Riffs will not publish any 'anonymous'
letters unless there is a valid reason!!!
If we do not believe that
the letters sent to us are completely legitimate we will NOT use them.
Please
note that Riffs Letters Page is NOT for self publicity or announcing upcoming
gigs - letters may be edited accordingly.
NOVEMBER
val,
I
turned up to this venue to see Tumbling Dice only to find that the
dreaded disco was in place .The gig was on the gig list and the bands website
.As this was the third time this has happened recently we were really dissapointed.
There are posters in the pub advertising the excellent Beer Monkeys next
week but I cant see anyone turning up at this rate .
Kev
Big
River played the Garricks Head in North Shields on Saturday ,what a
great audience they are, there were lots of dancing and a lot more just
taking in the music,at first i thought where on earth do we set up, as
there is a great bloody wall in front of the audience and hid our bass
player Steve and half of Aynsley, all night which he didn,t mind as the
music spoke for its self, its a gig i would recommend to bands out there
,i hope they can build up a good reputation as they were a great bunch
of people,as the weather was crap so they made the effort to get out .Bar
staff very friendly as well , well done ,Chers
from
Big River
Hi
Riffs,
Drove
all the way to The Phoenix at Cramlington tonight only to find the
pub wasn't expecting a band and had a DJ setting up in there.
Although
we had sent posters to them a couple of weeks before, as we always do,
this was one time we hadn't made the confirmation phone call the week before
the gig. The venue had always been so reliable in the past (although we
had noticed the dwindling crowds over the past few gigs there).
Sure
enough the bar manager checked the diary and there was our booking in big
letters exactly where it should have been! The fact that they hadn't publicised
the gig at all, and more annoyingly must have binned our posters without
even bothering to make a phone call to let us know, seemed to make continuing
with the gig pointless so we managed to get our fuel costs covered before
we headed home.
It
turns out that the venue is stopping the bands at the end of the month
- apparently the patrons have dropped off since the owners put their prices
up anyway! It seems a shame that yet another venue has bitten the dust...
On
another note, I'd like to thank Paul and Bernie from Nikhs Bar for their
generous review of Tumblin' Dice on (http://www.jpne08863.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/reviews0707.htm)
Regards
to all,
Andy,
Bass Tumblin' Dice
Hi
Riffs,
Just
wanted to reply to the displaced moggie, and the bands who haven't been
paid.
We've
(KickBack) all been round the block a few times, but as a band are
relatively young (eventually after various line up changes in the making
of the band we are actually gigging). We are all working full time
as well as performing, and although we would love it if being in a band
was our full time occupation, it doesn't pay the bills. I think it's
pretty hard luck on our part that when we have eventually gotten the line
up right the present economic climate doesn't help. Anyway, as I
said, we are all working and the music is our let off, our steam, our dream,
our escape!!!
I
think that what I am trying to say is that I understand both sides.
The pub landlords are going through rough times but I also understand the
frustration of bands that have put their hard work and effort into a gig
and then not been paid.
However,
in the long run we play for the enjoyment.
I've
learned from experience, after working in a club band where the bloke in
charge promised full time gigs and at leat £60 each per night just
from the clubs, let alone any corporate gigs (where we were promised loads
more), which resulted in me cutting my hours in my daytime job and then
getting into debt, that this just doesn't happen (gullible me).
Anyway,
what I've learned over the years is that I do this for the enjoyment.
It's great to be paid for it, but what's even better is the reaction from
the audience and the comments we get afterwards. Can't beat it.
To
be honest, if I didn't get paid I'd still do it - this is by no means an
excuse for pubs not pot pay us though, even if they can't afford our full
fee they should explain their situation and negotiate.
Bring
on the end of the recession.
Shazz
KickBack
We
giged at the Carville Hotel in Walsend a couple of weeks ago, the place
has had a bit of bad press lately, and its just to say the the crowd were
nice and supportive and the Landlord was very accomodating. It was actually
a plessure to play at the pub. So dont be put of by the bad press.
Steve,
Young guns
Displaced
Smoggie here ... former guitarist of The Rogues ... now living
near Glasgow (for my sins) since I had to take on a new and better-paid
day job to support my family.
I
had to write in response to Bri's (and Dave Diablo's) unfortunate payment
experience at The Station in Redcar.
As
well as being a guitarist for the past 30 years and having performed in
several bands around Teesside, mostly in the 80s and early 90s (now in
another hard-rockin' classic covers band up here north 'o' the border ...
www.myspace.com/chargerrock), My long-suffering wife and I ran a pub in
Stockton (my hometown) for five years till 2004.
We
TRIED to keep live music as just that while we were there, but the way
the pub business models are set up now (and then), it's almost impossible
for an independent, tenanted licensee, who isn't a salaried employee of
a managed chain, to make even enough to support their own family, let alone
have a thriving business that's able to regularly pay "the going rate"
for bands.
Just
like we were doing ... spare a thought for the independent guy paying the
fee (or maybe not in this case), who works a fourteen hour day, seven days
a week, to see an unfair amount of what little gross profit he makes being
creamed off by the pub company (basically just a front for a very expensive
estate agent, charging exorbitant rent ... and then even charging you back
for the buildings insurance!). If you saw an independent's annual accounts
... you'd be crying in your beer for the (usually) poor guy.
Just
like it was for us us, this guy maybe can't even really afford to take
a living wage for himself from the business. It was only the fact that
I kept my day job that kept us going for five years. My wife barely ever
drew a salary for herself ... and the part-time barstaff, on national minimum
wage, had more disposable income than us.
"So
why do it" you say? ... sheer bloody stupidity, mixed in with a fair bit
of stubbornness and hope that "it'll get better if we just hang on and
tough it out" is the only answer.
The
only family holiday we had in those five years, that we could afford, was
a single week, subsidised by The Sun's holiday promotion, at Haggerston
Castle near Berwick ... and my wife had to drive back mid-week, to sort
out a payment problem with that week's beer delivery. No "two months in
the Algarve" for the independent pub licensee, unless he/she's lucky enough
to be in command of a seriously busy, thriving and comfortably profitable
business
I'm
not trying to excuse this guy's apparent "ducking and diving" to avoid
paying up, he needs to find it somehow and honour his commitment. But I
sympathise with his situation, because I've been there ... and had to pay
bands fees out of my own pocket ... and then wonder what I'm putting on
the dinner table for my own kids.
If
he says he's not got the money, then he's not got the money ... and yeh,
he shouldn't have tried to book more bands in that situation, but
he maybe just hasn't had that lightbulb moment yet to say "ok, enough's
enough, time to decide if this is what I really want to do". But I know
what it's like to be in that impossible place. All sense goes out of the
window because you're trying to do the impossible and fulfil ALL your commitments
at the same time, when you just don't have the resources.
It
took us a while to have our "lightbulb moment" and so we ended up leaving
our place more than £40,000 in debt and with no home to go to, after
already having ploughed the equity from our private house into shoring
up the business and then watching it sink without trace, or being able
to pay the investment back to us.
I've
written on this twice before, the first time when Riffs was still in hardcopy
... and was shouted down and lambasted by just about every band under the
sun (in Teesside, at least), because I dared to suggest that sometimes,
the fees were just too much for independents when the VAT bill's looming
up in your sights, or the brewery's demanding cash-only payment for your
next beer delivery.
Seems
not much has changed.
At
least from up here, somewhat older, but not necessarily wiser, life is
easier with a better-paid day-time job and being able at last to reduce
our debts. Being in a band helps too, mentally at least, if not financially.
Yeah, we get paid when we play (usually), but I don't complain when the
fee isn't great, because I know.
I
play because I LIVE to play and don't depend on the band for an income.
Getting my fuel expenses back, plus a bit of beer money is just a bonus
to me. Strings? well what am I going to play on for pleasure if I don't
buy them? ... it's not the pub's fault that I chose to play in a band.
I chose to have this life as a guitarist (amongst other things), therefore
I bear the expense of buying strings ... and amps ... and speakers ...
new pickups, etc (I love to tinker ...) and fx pedals.
Hell,
back in the 80s, we even occasionally paid to play (remember that fellas?).
A few weeks ago, that scenario raised it's head again when the turnout
was bad in Edinburgh because we were unknown there, but there was still
the sound engineer and the venue hire to cover, because that's the deal
we accepted. C'est la vie. We lived to play another day.
Of
course, if you're in it for the 'big' money as your main income (i.e. as
a "showband"), or to seriously supplement your day-job, then ask yourself
why are you playing pubs once-a-week for £150-200 between the whole
band??!!
Do
you do it for the money? Or because it's in the blood and bone to play
and be heard ... and to entertain?
John
(a.k.a. "UDO" frae "CHARGER")
BOTB
FINAL Three Tuns, Thursday 12th November 2009
Ok
guys, this is what we had all been waiting for, the final of the BOTB and
the chance to grab the Guinness Grand.
On
night that started out with a respectable amount in for Mojo Hand, by the
time A Thousand Lies were halfway through their set the place was filling
up and the Tuns was positively RAMMED from the start of Beth's set onwards
for what was one of the most entertaining and hard fought finals you could
ever wish to see. Here's how things went ...
Mojo
Hand Blues Band: Back in the days before street pimps and wanna be
gangsters like 50 cent hijacked the term, guys like Ray Charles made black
folks move to a beat they used to call Rhythm & Blues. Anyone who has
seen Mojo Hand knows they keep it old school and play with a sophisticated
style that pays homage to the real artists of the time, but what really
stood out tonight was their nod to modern day with a sugar sweet cover
of Dexy's 'Jackie Wilson Said' - smooth as chocolate and twice as tasty.
Mojo Hand never fail to deliver and guitarist Steve played his arse off
tonight. Quality, quality and more quality.
A
Thousand Lies: Nearly blowing the roof off with the raging opener 'Fields
Of Eternity', A Thousand Lies were a molten mass of hair and energy throughout
a sledgehammer set that left me begging for more. Leaping off the stage
to mosh, Chris and the boys dropped bombs throughout and were absolutely
on fire tonight. 'And So The Story Goes' came down like the wrath of God
himself in a set full of modern contemporary sounding metal. Everything
Lamb Of God do wrong, these lads do right. Brilliant, just brilliant!
Beth
Macari: Dulcett smokey tones and sweet high range combine to give Beth
Macari a voice like few others and it's on the back of consistently outstanding
vocal performances that Beth made it so far in this competition. Given
well balanced and unintrusive yet complimentary accompaniment from the
ever talented Mr. Micky Luv(pod) on acoustic guitar, Beth gave a brilliant
performance that was annoyingly talked over by a disrespectful audience
that had mostly come from out of the area to see other contestants. Not
that Beth's own fanclub the 'Heaton Honeys' wern't out in force to show
their support. Standout song was an effortless cover of Lady Ga-Ga's 'Poker
Face' that smoothly segued between itself and the Eurythmics 'Sweet Dreams'.
Still only sweet 16, it can only be a matter of time before Beth is seen
in the UK charts.
The
27 Club: Cheeky as a box of monkeys, The 27 Club brought their own
personal party to the Tuns. Jazz funk fusion and hip hop backed up by some
excellent scratch mixing all covered in streetwise razor-wit rapping to
produce a sound as infectious as swine flu. 'Hard Core' had the room jumping
and 'Pop Tarts' (a new song to me) kept things flowing along in
similar
fashion. This was an incredible set full of phat beats and funky street
influenced rhythms that had the entire room hooked from the start. Cooler
than a cool thing from cool land!
The
Zoo: One of the most exciting perfomers in the competition, The Zoo
electrified the audience with an absolutely amazing set full of super strong
Brit influenced indie rock. Stand out moments included the tongue in cheek
'Gordon The Stalker', the bollock rocking sleeze of 'Rent Money' and downright
stomping rocker 'All Over you'. If Who, The Jam and Ocean Colour Scene
all gang banged the same girl, the Zoo would be their bastard children.
Incredible delivery from a powerhouse band surely destined for future glory.
The
Mosaics: A superb band with a well deserved reputation for classy songwriting
and even classier delivery, The Mosaics were right on form tonight. Opening
with the whistful beauty of 'Runner' and continuing to deliver quality
tunes throughout, 'Landslide' also raising it's head above it's peers among
a set of near perfection. Paul Smith has long raved about The Mosaics and
if you have never seen them then you are missing some of the finest melodic
indie our region has to offer. Thoroughly enjoyed this.
Bone
Idol: For a bunch of young lads who's very first gig was in the opening
round of this competition, Bone Idol are already carving out a name for
them self and have quickly built a very large and dedicated following.
