. All the other bands I saw today played well too, but this lot play very well. They were very polished and professional, but that's not what made them easily the best band of the day. They looked great compared to all the other bands, but that's not it either. They had something the other bands were sadly lacking in - charisma and stage presence.And of course it helps that they play songs most people know. A great end to the day! And so to the pub - then back tomorrow for more...

28/6/2015 A little piece of aviation history - over Barnet!

A nice day for a walk in the park? Not really - not as far as the weather goes anyway... So why was I in the park then? Well I had to pop out to the shops to get some milk for my breakfast on Monday morning, and I like to take the 'scenic route' even if it takes a bit longer. While I was in the park I happened to witness a remarkable and never to be repeated event that lasted only a few seconds. Was it coincidence that I was in the park at that exact minute? Maybe not...

2015 is the last year ever that it will be possible to see a remarkable piece of British engineering in the skies. Avro Vulcan XH558 was built in 1960 and retired by the RAF in 1993, and that seemed to be that. Until 1998. A massively ambitious and expensive project was launched to get the now privately owned aircraft back in the air - with absolutely no help from the RAF or the government. Amazingly, both the project and the aircraft got off the ground - after 14 years XH558 flew again. It was originally thought that it would be possible to fly the Vulcan for another two or three years. It has now flown for eight years since it's return to the skies, but for a variety of reasons it has been decided that although the aircraft is in amazingly good shape and has been very reliable 2015 will be the last year it will fly. Ever.

The Vulcan is a remarkable piece of history in it's own right, and this particular machine is the last example of a British designed and built four engined jet aircraft of any type flying anywhere in the World - we shall never see it's like again.

As part of it's last year of flight it was decided to pay tribute to the RAF's old V-Bomber force (which also included the Victor and short lived Valiant bombers) by flying the Vulcan over every single remaining intact example of these three classic aircraft in the UK. This 'Salute to the V-Force' tour was planned to take place in two stages over this weekend, and on the Sunday it would be flying over London to pay tribute to the Vulcan at the RAF Museum in Hendon. The aircraft would only be making a single low level flypast over the museum at Hendon - any sort of air display there would be frowned upon these days - although Hendon aerodrome was once the venue for the World famous air display that has more recently taken place at Farnborough. I was thinking of jumping on my bike and heading over to Hendon (taking advantage of the free motorcycle parking at the museum) to catch the unique site of a Vulcan flying at low level of the site. However, it was raining in the morning and low cloud made it look possible the day's flight might not even take place - the Vulcan can fly safely in cloud and rain, but there isn't much point if no one on the ground can see it! I didn't much fancy getting a soaking on the bike as I slithered about on wet greasy London roads and then possibly standing in the rain and not seeing much anyway....

A little research provided the Vulcan's exact flight path - after it's flypast at Hendon it would be heading to Duxford in Cambridgeshire to fly over the examples of the Vulcan and Victor at the museum there. It's route to Duxford would take it right over Barnet! So maybe I didn't need to go to Hendon after all? I didn't think I'd see much from home - too many obstructions, but the park would be slightly closer to the Vulcan's flightline and is only a couple of minutes walk away so...

The rain had stopped and the low cloud was clearing. For once my planning actually worked out perfectly. The Vulcan was due over Hendon at 14.00 and by that time I had positioned myself in a carefully chosen vantage point in the park to get an unobstructed view. I looked over towards Hendon just a few miles away and sure enough at around one minute past two a small and very distinctive delta shape in the sky grew rapidly larger - accompanied by a growing roar! The Vulcan's planned flightpath would have taken it right over Barnet Church, but it seemed to be flying East of there and actually much closer to me than I expected! I may well have got a better view of the Vulcan right on my doorstep than if I had gone to Hendon to see it. I had occasionally in the past seen Concorde's flying over London, but they were much higher than this equally distinctive delta shape. The astounding Concorde is now history, and only to be seen in museums - soon the same will be said of the mighty Vulcan. But not today. I didn't bother taking my camera with me as past experience has shown that unless you have a massive telephoto lens an airborne aircraft will always look tiny - even if it's really close up. I wanted to soak up the sight and sound with my own senses as it happened, and I find wielding a camera really gets in the way of that - and this was a moment I would never experience again. I took a couple of very quick pictures on my phone before putting it aside and enjoying this unique moment. The Vulcan looked far far closer to me standing in the park than it does on the pictures from my phone - I felt I could almost see the pilot looking down at me! And of course there was the famous 'Vulcan roar' - a sound probably never heard so loud and so low over this spot, and never to be heard again over London.