Far too pretty to be seen in the same room as an ugly fat bloke like me,
they sound as good as they look and rocked out on new tune 'The Ugly Life'
which took a harder direction than most of their existing material. 'Work
Of Art' was subtle and heartfelt but as ever it's the wonderful 'Dead Flowers'
that received the biggest reception.
RESULT:
An absolutely bursting Three Tuns rocked to it's very foundations tonight
with some of the strongest performances ever staged there. Such was the
quality on display that the judges had an almost impossible task to decide
between these fantastic groups but eventually narrowed it down to two who
we simply could not split, consequently the £1,000 prize was divided
between The Zoo and The 27 Club, both bands delivering staggering
sets that left me quite breathless.
Footnote:
This competition has been an absolute pleasure to be a part of and the
entertainment I have enjoyed far outweighs the sometimes difficult task
of deciding who to disappoint and who to praise. Thanks to all the people
who came out and supported this event, and to the bands who fought so hard
and performed so well, I know many of them will have gained new fans (myself
included) from their participation and many have also gotten gigs and exposure
they otherwise would never have seen.
There
is a new BOTB competition starting in 2010, this time for original material
ONLY with a top prize of £2,000 so if you fancy a nice wedge in your
pocket, get your entries in to Paul Smith as soon as possible.
MOO!pmsbull
;)
[Photos:
Phil Bennett]
Have
to say I am staggered Paul of Mystery Machine should be promoting
The Station Redcar after DIABLO didn't get paid and The Rogues
were short changed. It's up to any band to choose whether they play The
Station or not - and good luck to them, but if I personally heard of any
venue that didn't pay a band, I certainly wouldn't praise it! Shameful.
And no, we haven't been paid yet.
Dave
Drums DIABLO
Great
news - Wor Anto (Ex Gatecrashers/Scoundrels) has agreed to play
with the Oddballs - (Ooh er Matron) on a permanent basis. The lad's
are delighted that this is going to restore the hair to heads ratio in
the band.
Review
from Moorhouse gig 24/10/09
Tommy
& his Odd Balls are one of our longest-established &
best-loved bands, whose posters etc usually say 'You know what to expect',
but last night was different. Long standing member John (guitar) has left
& been replaced by Ant (ex The Gatecrashers/The Scoundrels)
& what a difference!! Normally, Tommy works his socks off, in
& out of the crowd, getting everyone singing, while the band just 'get
on with it', backing him in their very competent way......but last night,
the Oddballs came alive!! Ant just can't help it - he starts to play
& turns into Angus Young/Pete Townsend & it's infectious! He was
duck-walking, windmilling, Quo-ing - he even had Jeff moving!! They
played most of their usual stuff (that music snobs call 'cheese'), but
added a fantastic version of The Beatles classic 'I saw her standing
there', Bryan Adams 'Run to you/Summer of 69' & brought the
house down!
I've
seen this band more times than I can count, but last night's show was probably
the best I've ever seen them! Ant is like a breath of fresh air &
has given TATO a huge shot in the arm!
If
you want a great night's entertainment from a good solid band, & a
great singalong, go & see this revitalised band - you won't regret
it!
Sue
Wealands
The
Mystery Machine played The Station Hotel in Redcar Last night. Good
atmosphere, a decent crowd who liked classic rock, nice pint, and no problems
with getting fully piad. Despite other pubs in the area hosting bands,
and the big fight The Station the locals said this pub was the best place.
They have a couple of empty dates at the start of December, if you play
the old classics maybe you should get in touch, this is still a good venue.
PAUL
ROBINSON
OCTOBER
Y&T
/ Ron Keel, Newcastle 02 Academy 30/10/09
For
a band that were big over twenty years ago, Y&T have certainly
stood the test of time. Over the last 5 years they have enjoyed a resurgance
that has seen them play sell out shows around the world, many bootlegs
of which I have heard and four UK shows of which I have been lucky enough
to see, and based on those it was with baited breath I entered the Academy
expecting another night to remember.
Support
came in the shape of an acoustic set from American rocker Ron Keel,
the former frontman with Lust, Steeler and later self named band.
I
had thought there was going to be a very poor turnout tonight but the crowd
slowly filtered in and Ron even managed to get a bit of a singalong going
during "Because The Night" (Pattti Smith), a song he had a hand
in writing but frequently credited mostly to Bruce Springsteen.
Ron
Keel tried hard enough and on another occasion this would have been an
interesting set, taking the audience as it did on a journey through a long
career in rock music, but for my tastes something with a bit more balls
would have been more appropriate as an opening act.
Y&T
took to the stage with a double hit of Hurricane and Don't Wanna Lose You,
but something was strangely lacking right from the offset. Unlike the song
suggests, the bad lacked their usual cyclonic opening impact and despite
the roars of approval from an adoring crowd, it was immediately clear that
Dave Meniketti was suffering from some sort of virus.
I
had thought at this point the band might have pulled the show but ever
the trooper and despite struggling vocally, Dave continued on with a never
say die approach and croaked his way through half a dozen numbers before
finally asking John Nyman to take lead vocals for a song from the depths
of Y&T's early career, Alcohol.
Talking
of alcohol, I passed a double jagermeister up to John telling him "Give
that to Dave, that will sort his throat!" but unfortunately at this point
Dave had sung his last. Frontman duties passing over to the wild man of
bass Phil Kennmore, the crowd were given a real treat with the enormous
gutwrencher that is Squeeze - a live showstopper if ever there was one
- and despite playing a totally amazing solo during this, Dave was visibly
struggling to continue.
Indeed
Dave's playing suffered the entire night, the usually effortlessy delivered
runs and improvisations that he drops into some numbers sounding a little
forced. It's not that Dave failed to play his ass off - he always does
- but the virus robbed him of some of the feel he is so famous for.
Despite
dripping with sweat and looking like he was about to pass out at one stage,
the old pro's attitude kicked in and offering vocal duties over to the
audience, Dave managed to stay upright long enough to deliver
storming
performances of Dirty Girl, Rescue Me and Forever - all of which turned
into monumental singalongs, the crowd around me at the front screaming
the lyrics for all they were worth.
Looking
like a man totally and utterly spent, Dave finally called time after just
over an hour, giving an almost tearful apology to the audience along with
a promise Y&T would return next year and play an extended set.
As
a band, Y&T have a real connection to their fans around the world and
as you delve deeper into the Y&T family you realise just how far that
goes, many members of their online forum following the band oversees and
organising their holidays around the tour.
I
managed to grab a short chat to Dave's charming wife Jill Meniketti who
had been staffing the merchandise stall and greeting fans after the show,
obviously a little concerned for her husband's health after pushing
himself
so hard to deliver, and it was noticeable how many people stopped to pass
on their best wishes to Dave for a speedy recovery.
After
the show I spoke to many people who were disappointed but the most notable
thing about people's comments was the lack of bitterness or animosity towards
the band, despite the overall opinion being that the show should have been
pulled. The really encouraging thing was that every single one of them
said they would be back next year.
As
disappointed as many fans were, the thing to remember is that the most
disappointed guy in the place will be Dave himself. The man lives to perform
and having met him a few times now I can confidently tell you he is a man
of his word, and when he says Y&T are coming back with a vengance,
then you had better believe him.
I
for one will be first in that line when tickets go on sale.
MOO!pmsbull
8-)
Last
night Friday ,at the Lord Clyde in South Shields,Big River played
,what a brilliant night we had ,the audience were first class and they
all seemed to really get into it, and the band played on until around
12pm , a few guys in the front who i believe are Neil Young nuts even brought
there Neil Young straw hats with them to make for a great evening, sing
all the songs and basically having a good time.
We
must give a mention to the staff ,and the landlord ,Phil ,who is
like every other landlord in rock venues, struggling just trying to keep
music alive by putting on bands every week, pubs are struggling just to
survive on a daily basis,so punters must keep these dwindling venues
open by supporting the likes of the Clyde and many others ,we are reading
about going bust. Everytime we play there he cant do enough for us,he
has a great little venue and we should all make sure he keeps it going
he has some great bands coming on,.
Alan
, Big River
Hi
Riffs,
We're
never disposed to slam a venue but following the views of The Acoustic
Beatles and Me-Me's, we have to tell you and other bands about
The Station in Redcar. A short while ago, Bri from The Rogues advised
Riffs Letters page that they for no obvious reason, had been docked £40
from their agreed fee by The Station. Forewarned, we rang the venue and
spoke to Lynsey the lady behind the bar, to advise her of "bands who had
their fee cut" and wanted confirmation of DIABLO's fee. She said that was
absolutely fine and even rang three days before our gig to make sure we
were coming. We did the gig, not the busiest venue but still fun and a
decent reception but when we went to see Andy the manager for our cash,
he had gone home leaving us a cheque, which was never agreed. Guess what?
It bounced - twice. We rang him, he apologised saying Barclays had withdrawn
his overdraft facility and he would pay the money directly into our account.
He didn't. We rang again, he apologised and said he was skint but would
do it after the weekend's takings, to which we expressed amazement he was
booking another band without paying for the earlier DIABLO appearance!
His argument was, without a band on he wouldn't bring in punters to get
our fee! He also had a function on that night. And again no money into
our account. On ringing him again, he explained that the fruit machines
hadn't been emptied! When we asked 'What the F*** has that got to do with
anything!!", he said he would sort it out the next day. He didn't. He now
hasn't answered either his mobile or pub phone for a week. Other than taking
legal action, which even through a small claims court wouldn't be viable,
what can we local bands do? We won't be the first or last band to get screwed
in this way, but be warned everyone who has gigs at The Station Redcar,
we don't want you getting the same treatment.
Best
Wishes,
Dave
Drums DIABLO xx
Black
Stone Cherry / Duff McKagan's Loaded / Parlor Mob Newcastle 02 Academy
Monday 19th Oct. 2009
After
getting to the venue a little later than planned I was pretty pissed not
to be able to get a standing slot and so had to go upstairs into the balcony
seating area - somewhere I had never even seen before - so was
dreading
the whole night turning into somewhat of a non-event because it's down
at the front among the sweat and armpits where the real action is always
at.
As
things turned out the viewing angle was nicely staggered and given that
I managed to grab an isle seat the seating was pretty comfy, even for a
big guy like myself. What really surprised me though was how well the atmosphere
of the night projected up into the rafters.
Most
of the people seated around me were right up for this, and as 'The Parlor
Mob' opened their set with an acoustic number they were greeted with a
huge roar from below that felt like it washed over me upstairs before the
seated crowd hollered it back on it's way down to the band.
Very
charismatic singer Mark Melicia has a unique voice which has the slightest
touch of Robert Plant about it when he really lets go and wails. Playing
a short set of alternative sounding groove driven rock 'The Parlor Mob'
rocked the house, especially on set closer 'Hard Times', and I'm sure this
band will be back in the UK as headliners in the near future. I can highly
recommend their album 'And You Were A Crow'.
After
a short break the atmosphere tangibly ratcheted up a notch for Duff McKagan's
'Loaded'. It's 20 years since I saw Duff playing with Guns'N'Roses and
while it looks like time has not dented his enthusiasm one bit, the sunset
strip attitude apparently remains if his frequent shouts of "Mutherkcufers"
and third finger guesturing are anything to go by. Not that this is a bad
thing considering the time and the place, but even though I was lapping
it up at the time, on hindsight it's hard not to find his approach just
a little bit dated.
Just
before you all call for my crucifixion, what I will say is that Duff McKagan's
'Loaded' absolutely KICK ASS live. What's more surprising is that alongside
the expected punk and sleaze influences there is a very tuneful structure
to be heard through most of the material, especially 'Translucent' where
Bass player Jeff Rouse takes over lead vocals.
Personal
highlights were the "Spaghetti Incident?" versions of 'New Rose' and 'Attitude'
and the closing cover of G'N'R classic 'It's So Easy', all of which I could
have eaten like candy they were so sweet. This was a great set that really
got the audience going and I plan to be first in the queue for tickets
when they return to do a headline show in Summer 2010.
'Black
Stone Cherry' are a band that has fast become the hottest ticket in the
country. After seeing them live for the fourth time in two years I'd still
go again next week. Opening up with the crushing left right combination
of 'Rain Wizard' and 'Backwoods Gold' exploded the crowd into action and
the raw energy projected back onto the band, guitarist and bass player
Ben Wells and John Lawhon bouncing around the stage like they had springs
in their shoes and drummer John Fred Young flailing away at his kit with
all his might.
Sounding
pure as 100% proof grain whiskey, Chris Robertson belts out his vocals
with a roar as hard as the country influenced licks flowing from his guitar.
Edmonton Kentucky is right in the middle of a dry county so it's no surprise
that 'Backwoods Gold' gets it's inspiration from the guy who ran moonshine
out of the local hardware store, and it's that deep rooted country feel
that runs through everything the band play. For a
bunch
of young guys from a hick town, these boys sure know how to rock.
Always
aware of their roots, the inclusion of 'Sweet Home Alabama' and 'Hoochie
Coochie Man' worked brilliantly as did a rip roaring jam off 'Voodoo Chile'.
Combine these powerhouse moments with some great
singalongs
on 'Things My Father Said' and the acoustic version of 'Peace Is Free'
and you have one very happy audience.
The
Academy's infuriating curfew no doubt dictated the show stopped by 11pm
hence no encore, but like the last time they played here the guys spent
an eternity at the merchandise stand making sure everyone who wanted one
got an autograph. Pity more groups don't do this as it's the strong relationship
they have built up with the fans that will guarantee 'Black Stone Cherry'
will be back rocking Newcastle again soon - and I will
certainly
be there to see it.
MOO!pmsbull
;)
Following
on from the Me Me's post - we fell foul of a "late-cancellation"
ourselves today:
We
had a great night on Friday at Ramside Hall in Durham in support of The
Robbie Jones Foundation - great turn out, we had a great time and the evening
raised in excess of 10k..We are hugely grateful to everyone that supported
the event and to all who took the time to talk with us and say such nice
stuff. This weekend was due to be a 2-nite stint with our second gig at
The Duke Of Albany in Washington and we were well up for it. It was only
in passing conversation last night with a member of the audience at Durham
that we discovered that another band were being advertised for the venue
- we checked this morning and it was so
We
had fans from as far afield as Derby coming to see us and this type of
thing does us no good at a
all.
Riffsonline
would do well to consider introducing a register of "dodgy/must check/
re-check" venues, we could have filled this date today 10 times over (
our Saturdays were gone in Feb) and to say we are pi**ed off is an understatement!!!!!
Acoustic
Beatles
Hi
all,
this
letter is sent with disappointment, as right in the middle of tonight’s
rehearsal for tomorrows gig at the smugglers in roker,we got a phone call
from the manager saying that we weren’t playing there at all. they told
us that we hadn’t arranged any dates since our last there, which is most
definitely not true. we were in there a fortnight ago to drop some posters
in ,have a pint and watch the band that was on (witchcraft, which were
very good by the way).our posters were dated sat oct 24th,and were handed
to the bar staff who said thank you very much, and nothing else.
So
,after that ,why would anyone with an ounce of respect leave things until
less than 24hrs before a gig to tell you ,you weren’t booked!
What
these people fail to understand is, that a lot of effort goes into advertising
gigs, printing posters, getting them to the venue in good time, rehearsing,
so you’re performance is on form, hiring roadies etc etc,just so you can
put on your best show, not only for yourself ,but for the pub regulars
and those people who travel far and wide to support live music, who put
their money behind the bar, which in turn gives a venue a good name and
attracts more punters.
We
have phone calls week in ,week out from venues wanting to book us,and if
we’d received a call a month or so back, and told the gig was off, then
we could have made other arrangements,instead it was a last minute call
and was made out to be our mistake.
We
would advise any bands out there to have their gigs confirmed ,which we
always do.
THE
ME ME’S
Alreet,
Just
wanted to say what an excellent night The Source had at Euzone in
Sunderland last Friday.
First
time we have played this relatively new venue, but we were really impressed.
A very modern bar/brasserie type bar, with plenty of space to get set up
and helpful bar-staff.
Absolutely
chocka with people; I'd been down a couple of weeks ago and it was fairly
quiet, but Ray and his staff had obviously put the word about for us, as
you could not get moved once it was time to start.
Lovely
venue, good choice of beers, and free chilli and tacos on for the crowd
as well. That's entertainment!
I
advise anyone who gets the call to book it in.
Once
again thanks to the management of Euzone, but most of all thanks to The
Sourcettes for once again making it another fantastic, memorable
event.
Peace
& Love, Alan Source
The
Board inn
Stella
Blaydon
We
had Ask Ruby on Saturday 17th October a big thanks to this band
they done some good classic songs with some more modern songs. and done
them all very well it was good to see Don Price again after all these years.
Laura
Jobson had a great voice new how to put the songs over didn't stand still
all night Cathrine Haslam done a excellent job on the keyboards and the
backing vocals guitarist and drummer new there stuff. wasn't that many
in the pub this night but those who were in loved them it must be hard
playing to a smallish group of punters but this didn't put the band off
at all they done a great job I will be in touch to get you's back
for next year once again thanks
Regards
Decka
"Fridays
shouldn't be this good!"
Well
what a night I had last night! Started off at Trillians where the very
lively rockers STOMP 66 were ripping the place up. Only caught the
last three songs but they were very strong and the crowd loved them. Got
a copy of their CD so will look to review that soon.
Taking
the stage by storm, A Thousand Lies gave a packed house just what
they wanted - an giant earful of in yer face metal monstrosity. This is
contemporary right up to date rock music played the way the masses want
it, and bliddy good it is too!
For
a band that by their own words were "A bit rusty" they certainly blew off
any cobwebs and even though their usually outstanding singer Chris was
IMO not at his very best, they still absolutely rocked - set closer 'Become
How We Were' resulting in the crowd absolutely demanding an encore.
Not
ones to leave an audience hanging, the lads ripped into "And So The Story
Goes" with the degree of venom that only comes from the adrenalin rush
of knowing you just played a killer set, the only thing bigger than the
smile on Chris's face being the roar of appreciation they received.
Still
on a high from that, I jumped into the moo mobile and hot hoofed it up
to the Three Tuns in perfect timing to catch the second set from Remedy
where the guys were on as good form as ever.
Moving
away from the Alcatraz label and deciding to stick solely with the name
'Remedy' marks a turning point in the band's development as they continue
to grow and evolve their sound and the addition of new drummer Phil Bell
(also of Fables Last Stand) can only add to that. Phil has some very big
boots to fill but on last night's evidence he sounds like a good choice,
even if his kit was poorly miked up due to a minor equipment failure.
Dropping
some very interesting reworked covers that took in such diversity as the
Beck, Bogert & Appice version of Stevie Wonder classic 'Superstition'
shows that Remedy are still unafraid to push the envelope and this can
only bode well for future new material.
Highlight
of the set for me was their own 'Desire'. With it's steadily increasing
creschendos and Jen's soaring vocal dynamics, this really is ear candy
of the highest order. With a spot on this years Hard Rock Hell festival
to come, the future looks bright for Remedy.
Two
venues + three great bands = one very happy heffer :o
MOO!pmsbull
8-)
The
Fibbers, The Brittania, Houghton Sat 10th Oct. Great to see yet another
hard working local band supporting live music in the North East.
Good
choice of music with a wide range of styles, plenty of surprises with shades
of Green Day in "Wonderwall", fantastic "Hard To Handle" and "Johnny B
Goode" Angus-style. Solid rythmn section, rocking vocals and TWO GUITARS!
Thanks,
Craig
and Ali
THE
BOARD INN
STELLA
BLAYDON
SATURDAY
10Tth OCTOBER
WE
HAD A YOUNG 3 PICE BAND CALLED VADER GRANDE WHO DONE CLASSIC ROCK
AT ITS BEST
THIS
BAND WAS A FEMALE SINGER WHO ALSO PLAYED BASS A FEMALE DRUMER WHO ALSO
DONE BACKING VOCALS AND A LAD ON LEAD GUITAR.
THEY
ARE A FAMILY BAND 2 SISSTERS AND A BROTHER.
WHAT
CAN I SAY TOTALY AMAZING ITS GOOD TO SEE SUCH YOUNG PEOPLE TAKING THE TIME
TO
NOT ONLY LERN CLASSIC ROCK BUT TO BE ABLE TO PLAY IT AS WELL AS THEM WAS
REALY
MUSIC
TO THE EARS.
THERE
WASNT MANY IN THE PUB THIS NIGHT AS THERE WAS A WEDDING ON SOMEWHERE WERE
MOST OF THE LOCALS WENT BUT THE PEOPLE THAT WAS THERE ENJOYED THEM
THAT MUCH WE ARE HAVING THEM BACK FOR BOXING NIGHT.
A
BIG THANKS TO DAVE THEIR DAD WHO MUST OF SPENT HALF OF HIS LIFE TEACHING
HIS KIDS AND HAS DONE A AMAZING JOB ALSO LESLEY THEIR MAM FOR TAKEING BOOKINGS
AND AND DOING THE SOUND AND SETTING UP.
ANY
VENUE LOOKING FOR A CLASSIC ROCK BAND SHOULD HAVE THESE BOOKED THEY WILL
NOT BE DISAPOINTED.
RING
ME ANYTIME IF YOU WANT THERE NUMBER ON 07708798923
REGARDS
DECKA
Three
Tuns BOTB 1st SEMI FINAL Thrs 8th Oct 2009
Getting
down to business now, and as the competition to grab the Guinness Grand
hots up, the judging gets harder ....
Bands
competing : Mojo Hand Blues Band, Tramp Juice, Bone Idol, The Mosaics,
The 27 Club
Mojo
Hand Blues Band : Straight into the groove and solid as ever. Sweet
version of 'Jackie Wilson Said' went down well before Ian brought out an
ENORMOUS baritone sax to use for 'Hey Bartender' - not kidding you, this
thing looked like Alien! Nice work from guitarist Steve Murphy who went
on to really shine on a Sonny Boy Williamson track which name escapes me
but that I know better in a reworked format where it becomes 'On The Road
Again' (10 Years After). On the money yet again tonight, the Hand Band's
mojo was most definitely working to full effect.
Tramp
Juice : 'Harolds Eye' was as the lyric says "straight as an arrow"
and opened the set well, quickly followed by the Monkeys feel of 'Useless
information' and the melancholy "I Got You, You Got Me". Exceptional songwriters
and very talented live performers, for some of the judges Tramp Juice were
not as tight as usual tonight, but as ever THAT song "Sign Of The Times"
stood out like a homing beacon on a cold night.
Bone
Idol : Young and gung, Bone Idol were in the zone faster than you can
blink. Ripped through 'Roll The Dice' and 'Robbing The Hood' with an energy
reminiscent of early Skid Row, not harmed by the fact their
excellent
singer looks and moves like a young Sebastian Bach. 'Work Of Art' was given
the haunting delivery it so richly deserves and then things were rocked
back up with 'Unbreakable'. Closer 'Dead Flowers' lit up the already energized
crowd and throughout this set you could have ran jump leads off these guys.
Absolute killer performance!
The
Mosaics : Whether it be the subtle elegance of 'Landslide' or the whistful
mourning of 'Runner' one thing is for sure - The Mosaics are a band that
displays an ability to write thought provoking, meaningful songs
that
worm their way under your skin. Fans of Travis and Coldplay should lap
this up with applomb, closing track 'Illuminate' being another hit in waiting.
Not quite as polished as I have seen them but still on great
form.
The
27 Club : A few flat spots in the brass section during the opener but
quickly funked it up to form for 'No Beats' before completely blitzing
'Hardcore'. The music The 27 Club play is just about impossible to ignore
and
if you have yet to see this band I defy you to stand still when you do!
I'd love to see these lads in a side tent at Glastonbury or even as openers
because given a tiny bit more polish, I think they would go down
an
absolute storm. Funky street beats to die for.
Results
: On paper, this was the one the judges had been dreading - and the overall
performances didn't make things any easier. Tonight we took the unusual
step of actually announcing the individual scores because we were unable
to split three of the five bands. Here's how it panned out :
Bone
Idol - 55pts - through as of right. Mojo Hand Blues Band, The Mosaics &
The 27 Club all scored 51pts and Tramp Juice were unfortunately squeezed
out by the narrowest of margins scoring 50pts.
Due
to the 3 way tie, following the 2nd semi final judges will consider the
performance of the bands competing and if necessary refer back to these
scores when allocating places in the final. The intent was that the
highest
scoring two bands from each semi plus the band with the highest overall
3rd place score would progress to the final, but due to the draw there
may need to be a playoff following the second semi to make a final decision.
We
always knew things would get tight at this stage, but just how tight nobody
could have predicted. The second semi final is on 22nd October so come
along and cheer on The Zoo, Beth Macari, A Thousand Lies, Sunday Best
and
PJ & The Invisibles.