I sort of expected a few other aviation enthusiasts to be in the park to witness this event - in much the same way as steam locomotive fans gather on the platforms in Barnet when they know an old steam loco will be hauling a special train through. As the Vulcan's roar grew quieter and the aircraft started to climb away over the woods leaving four trails of black smoke behind it I looked around me - I was alone in the park. It felt strange. I know many many other people over North London will have just seen and heard the Vulcan pass low overhead - even if many of them didn't know what it was or why it was there, and I'm sure there were hundreds at the RAF Museum in Hendon specially so see it fly over. But I was the only one standing in the park to witness this once in a lifetime event - it felt almost as if the aircraft had just flown over especially for me - a secret rendezvous in the park - my own private air display. A special and unique moment in time that I will always remember.

26/6/2015 Last night ever at the Purple Turtle

Friday night and there are far too many things going on - unfortunately I can't get to all the gigs I want to get to. Tufnell Park tube station being closed for the rest of the year doesn't help me include anything happening there if I'm trying to get to many gigs as possible in one night and time is of the essence - so I have to travel straight through there and get off the train at Mornington Crescent for the Purple Turtle.

I was very sad to learn that this great Camden music venue is closing. I've not been there often in the last couple of years or so, but it used to be a regular hangout of mine a few years ago when it (or it's various promoters) used to book far more of the type of rock 'n' roll bands that I like. It's always been a very reasonable price on the door and the Newcastle Brown Ale used to be reasonably priced too. I had seen countless great bands there over the years - as well as some not so great ones. It's always been one of the few venues I have actually looked forward to visiting. It's a nice size, has good views of the stage from various points, the toilets aren't too disgusting, the bar is above average and there are places to sit and chat. Many changes and improvements have been made since I first visited the venue when the stage was at the front by the windows. Unfortunately the lease has now expired, and the landlords (Camden Council) seem unwilling to let the club remain for the remaining three years until the building is knocked down for redevelopment. I don't see why what appears to be a perfectly sound building needs to be demolished, although I suspect it's just Camden Council wanting to flog the land and make a lot of money. What is more puzzling is why the Council (who claim to support the arts and 'alternative' culture) would apparently rather have the building empty for the next three years instead of having a popular music/club venue paying rent? It must be gutting for the people who run the venue as I can see quite a lot of money has been spent on upgrading the seating area since my last visit, and I believe they planned to spend a lot more on further upgrades to the venue in the future as well...

So, Friday night finds me heading down to the Purple Turtle for probably the last time ever.

It's only £3 on the door tonight - bargain! Even better news is that all drinks are only £3 all night! I look for the usual Newcastle Brown Ale as I get to the bar, but they don't seem to be stocking the old standby any more. I'm not as disappointed by this as I once would have been as the stuff doesn't seem to taste or smell the same these days - possibly because it's not even brewed in Newcastle anymore. The legendary beer seems to have lost it's character... However, I do find an acceptable substitute behind the bar in the form of Dublin Porter - at only £3 I drink as many of them as possible in the time I am in the venue - well it's helping to support live music isn't it? Actually, I think they just want to get rid of all the booze before the venue closes down. I do my best to help them out....

Well known promoter on the underground rock scene Mick Monsta is one of the main people behind tonight's show, and he is determined to make the venue go out 'LOUD'. I hadn't heard of most of the bands on the bill:

The Day Of Locusts
Empire Warning
Healthy Junkies
Mordecai
Die Kur
The Mercy House
Sumer
Leevil

However, I did want to catch Healthy Junkies even though I only saw them the other day elsewhere in Camden.

Actually, it made a nice change seeing them somewhere other than The Unicorn - although I did see them at the Camden Rocks festival recently too.

The band are on good form tonight - their new drummer has been really powering their sets along since he joined a few months ago.

Even though Healthy Junkies are one of the first bands on tonight, quite a few of their loyal fans are here early enough to see them. They are not disappointed.

This mob are pretty seasoned performers by now, and I'm sure their catchy blend of pop/punk'glam/grunge wins a few more people over tonight.

Although the band aren't using their normal backline they get a good solid meaty sound.

All too soon their set is over - and so is my night in Camden as I have to rush off to get back for a local gig...