Just
to repeat, semi final 2 is on 22nd October and the Guinness Grand Final
will be held on 12th November - both not to be missed! :o
MOO!pmsbull
8-)
Well
what can i say?...My old mate Nev reed (Ex Sinister footwear) told
me about this band a while ago so we eventually went to see them at the
hearts of oak in Peterlee.Nothing prepared me for the sheer workrate that
this band get through!..Balls to the wall attitude & really great players!..They
play music how it should/used to be played..no frills here just good time
100mph rock n roll & loads of volume.It was well worth the trip from
Stockton to Peterlee.I'd rate this trio to any band who wants to see a
real boogie band in action.What a night & i'm already working out where
to go to the next one!...Thanks to Nev,Joan & the Bandits for a great
night enjoyed by all..Now all we need is for Nev to dust down the axe &
get back out there aswell!
Mac
Saw
this band at the 2009 barny bash...wow oh f**king wow.. if you were 16
- 20 in the late 70's then seek them out.. they will blow you away.. i'm
48 and never been a dancer.. now i just cant listen to them and keep my
feet still... they've blown the speakers in my lorry cause the sodding
radio will not go loud enough.... all yor fav songs from the last 30 -
40 years punked.. not just punked but punked with style, drummer..
shit hot... guitar
players.. stand back you has beens from the 70's ....
singer.. perfect voice for this band...
the only bad thing about the ME ME'S is that they are not
nationaly known... i'm blown away by them, music was getting dull, these
guys will wake you up and remind you why you like music... check them out
asap but full vol cause thats how good music should be listened to...
Gary
Myers
I
am writing to let you know about a fantastically successful charity
event that took place this summer. The band was Covered Tracks,
the place was Killingworth Social Club, Newcastle upon Tyne and the cause
was to raise funds for a life extending cancer treatment for Mary Brewis.
I have been to charity events where Covered Tracks have played before and
they have always been good, but this one was exceptional. The venue
was perfect and filled to capacity as they band played two sets of classic
rock covers of The Stones, The Who, Free, AC/DC, Guns and Roses, Bryan
Adams, ZZ Top and Whitesnake amongst others. The event was organised
by the `Friends of Mary Brewis', and Mary was there to enjoy the
show along with more than two hundred of her friends and supporters.
The dance floor was full, the band raised the roof and the `Friends of
Mary Brewis' raised £2,679. This was double the amount
expected so many thanks to Chris (vocals) Ian (guitar), Jamie (guitar),
Paul (drums) and Steve (bass) for donating their time and talent, to the
club for their room.
Jill
SEPTEMBER
Can
I use your pages for a few thank you's? Ta!!
First
of all, to Paul for offering us a support slot to The Vibrators
at The Three Tuns, even though we are by no means a punk band (even though
ex-Penetration guitarist Gary Chaplin is among our number).
We'd
like to thank the audience for being gentle with us on what was, to all
intents and purposes, our debut gig. They cheered and applauded a rootsy
rock band with a mandolin, showing they were real good sports. Thanks to
you all.
Finally
~ Craig, the sound guy at the Tuns. Apart from being a very nice guy he
proved himself totally unflappable and a very, very good soundman. Whatever
Paul pays him is nowhere enough!!
Thanks...
LOWDOWN
www.myspace.com/lowdown2009
Mike
Ollier
Hi
Nige
Must
put pen to paper to mention Sunderland’s oldest pub – The Clarendon ! We
played there today (Sunday) at 6pm after the Sunderland game was over.
What a tremendous atmosphere in a tiny pub. It was rammed with music lovers
and we didn’t let them down. Jeff the landlord is a top bloke and appreciated
us learning “Wasted Life” by Stiff Little Fingers at his request from our
previous gig. I don’t think you will find a better Sunday afternoon gig
anywhere.
Tim
(101)
Three
Tuns BOTB 3rd Quarter Final Thurs 24 Sept 2009
On
paper this was the group from hell to judge with several bands who are
capable of winning the competition outright competing in this quarter final
tonight.
BANDS
COMPETING : Mojo Hand Blues Band, Shogun Assassins, 3 Ways Of Thinking,
The 27 Club, The Zoo
Mojo
Hand Blues Band : Cultured R&B with a dash of Ray Charles style and
a healthy portion of old school class. Ian once again shone with some excellent
sax and blues harp and collectively this band were, in the immortal words
of Viz Comic , " Tight as a nats chuff ". John Lee Hooker's 'Boom Boom'
and set closer 'Messing With The Kid' were nothing short of sublime. Smooth
as Guinness itself.
Shogun
Assassins : RATM soundalikes but certainly no wannabes, this band blew
me away last time but tonight they were lacking some spark and the vocalist
struggled a little with two of their songs, especially 'In Denial' a great
stoner sounding epic of a song that unfortunately failed to catch fire
tonight. Was really surprised as this band are usually right on the money.
Did reprieve themselves somewhat with the last two songs 'Anti-Up' and
'Bring Me Down' both of which were heavy as hell and delivered in the killer,
in-your-face style this band are more accustomed to.
3
Ways Of Thinking : Young lads fronted by a very young lass with a big voice
playing bouncy bubblegum pop rock. Ultra confident vocalist has decent
stage presence and a good range but tonight was off the mark sounding both
shouty and overly pronounced in her delivery. The overly corerographed
guitar swinging looked just that and overall the band failed to deliver,
especially the drummer who at one point started to play completely the
wrong song, which the band then went on to murder so badly I had to ask
somebody what it was! This may sound harsh but at this stage of the competition
such basic mistakes are unforgivable. Real shame as these kids have some
very decent originals. Expect them to come back tighter and stronger at
a gig near you soon.
The
27 Club : Fresh, phat and as funky as Huggie Bear's wardrobe, these lads
immediately had the audience eating out of their hands. 'No Beats' and
'Hardcore' simply lept off the stage and infected everyone in the room
with their streetwise rap rhythms. Raggamuffin plus jazz and a dash of
Geordie humour all rapped up with a heavy dose of Fun Lovin Criminals equals
the coolest thing since the refrigerator. Just amazing! Amazing! (And by
the way.. did I say amazing?)
The
Zoo : If I had half the balls of The Zoo's singer I'd be a very happy heffer.
Opener 'Together Crazy' exploded into life and The Zoo were far and away
the biggest sounding band on the night with their excellent style
>
of modern Britrock. Take the best bits of The Who, Ocean Colour Scene and
The Jam, throw in some sleeze and this is the result. 'Rent Money' again
shone brightly and the whole set delivered a blistering display of energy
and desire from a band surely destined for bigger things. Just awesome!
RESULT
: Mojo Hand Blues Band, The 27 Club and The Zoo all progress to the semi
finals on the back of what were absolutely outstanding performances.
If
this is the shape of what is to come then the semi's are going to be very
tasty indeed :o !
MOO!pmsbull
8-)
Russ
Tippins & Friends @ Three Tuns 25/09/09
I'm
sure most of us know Russ goes out electric fronting Zep3 but to the best
of my knowledge, it's been some time since he did anything else electric
and consequently the level of interest for this show was very high resulting
in an excellent turnout for what became a great gig.
Well
known for his ability to hold an audience alone, Russ split the night in
two and performed an acoustic first set full of unpredictable song choices,
from the filth of SAHB's 'Next' - one of the sleaziest songs ever written,
and a personal favourite - to the laid back cool of The Move's 'Goodbye
Blackberry Way' you never knew what Russ was going to throw at you next.
The
lightness of touch Russ gave to Metallica's 'Nothing Else Matters' gave
the song a new depth for me, even to the point that the uninitiated ear
could have been fooled into thinking it was an original such was the quality
of it's delivery, only to be completely surpassed by a quite beautiful
cover of Zeppelin's 'Going To California' - just sublime!
Bringing
out the electrics for the second set, Russ was joined on stage by John
Dawson on bass and Ian Halford on drums - both excellent musicians who
performed admirably and can be seen with Russ again at the upcoming Rock
4 All showcase.
Starting
off with a reworked 'Superstition' (Stevie Wonder) which the band jammed
loose and easy, the feel was so laid back it was like they were playing
for a bunch of mates at a party and this just made the whole thing flow
almost effortlessly, even if the Michael Jackson cover (Billy Jean) didn't
work for me. Not that this mattered because the following rendition of
Hendrix's 'Little Wing' was, despite some PA feedback probs, wonderful.
A
huge jam off the Rolling Stones version of 'Baby Please Don't Go' fed into
Hendrix magnum opus 'Voodoo Chile' which was given the full monty, only
to be bettered by NIB (Sabbath) which was for me the highlight of the electric
set.
Closing
with Deep Purple's 'Highway Star' left the packed and sweaty room demanding
more and an encore of the Doobie Bros. 'Long Train Running' followed by
'Alright Now' (Free) went down a storm, especially with the ladies up front
who had been dancing throughout.
Russ
Tippins is one of the regions biggest names for a reason. If you don't
know that reason, I suggest you go and see him at your earliest opportunity.
Expect
a bit of a wait at the bar though, because those of us who know it will
already be there. ;)
MOO!pmsbull
8-)
Just
a thank you for using the stuff we've sent re Oil City Connection.
I'm after this being published on the site, just letting you know that
we had a great night and that I'm sure your publicity helped get the place
packed out. Much obliged. Much appreciated.
We'll
be pimping Three Tuns on Oct 4th soon enough!
Also
The
bandits had a corker at Dar;lo r+b fest yesterday and the SGB
were on fire too.
Bad
Bob Bates
The
Bandits
3
Tuns BOTB 2nd Quarter Final, Thurs 17th Sept 2009
A
small attack of the nerves from some of the bands and one or two sound
problems only served to ratchet up the anticipation for quarter final two.
With another highly diverse lineup of talent, anyone betting on this could
have gotten pretty good odds methinks...
Bands
competing : Bone Idol, 1862, Billy Bloodaxe, PJ & The Invisibles,
The Mosaics
Bone
Idol : Great young rockers with that 80's / 90's hairy metal sound.
Good looking bunch of lads with a pretty boy singer blessed with a fantastic
voice. Hampered a bit by some sound issues that risked killing the lead
guitars but still managed to deliver the goods. Ballad 'Work Of Art' and
bouncy closer 'Dead Flowers' were highlights of a very strong set. Rock
Gods in the making.
1862
: Fast paced and aggressively presented, this was indie played with
rock style balls and both the singer and lead guitarist were very animated.
'Worlds End' built and built into a huge riff driven soundstage and 'Shadow
Of The Wind' stood out with an epic feel to it's first half that showed
off some classy guitar before bursting into another riff laden speedfest.
A band that clearly want it.
Billy
Bloodaxe : A welcome return to health meant Billy was able to be slotted
back in tonight. Self penned stripped bare keyboard sounds that were so
retro yet inventive and original played from Billy's iPod while he delivered
some of the darkest lyrical content I have ever heard. "Do you know how
it feels to be covered in pigs blood?" was just one line of the menacing
questions asked during a song inspired by the classic horror movie 'Carrie'.
Anyone who remembers classic 80's bands like Soft Cell, Kraftwerk and Gary
Numan would instantly recognise what Billy Bloodaxe is all about but musically
this went over most of the audience's heads. When Billy played his heat,
those who 'got' it literally bombarded me with praise for this young lad.
Following
on from a very animated and very loud band he showed absolutely zero nerves
and bounced around the stage, spitting out his venomous lyrics with real
angst and hate. Were this 1979 and not 2009 this lad would be a household
name.
PJ
& The Invisibles : Having set up all of his equipment, due to a
major problem with his keyboard that only manifested itself seconds before
he was due to start, Paul was unable to perform. He will be given a slot
on another night.
The
Mosaics : Excellent musicianship and cultured songwriting blend seamlessly
to produce a set of undeniable quality. 'April June July' was beautifully
melodic while 'Second Chance' smacked of early Radiohead, but once again
it was the wistful 'Runner' that stood out - surely an anthem in waiting.
Undeterred by a slightly booming sound mix, The Mosaics delivered a polished
performance.
Result
: Bone Idol and The Mosaics go through to the semi final stages.
Despite
some sound issues, The Three Tuns BOTB produced yet another great night
of quality entertainment. The competition is really starting to hot up
now and can only get more interesting as the remaining semi final places
are decided. Why not come along next week and show your support - I'm sure
all the bands will appreciate it. :o
MOO!pmsbull
8-)
Just
a quick note, we recently played at Wallsend Engineers Club, and to be
honest when we got there we weren't sure whether we would go down well
with it being a club and us playing rock/indie. BUT we were pleasantly
suprised. This club has only just started putting on fully live bands,
the audience were great and the concert chairman was a pleasure to work
with. They are trying out all sorts of music to see if they can bring
in more people and they were really friendly. We'll definetely go
back.
Shazz
KickBack
Sabbatica,
Three Tuns, Fri 11th Sept 2009
Another
band I had been trying to see for some time finally got the Bull's eye
treatment at the Three Tuns last night and it was certainly worth the wait.
There are so many bands that do Sabbath covers in their sets but it takes
a brave bunch of lads to put their neck on the block and do a full tribute
to perhaps the heavy metal band of all time, and one guaranteed to create
a passionate response from the real purists.
Firstly
I have to say that I never have been a Sabbath devotee (Dio man myself)
and as such my real experience of the band lies strictly within the domain
of the classic well known material, and it was mostly this that Sabbatica
played tonight. Following what for me was an overlong introduction (the
entire Supertzar) the band were straight at it with Hole In The Sky and
were soon on good form, Dave's voice sounding big and strong for Snowblind
and the whole band jamming well through the funky Sweet Leaf. Producing
a monstrous sound, drummer Martin rocked like a MOFO even if the mix was
spoiled by a limp sounding snare that risked castrating what was a total
powerhouse performance. Quite simply amazing drumming all night long. The
mix also hampered Martin's guitar first half as the sound man insisted
on over amping the solos to such an extent that you couldn't hear anything
else the band were playing, and on some occasions it actually became painful.
Undeterred
the band rocked on and Brian took his chance to shine with the killer riffs
of N.I.B. exciting an already appreciative audience that eagerly shouted
back the chants of "OH YEAH!" and both this and set closer Sabbath Bloody
Sabbath were brilliant.
Had
a great chat with some of the lads at half time and found them to be very
approachable and laid back and more than happy to take on board the sound
issue which was notably better second set.
Dropping
in a few classic Ozzy solo numbers didn't hurt and both Crazy Train and
Bark At The Moon were very well received as was the section when a Tuns
regular who looked like Ozzy was plucked out from the crowd and stood up
to mime Never Say Die while Dave sang from the wings. Worked brilliantly
and gave everybody a great laugh too. Nice to see a band not taking them
self too seriously.
The
unholy trinity of Iron Man, War Pigs (complete with MASSIVE audience singalong)
and Paranoid closed out what had been an excellent show and audience demands
for more were met with Children Of The Grave.
Sabbatica
sent lots of punters home very happy tonight and the atmosphere inside
a packed Three Tuns was as hot and humid as ever. Great band and a great
night. I will be back for more!
MOO!pmsbull
:-)
Three
Tuns BOTB 1st Quarter Final, Thrs 10th Sept 2009
Bands
competing : Billy Bloodaxe, A Thousand Lies, Beth Macari, Chrome Attic
Unfortunately
due to illness Billy Bloodaxe was forced to withdraw at the eleventh hour,
a real shame as several people were looking forward to hearing his stripped
back retro electro-pop angst. Best wishes go out to Billy for a speedy
recovery.
A
Thousand Lies : A band I have seen perform many times now and they
were absolutely on the money tonight. Ripped into their stadium quality
contemporary sounding metal with a vengeance, raw and aggressive yet at
the same time very polished. Several people commented on being totally
blown away by their performance tonight.
Beth
Macari : Only an iPod for backing but with the vocal talent to shine
among any lineup, if you have never heard Beth sing you need to do so ASAP.
Modern standards and to up to the moment popular chart sounds, all neatly
delivered with the sweetest of dulcet tones. Little woman with a big voice
destined for bigger things. Nailed every song.
Chrome
Attic : Female voiced catchy sounding band with a soulful edge. Mix
some funky Santana influenced salsa guitar with jazzy brass section and
a healthy dose of sassy attitude and the result is smooth and melodic.
Class band that I have seen several times now but were just lacking a little
spark tonight. Big kudos to Ian (Mojo Hand) for stepping in literally at
the last moment to play sax in the absence of Chrome Attic's brass section.
Result
: Beth Macari and A Thousand Lies go through to the Semi Final stage,
dates to be confirmed.
Healthy
turnout for what was a great night of entertainment, not least the debut
of my chair destroying act - but that's another story... :-X
MOO!pmsbull
:-)
RIFFS
,
when
it comes to a mans birthday you know he will want to celebrate in style
so after studying RIFFS GIG GUIDE my mates and I opted for SLEEPERS and
the magnificent PISTERLEROS and what a great choice we made . When you
see a band with musicians of the quality of AARON , ANTH , PHIL and TED
you can guess just how good the gig will be before the first note is struck
. To perform a set list which includes songs from such a diverse selection
of artists as ZEPPELIN , VAN MORRISON , BLUE OYSTER CULT , THE WATERBOYS
and NEIL YOUNG just highlights what a superb band the PISTERLOS are ! The
PISTERLEROS were red hot right from the very first chord and did not let
up for a second. However , not again did I hear you cry ? , as the first
half came to it's climax I found myself gazing out of the window behind
the band and noticed just how big the car park is situated between the
pub and the METRO station . There were Black , Red , White , Grey , Silver
, why are there so many Silver cars on on the road ? , and even one
with a Union Jack on the top ! all parked there .I also made a note of
the frequency of the Metro trains both Eastbound and Westbound and began
to wonder how many SLEEPERS there were on the track I began to count
after dividing the length of track by the distance between the Sleepers,
this took an eternity now this maybe boring the arse of even the most hardened
reader but for me it is not a boring as bloody KASHMIR , this ones for
you AARON and ANT , I know I rabbit on about this song but I do love
ZEPPELIN and the band's renditions of THE OCEAN AND OVER THE HILLS AND
FAR AWAY were nothing short of superb . Thanks boys for making a lads birthday
celebrations get off to a superb start you really were outstanding.
Terry
We
played the black bull in wardley last night what a good night we
had ,was made very welcomeby staff & management , not bad get in &
out was a bit quite at first but soon filled up once we started playing,
they did say it is sometimes quite not sure why maybe no body knows about
it yet ! we got this gig only a week before so not many would have known
we were playing at all ...so were'nt sure what to expect.. what a good
crowd though all the same.. this venue has been taking over by new management
and they are trying hard to have it as a good live music venue , no crap
karaoke or discos just live bands friday & maybe saturdays as well..please
go along & support this venue if you can we need places like this more
so now with pubs closing etc..put it on the map....we will be back there
for rebooking later in the year or early next year ...
HOT
ROCKS
The
27 Club (S/T album)
As
most readers will know, rock and metal is what I spend the vast majority
of my time both listening to and writing about, but what do you do when
a band comes out of left field with an album that simply stops you in your
tracks and demands to be heard :o? Such is the case with The 27 Club,
a band that I first came across while judging a battle of the bands competition
and one that several who saw their performance tipped as a running favourite
for the title. ;)
One
of the most endearing qualities of this band is the ability of the songwriters
to deliver subtle yet powerful messages while never feeling that they are
preaching to you, something that will certainly gain them some qudos among
their target audience. Standout track 'No Beats' will ring true with anyone
who has ever despaired at the fact that "great" Britain is rapidly turning
into chav nation. :-/
The
quality of musicianship is top drawer and all over this album there are
sparks of genius, not least in the effortlessly rapped and very inventive
lyrics that are expertly matched to street fed hip hop beats seasoned with
a mix of jazz and ragamuffin. Check out the track 'Hard Core' which I guarantee
will get you bustin' moves on first listen. :P
The
very definition of the word excellence, absolutely superb live and the
coolest thing I've heard since Fun Lovin' Criminals, The 27 Club are surely
destined for stardom. Watch this space! 8-)
Check
out their myspace page at www.myspace.com/the27clubmusic
MOO!pmsbull
:-)
AUGUST
Hi
everyone
It's
Bri here from THE ROGUES. I'd just like to warn anyone who has gigs
lined up to play at The Station, Redcar, that they should contact the new
landlord first, and ask for confirmation of their fee.
Our
band played there last night, Saturday, and although admittedly, there
wasn't as many punters there as usual, everyone who was there really
enjoyed the night. We played 2 encores, and came off, to be payed £40
short !
We've
been a regular band at The Station for the past 3 and a half yrs, and have
never had any problems with landlords there during that time. We have always
played fair, and our fee is no higher than the average local covers band,
( maybe even less than some) but this was just taking a liberty.
I
could, but I won't go into detail. It's not worth the hassle. Needless
to say we won't be playing there again, unless he pays us our full amount,
plus the £40 that he owes us. We have cancelled our next gig there
in November.
The
sad thing is that The Station has always been a great venue to play, but
if it's not careful, it could go the way of many others.
So
don't forget guys, if you're playing there in future, check your fee first.
The Rogues certainly won't be back.
Bri.
Three
Tuns BOTB Heat 6 Thrs 27 Aug 2009
Bands
scheduled to compete were 3 Ways Of Thinking, Sunday Best, The Phades
& No Album Reviews.
Sunday
Best :Fast paced indie with shades of Blur and Stereophonics. Frontman
sounded a bit like Noel Gallagher on one song which was quite rocky but
soon showed his own touch, especially on 'Lady Muck'.
Kings
Of Leon cover was mediocre but remainder of originals showed promise, especially
the very impressive 'Back Room' and closer 'Suzy Sway'. Some occasional
tuning problems with guitars, good drummer, decent performance.
3
Ways Of Thinking :Group made up of 5 lads around 17 years old and a
girl singer who is only 14. For such a small lass Rachel had an incredibly
strong voice that reminded me a bit of Gwen Stefani crossed with Avril
Lavigne though could be hard to understand at first listen due to being
slightly over stylised. Nice touch was the use of a pink microphone with
matching lead. A couple of strong covers sat well against the bouncy, lively
poppy rock sounding originals with 'Go Play In Traffic' especially noteworthy.
As
The
Phades and No Album Reviews failed to show up, both these bands
get a walk over into the Quarter final draw. It's believed that one of
those bands has split and the other is undergoing a lineup change.
BOTB
takes a short break but we look forward to seeing you all for the first
quarter final on 10th September. Remember to show your support for live
music in Gateshead and cheer on your favourite as they battle it out for
the Guinness Grand.
MOO!pmsbull
:-)
3
Tuns BOTB heat 5, Thrs 20th Aug 2009
Decent
turnout last night for this latest round, and what a night they saw!
Mojo
Hand Blues Band : Opened up appropriately with a song that included
the line "Going down to Louisiana, get me a mojo hand" and straight from
the off saxophonist and harp player Ian showed some serious chops. Supertight
bass and drums along with a very impressive guitarist made the set steam
on down the tracks and numerous popular rhythm and blues standards flowed
with treacle smoothness. Highlight for me was a nice bit of Ray Charles.Sing
along soulful and guaranteed to get your's working, Mojo Hand are one to
see. Loved it.
Heavy
Lies The Crown : The word 'heavy' fails to describe this band. Highly
animated singer screaming his lungs out over some monster riffs made for
a completely Marmite experience. Musically they need to tighten up a touch
but they certainly do rock. Second song changed pace a little and had one
of the guitarists singing contrasted against the overlaid screams creating
an almost anthemic effect showing that, when they decide to reign it in
a little, these lads might just have something. There is certainly a market
for this kind of screamo, but I just wish the singer had been understandable.
Maybe I'm getting old ?
Knuckledragger
:
Deliberately de-tuned sounding for an extra aggressive feel, Knuckledragger
exploded onto the stage in a wall of noise and flying hair. Soon to be
released single "Me" was, like most of the material here, full of disjointed
almost brain-crushingly intense broken down riffs that somehow hang together
then smack you right in the face with their power. Awesome drummer, sledgehammer
bass and a singer/guitarist as intense as Dave Grohl on bad acid. Highly
inventive, if you like sludgecore and rippercrust then Knuckledragger are
your wet dream. Viciously heavy, this band kicked major ass.
Fyeron
:
Female fronted heavy metal band that absolutely blew me away! Off stage,
singer Debi is as shy and retiring as the smallest mouse, but on stage
she becomes a total wildcat of a frontwoman with a simply enormous stage
presence and a voice to die for. The musicianship on display here is excellent
and the heavy yet melodic sound is a perfect complement to Debi's style
with a song that I think was called 'The Devil In Eve' being particularly
impressive. One word for this performance - awesome!
Tramp
Juice : Three piece that strangely lack a bass player. Any band fronted
by Colin (better known as part of 'Stan') is going to have decent material
but the sheer quality of songwriting here is at times staggering.
Some
of Colin's lyrics are raw as a freshly scraped knee in the depth of their
emotional content and I'm quite happy to go on record in stating that 'Sign
Of The Times' is IMO worthy of an Ivor Novello award. Closed with the upbeat
'Tall Grass' and kept me spellbound through out.
RESULTS
: Man, was this a tough one!! Mojo Hand, Tramp Juice and Fyeron go through
as of right and Knuckledragger go into the wildcard draw. Personally this
was one of the most enjoyable nights I have had in the Three Tuns. The
quality and diversity of the bands in this round - several who came with
deserved reputations - was just amazing. As hard a task a judging this
BOTB has become, I'm loving every moment and performances like these make
it all worth while. A simply superb night.
MOO!pmsbull
:-)
Hi
Val,
Following
on from the Cherry Tree in Ayton, I think you can add The Keelboat in Fatfield,
Washington as another ex venue. We have just been cancelled there, (Black
River Band) as new management has taken over from Stu the last one.
We were told that it's not viable to put bands on anymore, so anyone booked
in, phone sooner rather than later to check if you are still on. Bazza
(BRB)
PS
does anyone have a phone number for the Duke of Cumberland, Felling and
not 0191 420 0568 as this is now a private house number, so cross that
off your lists plus tell Riffs so they can add it to the list of venues
pages.
I
read with interest Bazza's letter, plus one or two others on here. We have
suffered as much as any with pub's closing, this summer alone we have lost
four good venues, so us bands need as much help as possible to keep going
too, because sometimes you can get very 'downhearted' when you find that
another venue has gone, or your'e 'double booked'.
That's
were websites like this come in, Riffs has always been good, we have managed
to find gigs, and musicians on here, as well as promote our band, and some
of the venture's.
I
hope this will continue, we all need all the help we can get, venues and
bands alike.
Scooby
(The Mystery Machine)
In
response to Terry's lovely letter (below) I just want him to know that
I thoroughly appreciate his comments. Yes it was quiet but hey, we gotta
just keep rolling on. I honestly think the Tuns is a fantastic place to
see live bands, I really believe that. The atmosphere is nice, there's
no hassle, the staff are nice. If people don't want to come along and see
a genius like Paul Kappa what can you do?
Hiya
all,
just
a note to agree with the previous letter about the Garricks Head, we played
there on Saturday the 15th August and enjoyed a great audience and a cracking
gig, we all enjoyed it as did everyone there apparently, so cheers again
to them.
Taff
In At The Deep End
We
played @ THE BIRD in high handenhold on sunday 16 th..pics will be on web
site soon! what a great place it is for bands, was made very welcome by
briony (hope i have spelt this right) mangeress..and enjoyed the whole
time we were there(shame bout the weather could have been in garden) as
it is only small pub..and would like to thank the guys for helping us out
with the gear as all bands know its the last thing you want to do after
a gig!! we have played some great venues lately and we thank them all for
having us !! it was our guitarists last gig on sunday..very sad..but work
commitments stop him having fun! we wish him luck in whatever he does..bet
he misses it!!
we
are welcoming our new guitarist michael into the fold on friday @ the ship
inn wylam his first gig !! ..
cheers..Roxy,
HOT ROCKS
Riffs
,
Saturday
15/08/09 saw the return of PAUL KAPPA to the Three Tuns. I originally
requested Paul as an artist of choice after seeing him perform in his own
city , Liverpool . Paul at the TUNS ever willing to give the music fans
in our area something different responded and duly booked him for what
many described as the gig of the year . I was delighted to see that KAPPA
were to make a return visit and turned up in plenty of time as I anticipated
a sell out . My disappointment at the very poor turn out must have only
been beaten by PAUL as he must have shelled out a bucket load of dosh to
bring this outstanding turn back to the TUNS.
As
for PAUL KAPPA and his band , PAUL was disappointed too as he loves to
perform to North East music fans , the poor turn out did not deter him
from putting in another outstanding shift and he did not let up from
the very first note until the last . PAUL KAPPA is an outstanding live
performer playing a mixture of original songs , rock standard covers and
some quirky covers too . PAUL'S energy is legendary and to perform
such long sets proves he is a performer who loves to play live first and
foremost to anyone prepared to turn up . To witness PAUL KAPPA move from
, a behind the head version , of BOLERO into a scintillating version of
ACE OF SPADES is a joy to behold . Many , many thanks to both Paul's for
a magnificent nights entertainment , but most especially to Paul Smith
for booking this outstanding band again . PAUL ,mate , I know you must
be disappointed but all who did bother to turn up could not drag themselves
away . Maybe two gigs in South Shields prevented some who I know love this
band from turning up but where were the locals ? they must have known KAPPA
were on . Thanks again PAUL 'S for a great night .
I
noticed NIGE and VAL were in attendance I hope they had a night as enjoyable
as my wife and I did .
All
the best Terry H
Hi
All,
Over
the last few months I have noticed a lot of letters about poor audience
attendances, the end result will be obviously, no venues leading to no
gigs and perhaps no bands. After all what's the point if you have nowhere
to play, unless you offer your services for free. But surely this can't
only be put down to the no smoking policy & the credit crunch, there
must be more to it. As Paul from the Three Tuns says, all bands must pull
their weight when promoting their gigs. We have full colour A3 posters
to send out to venues, we put all our gigs on line at as many listings
sites as we can find, even national & international ones and our own
band & personal sites, listings mags and even local papers, if they
offer a free listing. Sites like Reverbnation even have an auto email send
out of up & coming gigs, to your fans (once you enter them on your
data base).
Now
I'm going to stick my neck out here and say, I think one of the biggest
problems is low prices for drinks in the Supermarkets et al. I'm sure that
Riffs is read more by venues, bands & muso's than the general public
so it's to you I'm talking. It's time that we as band members, venues,
the pub trade in general, Musician's Union, Equity, record labels, promoters,
radio stations, tv stations, infact anyone or business's that rely on new
blood i.e new bands and music, dancers, singers, actors, technicians etc,
that come through playing in small clubs & pubs, small theatres etc
will all suffer if these places die off. Not forgetting the job losses,
bar persons, cleaners, landlords & the biggie loss of taxation, rates,
rents, local amenities and so forth. So with a general election not too
far off, start badgering your MP (for your vote or not), push the MU or
Equity if a member, bombard your union if in one, to do something to even
up the playing field, and scrap this unsustainable price difference. Personally
I'd like to see supermarket prices on a comparison price (or close to it)
to the average pub price, at the end of it all which brings in the government
more money a 25p can of crap lager or pubs up and down the country pulling
in the punters. I know everyone likes a cheap drink, but if it's that or
a place to play ..... I'll let you do the maths. I'm sure many will disagree
with me but lets open the debate here and see if we can't all put our heads
together and try and find a solution. Otherwise it's only going to be X
Factor & Britain's Got Talent if you want to see a new act (providing
Simon Cowell can make a quick pound or two out of them, so don't even bother
any punk, rock, rap, blues bands) I think I'd rather see a live band locally.
I can see it now nodding heads of agreement but sadly I think nothing will
happen because we the Brits are we too laid back, bored, can't be bothered
and I've probably wasted my time writing this, I hope not?
Bazza
(BRB)
The
passing of the iconic Les Paul reminds us all just how different
the world would have been without him. Inventor of multitracking and one
of the most famous electric guitars ever made, he was an inventor , pioneer,
and of cause a great player. He lived to a ripe old age and never stopped
gigging playing every week at a jazz club in New York right up to a few
weeks before his death. An inspiration to all us guitar players I will
certainly be playing my Les paul at this weekends gigs. R.I.P Les
Russ
Hird
Hello
everyone,
Got
to be honest and say the bands visiting South Shields this year have been
a little bit disappointing. With the exception of Blue Diamond, Big
River, Poor Boys, Heavy Load and Beckett. All these bands have
visited S/S lately and played some marvellous Classic rock, stuff that
you understand and can sing along to. (Wishbone Ash, Free, Neil Young,
Tull, Floyd, Eagles, Skynrd, Stones to name a few).
We
seem to have bands wanting to blast you out the pub shouting and screaming
songs that are so distorted you can't understand a word there singing.
Am
I getting old (53 yrs) or am I right. Maybe I haven't got a clue what I'm
talking about. But I'm of the opinion on a Friday night there's nothing
better than having a gallon of beer and a good sing song with the band.
Can
I thank the person who told me about Big River (previous letter)
they have good harmony's, good songs and were excellent last Friday at
the packed Lord Clyde, even the manager took part with his sweeping brush
when Harvest Moon was being performed.
Well
done lads, one of the best night outs we've had this year (and its August).
Regards,
Hansom
Les, Flash, Flood and the drips.
RIFFS
,
for
all looking for a band to see this weekend PAUL KAPPA is back in
town check the gig listing he is at THE OFFICE and THE THREE TUNS if you
have not seen him get along to one or both venues you will not be disappointed
!
Terry
Hi
Many
thanks to all at the Garricks Head on Friday 7th from the Copycats.
We
had a great gig playing classics from the 60’s/70’s, nice to have full
house to the end and a great encore finishing with a rendering of HI O
Silver lining.
I
know we were only a stand in band at the last minute but thanks to Angus
and the staff for a fantastic night.
C
U soon.
Ken
(bass player with the Copycats)
Hi
All.
Just
a quick note to let you know that “The Whodlums” now have a replacement
drummer and we are very excited and delighted to have Steve (ex Hocus
Pocus) onboard, I read Steve’s Bio on the Hocus Pocus website and it
was obvious to me that he is a big Who Fan and loved the way Keith Moon
played. When we first met Steve he chose one of the trickiest songs to
play in the audition from our set list and he nailed it. Not only did he
nail all of the songs in the audition he entertained us all night with
his great sense of humour.
Welcome
aboard the Magic Bus Steve.
We
would also like to thanks all of the lads who showed interest and came
along to the auditions.
Cheers
John,
Pete and Andy.
3
Tuns BOTB heat 3, Thrs 6th Aug 2009
Bands
competing : 1862, Lycan, Beth Macari, The
Mosaics
As
soon as the first band started the room filled up nicely. There was a decent
turn out for what was a very good night but a complete nightmare to judge
due to the sheer diversity and strength of acts.
1862
:
Indie meets rock with a hard tempered edge. Opened in superb style and
absolutely tore up the stage with the first two songs "Policing Thieves"
and "Roman Candle" on which the vocalist strangely sounded a little like
Brian Johnson. Remainder of set more indie/brit sounding displaying some
good songwriting skills especially on closer "Lighthouse". Very tight and
confident.
Lycan
: In your face style hard rocking sleaze with a punky edge. "Blood" has
a great mini-hook that stays with you long after the set and the multi
layered "Fall From Grace" showed vocalist Jason has the ability to write
conceptual tracks in an epic vein. If I had to make one criticism it would
be for Jason to reign in the power a notch or two on the really aggressive
notes. "Vegas Wh@re" is a kickass MOFO of a song that got a deserved crowd
response during which the guitarist really shone. Getting better with every
gig, Lycan make a very strong case for themself.
Beth
Macari : The recent split from former bandmates AK7 obviously having
no effect on her confidence, Beth used an ipod for backing and delivered
some classy covers of contemporary modern pop and the odd classic. A reworked
version of Cindi Lauper's "Time After Time" sang to acoustic guitar backing
was an absolute stunner from the young lady with a growing reputation and
the voice to deserve it.
The
Mosaics : Highly rated band that come with a big reputation for quality
songwriting and professional performance and on last night's evidence it's
obviously well deserved. Musically watertight the song "Landslide" was
a real standout but even this paled to insignificance when compared against
the absolutely stunning "Runner". The equal to anything Travis or Snow
Patrol have produced, this is a sublimely outstanding song
and
why record companies are not all over this band like a bad suit is a complete
mystery to this reviewer. Absolutely captivating performance throughout.
RESULT
: Bath Macari and The Mosaics go through as of right and 1862 go into the
wildcard draw with a good shout after registering a very decent score.
Commiserations to Lycan who gave a good enough performance on the night
to see Paul Smith speaking to the band afterward regarding future gigs.
Once
more the Three Tuns BOTB produced some stunning performances from a very
strong field of entrants in what is shaping up to be a very tasty competition.
Come along next week and show your support, I'm sure the bands will appreciate
it.
MOO!
pmsbull :-)
Sticky Fingers,
3 Tuns Friday 7th Aug 2009
Sticky
Fingers are a band that I have tried to get to see for over two years.
Every time I made a gig something disastrous would happen and I would get
a phone call then have to leave to go sort things out, so it was
with
some trepidation that I entered a packed Three Tuns last night in good
time for the start of the first set. The opening Queen medley including
We Will Rock You and Tie Your Mother Down didn't quite deliver for me,
but as soon as the lads started their third song - Judas Priest's
'Metal Gods' - it was like a totally different band was on stage. UFO classic
'Lights Out' followed and by now the Stickies are going full steam, rocking
out good and hard. There is only one word for Phil's guitar playing on
this track - awesome! Drop in Van Halen's 'Lets Talk About Love' followed
by a huge guitar solo spot that led into Satriani's 'Surfing With The Alien'
and 'Breaking The Law' for a bit more Priest and you have the makings of
a great first set. Had a good laugh with Phil when everybody moved outside
to cool off during the break and even made him watch in anticipation while
I checked my phone for any messages, expecting the end of the world had
been announced or some other impending doom was upon us... Nothing! Not
a thing! I could not believe my eyes when I saw there were no messages
and no missed calls, even to the point of joking Phil should punch me in
the face to see if I was actually awake and not dreaming the entire thing,
LOL. Second set opened with a Zeppelin medley of 'Communication Breakdown',
'Rock N Roll' and 'Whole Lotta Love' and it was here that the sheer volume
and thump of Keith Moore's bass drum really made it's impact. I don't think
I have ever heard as loud a kick anywhere. Blending nicely with Phil's
Finley's bass, this is a good rhythm section for Phil Martin to build upon.
Fronting
a band like Sticky Fingers is no easy job, especially considering the length
of time they have been around and the following they have built up but
Mark Evans looks so relaxed on stage you feel he was born there. If I had
to level a criticism it would be that Mark either absolutely nails a song
or fails to, and occasionally this can make the one's he does not stand
out a little in comparison. That in itself is probably harsh criticism
and considering the sheer mix of styles that Sticky Fingers play it's a
huge ask for anyone to nail them all.
As
a front man Mark works the crowd superbly. Guaranteed to get a party atmosphere
going every time he picks up a microphone, and there in is his magic. The
man had the entire audience eating from the palm of his hand all night.
As
mixed a bag as you can imagine, as the second set drew on the audience
were partying harder with every song and Mark barely had to sing a line.
Moving bassman Phil take center stage to sing 'Teenage Kicks' really worked
and when Mark returned to close out the set with 'Enter Sandman'
and a bouncy 'Anarchy In The UK' the audience took their voices through
the roof and there now followed one of the loudest chants of "MORE! MORE!"
I have ever heard and after jokingly starting 'Blaydon Races' the encore
of 'Whole Lotta Rosie', 'Sweet Child O' Mine' and 'Paranoid' received a
level of applause that sent any remaining roof tiles spinning off into
space. The summation of this thoroughly enjoyable night is simple : If
you want your pub packed out with punters singing their heads off with
a beer in their hand and a song in their heart, book Sticky Fingers.
MOO!pmsbull
:-)
Hi
Riffs
To
all you people that like live music there seems to be a creeping problem.
In the words of Joni Mitchell 'You don't know what you got, till it's gone'
it's certainly true.
We
played at the Rose and Crown Winlaton on Saturday night and in truth the
venue and the people running it can't seem to do enough.
After
all my years of playing both clubs and public houses my criteria and expectations
have a different value.
At
The Rose and Crown we have a great venue, a lovely big room where you can
be seen from anywhere in the room and a nice playing area, another important
point for all, the toilets were spotless. So, here we have one good venue,
four really nice bar staff and one band raring to go. NO AUDIENCE.
I
personally don't smoke but I can understand the huge change to the smokers,
but this venue has gone out of it's way to provide three smoking areas,
covered and uncovered, so is smoking the problem ?. Is it the price of
the drink ?, again I don't know.
I
do know that when the gig is no longer there someone will moan 'huh there's
nowhere to see live music'. You got to use it or lose it people.
If
you have a complaint with the venue then talk to the staff/landlord/landlady
they want to make it work, it's not a benevolent society for pub owners.
They have to get it right, but if your a live music lover (not karaoke)
then get out there to your local scene.
Regards
Dave Shearer - Soul Rebels
Hi
Everyone,
DIABLO
has one of their busiest weekends of the year coming up this week. Thursday
sees us at one of our favourite venues The George Stephenson inWest Moor,
before our first visit (on Saturday) to the popular Lord Clyde in South
Shields which we are looking forward to. Then on Sunday we headline the
annual Allendale Beer Festival with beer and bands on all day!
Several
DIABLO pals have asked about t-shirts again this year. Well, we are repeating
last year's silver logo on black and we will have a small quantity with
us this weekend. I guess t-shirt season is coming to a close, so we don't
have many, but we have an arrangement with our suppliers that they will
print to order - any size, any colour, ladies or men's shirts.
We
have also added a small number of DIABLO baseball caps which are logo'd
in DIABLO's silver and the caps themselves (one size fits all we are told)
will be available in black, red or green. So we are not left with unsold
items, we are largely doing merchandise to order and it usually takes 7/10
days, so please let us know.
T-shirts
and caps are £7.00 each and if you can't make an imminent DIABLO
gig, as ever we'd be happy to post them to you.
The
live double album "Weighed, Measured & Found Wanting" is nearly sold
out and Davy's solo album "Quietly In The Background" will be sold out
in the next couple of weeks. DIABLO's original album "Violet Scent Of Rose"
will of course, be available at all gigs.
Look
forward to seeing you on the weekend, have a good week!
Dave
Drums DIABLO xx
Hi
,
On
behalf of Big River ,We wish to thank Phil and all the staff, at
the Lord Clyde, the venue which we played on Friday 7th August, what a
brilliant night, the audience were fantastic, they all seem to know
there music,especially the Neil Young fanatics in the front,who really
made a good night for us, this is a great venue for bands and we wish Phil
every success for the future.Well done to everyone,
Cheers.Al
Hi..all
in
reply to norm about red star in seaham yes i do applogise the red
star are still getting bands on on fridays
it
is only sundays that they arent ,i just realised that im sorry..for any
confusion .. my appologies to the venue
roxy
Hi
Nige/Val
The
last letter on you Letters Page from someone called Roxy saying that The
Red Star in Seaham has ceased putting bands on is not correct - when I
read the letter I contacted Ken the manager of The Red Star & he confirmed
that he had in fact stopped bands on Sundays but Friday nights were
still going strong.
So
The
Force will still be doing their thing on Friday 4th September.
Cheers,
Norm
in
reply to the red star football club in seaham..
just
read the letter about this venue..and bands - they arent getting
bands on anymore (already) we have had our gig cancelled for next month..so
the bands booked till december wont be on so the people who didnt go to
support this venue neednt bother now!!!
lol...maybe
they will think about it when all live music venues are gone...but i wish
venue's would give it a fair chance!
roxy
Newcastle
Blues Fest - A Bull's Eye View
In
support of such a worthy cause as the "Give Tilly A Hand Appeal" and after
a level of promotion seldom seen round these parts, the only place to be
on Sunday was Gosforth Civic Hall. Firstly an apology. As I was unable
to attend the whole day, there were a number of bands that had already
given their services and performed free of charge and consequently are
omitted from this review. Take a bow 1862, Beth Hopper, Vader Grande, Black
River Blues Band, Bushwhackers, Dirty Dogz and Mojo Hand. I would like
to take this opportunity to thank them and indeed everyone who worked so
tirelessly to make this event happen, none more so than Les from Rock 4
All.
Arrived
at 7.30pm to find a large circular room filled with tables, main stage
up top and smaller second stage at the bottom where the Bandits had just
started "Walking The Dog". Seeing Bad Bob Bates working the crowd like
the old pro he is gave me a sense of de-ja-vu as I had only just seen them
at The Three Tuns the other night. Not that this mattered as they were
solid as ever. One of the North East's top bands on top form.
With
the event now running about one act behind time, the Poorboys took to the
larger main stage a little after 8pm and the de-ja-vu continued as I had
only just seen them last Sunday night. Again, this mattered not one jot
as the Bandits followed by the Poorboys has to be one of the local music
scene's greatest feasts. Saving the best for last, the Poorboys rounded
off their set with an amazing cover of Moby's "Natural Blues" that brought
a whole new dimension to what was already an all time classic track.
9pm
rolls around and the John Whitehill Band take to the main stage with Bob
(Poorboys) guesting on guitar and vocals. "Cross Cut Saw" was so good that
when I closed my eyes and rocked back in my chair, I found myself in some
smoke filled New Orleans whiskey joint at 3am. Just when I'm thinking it
can't get any better than this - it does. The Albert King classic "As The
Years Go Passing By" was for me the high point of this event so far. Even
Bob's world class vocal on this was overshadowed by John Whitehill's guitar
performance that had me absolutely spellbound. The lightness of touch and
depth of feel John demonstrated during this song will stay with me for
the rest of my life. One of the greatest performances I have ever seen.
Bringing
a total change of pace, Minnie & The Victors lit up the main stage
at around 9.35pm with their upbeat bluesy soul and a reworked version of
"Spinning Wheel" showed just what a confident performer Minnie is. Very
big voice for such a small girl and overall the set had a feel not unlike
the female voiced tracks taken from The Commitments soundtrack. If I had
to level one criticism it was that the guitarist sounded very twangy but
apparently this was his last show with the band and a replacement has already
been secured. Good band otherwise -especially the saxophonist - and very
entertaining. I advise anyone to go and see our own "little miss dynamite"
(as one person described her) at the earliest opportunity.
After
what had been in all honesty a little too long of an intro speech, our
host Les introduced Russ Tippins onto the second stage at around 10pm for
what was a very intimate and superbly engaging acoustic set. Opinions as
to just who is the best performer on the local scene will always create
interesting conversation but one thing is for certain, on the day hell
freezes over and that argument is finally settled, Russ Tippins will be
in the top 5. Gems such as Alex Harvey's "Next" - a song I hadn't heard
in 15 years - and Zeppelin's "Kashmir" nearly brought the house down. "Train
Train" ratted on by with the gusto the title suggests and Page/Plant "Gallows
Pole" closed out a great set, even if an encore performance of Joni Mitchell's
"Big Yellow Taxi" wasn't to my taste. If you have not seen Russ solo or
with his Zeppelin tribute "Zep 3" then you must do so as soon as you possibly
can. The man comes with a big reputation and thoroughly deserves it. Pure
class.
Special
mention has to be made for the beautiful way Russ was lit by our own Magic
Marty who did a sterling job the entire night. Check out Jason Scoobysnaps
photos for a shot that perfectly captured the feel of this set.
At
around 10.45pm headliners The W.T. Feaster Band came onto the main stage
to an introduction that included the spoken prelude to Jeff Waynes musical
version of "War Of The Worlds" and then a snippet from Hendrix's "Star
Spangled Banner". I was delighted to get a chance to meet the guys backstage
before the show. Travis especially has an infectious personality and is
clearly itching to get up and play. It's so refreshing to find such a lack
of ego and the whole band are relaxed and easy going, still very humble
despite their obvious talent.
Travis
has a playing style that is both soulful and bluesy and when this young
man lets rip he displays the power usually associated with names such as
Stevie Ray. While he may not be quite in MR.Vaughan's class, he certainly
knows his way around a guitar! "Devils Daughter" worked it's way under
your skin like an itch you can't scratch and had a very tasty solo, the
first of many during what was a brilliant set. "Out Of Time" taken from
their CD is so catchy you will be singing along with it on second play.
Shaun
Bryan (bass) and Kelly Clark (drums) were recruited especially for this
tour. Both are highly regarded musicians and gave a great account of themself
providing a watertight backup to compliment Travis's flashy guitar style.
Highlight of the set for me was an excellent rendition of all time classic
Hendrix number "Hey Joe" complete with teeth plucking section and a brilliant
solo. The undisputed hit of the recent Maryport Blues Festival, this is
an excellent band - one you simply must not fail to see before they leave
our shores. I for one will make a point of getting to at least one of their
remaining shows.
Then
came the raffle draw...
I
won't go into detail but lets say that it robbed the evening of what had
been a brilliant atmosphere and personally I would have held this before
the headline band. Quite alot of people left during it - which was a real
shame because they missed a performance that tied for my personal highlight
of the entire event.
Just
after 12.15am and after a very long wait to perform, Victims Of The Fury
certainly lived up to their name! Tom Atkinson is IMO one of the greatest
prospects on our local music scene. Not only can this young man sing and
play the drums but he is a guitar God in the making. Already a mainstay
of several local bands, VOTF showcase just what this guy is all about -
guitar as a weapon.
It's
obvious from the buzz around him off stage that Tom lives only to play,
and given the chance to show off he certainly wasn't afraid to do so, climbing
on speaker stacks and throwing his guitar in the air. Playing Groundhogs
and Trower classics like he was born into it, he ripped up the stage like
a wild beast finally unchained after years in captivity. Flying hair and
awesome solos were given piledriver support from Chris on bass (who also
plays with Tom in the highly respected "Tubesnake") and Martin on drums
to deliver what was a truly memorable set. Personal highlight was a cover
of "Cherry Red" by The Groundhogs, a band Tom has actually jammed with
in the past. Talking of jams, both Russ Tippins and Bill Casely got up
to voice a steamroller version of "Communication Breakdown" to end this
brilliant performance.
Like
myself you may not know all the material, but after hearing it played like
this I guarantee you will be going out and buying the CD's! Only the real
hardcore music fans - including several BGGGP members - were savvy enough
to stick around for this. Victims Of The Fury could easily become the next
big thing to take the local scene by storm - and deservedly so. One of
the most exciting bands I have ever seen.
After
some great music there is usually some great craic. It had just gone 1am
and as the crew started packing up the main stage some of the local faces
were discussing the day's events when a bottle of champagne was produced
from the wings by Yvonne - the recently crowned backstage queen - and quickly
rounded upon by Russ Tippins who proceeded to swig away with glee and do
a pretty good Jensen Button impression. Looking every inch the rock star,
I'm sure champagne is nothing new to this man.
Reflecting
on the evening as a whole, I will be very interested to see just how much
money was raised for the "Give Tilly A Hand Appeal" - a worthy cause if
ever there was one. It was an honor to be asked to cover this event and
I hope everyone who reads this got a flavour for just what an incredible
occasion this was. Tilly will continue to need help for years to come so
please keep her and other disabled children in mind when considering which
causes to support. We are all finding things that little bit tighter these
days, but take a moment to consider how much harder it must be in their
shoes.
A
huge thank you to all who gave their time, effort and talent into making
this such a success. I know both Tilly and her parents are very grateful.
Roll on next year!
MOO!pmsbull
Dear
Riffs
Readers,
On
Friday 31st July we went to Seaham Red Star Football Club, where
they've only just started putting bands on on a Friday night. We
haven't
been before, but Tubesnake were playing, so we decided it didn't
really matter what the venue was like, at least we'd be sure of a fantastic
night. As it turned out the venue is brilliant!! There's a proper
stage, a room that's not as big as other clubs, but with plenty tables
and seating, loads of room for standing and a lovely big bar. There's
even a dance floor at the side of the stage, so the band weren't a mile
away from the crowd. I say crowd, but in fact there was hardly anyone
in. Maybe a couple of dozen people. As usual, the band were
fab and they filled the space with their music. But where was everyone?
Where were you? Everyone should go to the Red Star on a Friday.
And to top it all, Ken & Julie and the girls behind the bar, used to
have the Pemberton Arms at Cold Hesledon, so you know the bands
they book will be good ones. They've got bands booked up to December,
but they need people to go and see them. Go. It's a fabulous
venue. And to top it all, the beer's at club prices!
See
you there next time....
Paul
and Amanda
JULY
Dear
Riffs
Hocus
Pocus have decided after 6 years together to call it a day, the Band
will be playing their final Whitley Bay Show this weekend at the Fat Ox
on Friday. The band would like to thank all of its supporters over the
past 6 years. Friday at the OX will be very special as that is the
venue the band started off gigging
cheers
Steve
Hi
all, to everyone who made to the amphitheatre last night, many many thanks
for all your support. firstly a great set by the panthers, and an absolutely
fantastic crowd to help round off the end of the amphitheatre bands for
2009. The me me’s had a blast in front of most of the population
of south shields, Hebburn, Jarrow, and those who travelled from the outer
Hebrides (north of the Tyne). A special thank you to Andy buyers for giving
us the opportunity to be part of this years festival, and to our roadies
Jeff, Davey and demi for all their hard work on their night off,and to
our families for all your support.
Thanks
again to val and nige for your ongoing support to the music scene.
Hopefully
we’ll be back next year.
All
the very best to you all , SPARKY (THE ME ME’S)
Poorboys,
Central Club, Ashington, Sunday 19th July 2009
Now
here is a band that despite numerous attempts, I have been trying and failing
to see for over two years, having only caught three songs at The Tyne Bar
before I had to rush off in response to an urgent phone call.
So...
being unable to attend my intended gig for reasons that - to protect to
the stupid - shall remain unspoken, I headed off to Ashington to meet up
with my occasional partner in crime Jason Scoobysnaps who has been following
the band for some time.
On
arrival I was shocked to find an almost empty room, but that soon changed
once the band opened up.
I
didn't know alot of the material played tonight but there was no doubting
the quality of it's delivery, and judging by the way the familiar material
was presented the Poorboys were on fine form.
Local
tribute "Freeway" were one of my most loved gigs when Bob used to front
them and it's interesting to compare the transition in styles from their
material to that of the Poorboys. Opening up with Tom Petty's "You Wreck
Me" immediately had me biting and by the time Stevie Ray Vaughn's "Pride
& Joy" came around the Poorboys had me hook line and sinker - what
an atmosphere builder this was.
Throughout
the set there were a number of songs that literally gave me goosebumps.
Common standards are so often boringly delivered affairs, however the Beatles
"Come Together" and the Animals "House Of The Rising Sun" were so full
of gutsy attitude that I nearly clapped my hands off. Both of these should
have received a standing ovation.
As
previously mentioned, Bob is one of my favourite vocalists. In my opinion
nobody sings Free better and in the last two years his voice has if anything
grown even more soulful. Ably supported by the equally talented Graham
who both shared vocals - notably on John Hyatt's "Smashing Perfectly Good
Guitars" - and played some superbly felt solos, the Poorboys have a frontline
to match anyone around. Not to be outdone, Paul added his vocal talents
on one song while thumping out rock solid bass lines.
When
your drummer is sidelined due to ill health it's convenient to be able
to call on his son, Nicky doing a commendable job of filling his old man's
shoes. The best compliment I can pay the guy is that I would have never
known he was depping had I not been told.
Completing
the Poorboys sound, keyboard player Nige has not only a filthy sense of
humour but one of the best Hammond B4 samples I have ever heard, even to
the point that (being unable to see him from where I was sat) I thought
he was playing genuine retro keys.
During
the second set Neal Young's "Southern Man" was lifted to truly epic proportions
and the vastly extended encore of "Keep On Rocking In The Free World" was
simply staggering, mixing in all kinds of diversionary riffs that ranged
from the White Stripes "Seven Nation Army" to Metallica's "Enter Sandman"
before returning to it's own roots for a rousing finale.
After
such a long time trying to see the Poorboys, I can tell you it was more
than worth the wait. Unquestionably one of the tightest and most entertaining
bands around. I will be back!
MOO!pmsbull
:-)
SATURDAY
18th JULY WE HAD HOT ROCKS
AND
WE WERNT DISAPOINTED THIS BAND DOSE SOME GOOD COVERS AND DO THEM WELL
ITS
GOOD TO SEE A FEMALE SINGER PUTTING EVERYTHING SHES GOT IN TO HER PERFORMANCE
BAND WAS REALY TIGHT AND HAD A GOOD SELECTION OF CLASSIC TRACKS WOULD JUST
LIKE TO SAY A BIG THANKS ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND THE PUNTERS AND MANAGEMENT
OF THE BOARD INN
REGARDS
DECKA
Could
I please pass my thanks on to the lads of Old Codger who played
a charity night at Houghton Comrades Club 18th July, there was an absolutely
fantastic atmosphere as always and nothing was too much bother to them,
once again
thanks
Lads
Paul
Jeans & The Invisibles, Thursday 16th July, 3 Tuns
It's
pissing with rain on a humid and frankly boring Thursday night in sunny
Gateshead, so what's a Bull to do? Attending the showcase night at my favorite
pub is always a good idea so after convincing the car it wasn't gonna sink
I headed off in search of musical magicianship.
Having
missed the earlier bands as I didn't manage to get my shite sorted till
10pm, I began to think it was all some horrible dream as the vocals from
"My So-Called Wife" actually gave me a headache. Shame really as the band
were very tight and rocky.
The
real reason for tonight's excursion though was to see the much talked about
Paul Jeans & The Invisibles - so called because he is a one man band.
Now I know the image in your head is going to be some scruffy looking semi-alcoholic
tramp with a bass drum on his back, cymbals on knees and tambourine in
hand - but you couldn't be further from the truth!
Wearing
a harmonica stand round his neck and operating bass and snare drums with
his feet, Paul either played acoustic guitar of the keyboard he sat behind
and managed to do a great job of creating a lively singalong atmosphere
despite there only being fifteen or so people left in the pub.
Opening
up with an excellent cover of legendary Bowie classic "Five Years" it was
instantly clear to see this lad has something special, confirmed by the
strength of "I Thought You'd Try" - an autobiographical sounding song vaguely
reminiscent of Don McLean in it's melancholy lyrical tone. Excellent song.
Obviously
at home on stage, Paul dealt with a drunken heckler's request for "Stand
By Your Man" effortlessly, turning it into a running joke as the gig progressed.
Obviously playing a shorter set, Paul asked the audience what they wanted
to hear and covers of Tom Petty, Arcade Fire, White Stripes and a rapturously
applauded "Folsom Prison Blues" (Johnny Cash).
Completely
changing the pace and feel, Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" was greeted
with screams of approval, and even if for me it didn't quite work I still
enjoyed it, transporting me back to the halcyon days of Newcastle Mayfair....RIP.
Another
original "Car Crash" followed, having an almost Gilbert O'Sullivan vibe
to it and a weirdly psychotic mid section and this closed out the set to
screams of "More!"
An
encore performance of Bob Dylan's "Isis" was in all frankness boring, but
failed to put a damper on what had been an excellent performance from a
man who deserves your attention. He may be called Paul Jeans & The
Invisibles, but I strongly doubt he will remain so for much longer. Simply
sublime.
MOO!pmsbull
:-)
THE
RED STAR IN SEAHAM IS STARTING TO HOST LIVE BANDS. FIRST BAND THIS FRIDAY
17/7/09 IS FEED THE BEAR.A GOOD SIZE ROOM WITH A STAGE AREA.LETS SUPPORT
THIS VENUE AS SEAHAM IS A GREAT PLACE TO PLAY BUT SADLY WITH TOO FEW VENUES.
USE IT OR LOSE IT.
Hi
Val,
Please
give a mention to Andrew & the lads at the Plough Inn, Mountsett, for
helping to get our gear out at the end of the night. Anyone who's seen
us, Black River Band, will know we are not the most youthful of
bands (although we can rock with the best of 'em), and usually have to
wait for the 'Help the Aged' van to come and collect us (only joking).
But we do apprieciate the help and thanks again lads.
Barry
AKQ
Stottin @ Trillians Friday 10th July 2009
Yes,
I know what you're thinking - yet another piece from him about AKQ Stottin.
Don't he ever get bored with them? Well I must have seen AKQ Stottin a
gazillion million feckin times now and you know what? I can genuinely say
that I will NEVER get bored of seeing this band!
When
they play somewhere like The Three Tuns, AKQ get up close and personal
and front man Marti can be so in your face that on a hot and steamy night
you almost swap sweat, and it's on those legendary nights when the crowd
and band almost become one that AKQ Stottin transcend the level of mere
pub band and lift you away on a festival like wave of intensity that belongs
in one of those side tents at Glastonbury.
Trillians
however is for me an interesting place to see AQK Stottin, mainly because
it gives a different perspective of the band I know so well. Detached from
that almost physical link to their audience, AKQ show a different side
to themselves, but one no less entertaining.
Opening
with familiar aggression, "Bulls On Parade" begins the evening manifesto
for revolutionary musical self expression, releasing a tide of energy that
infects the crowd, Alex Harvey's "Faith Healer" providing no cure for the
wave of pent up anger that Marti prowls the stage upon. If they ever produce
a visual dictionary, there should be a picture of Marti next to the word
"intense", both for his vocal performance and absolute mastery in the art
of stagecraft.
AKQ
Stottin are known for being first rate entertainers, but the standard of
their musicianship is so often lost in the haze of madness they project
- not so tonight. Geordie played solid and tight, Vic beat the drums like
they just insulted him and Terry gave probably the best performance I have
ever heard him deliver, producing some incredible sound stages during the
extended distortions and harmonics that graced "Another Brick In The Wall".
The biggest compliment I can offer is that, closing my eyes, one could
easily have been at any number of classic Floyd performances. Terry Simms,
I salute you!
As
said, Entertainment with a capital E is always on offer at any AKQ Stottin
show, and the "Hands Of Doom" provided more than their fair share of frivolity
during the by now infamous rendition of "Black Sabbath" - including giving
me a good slap round the kisser! Guaranteed to raise a smile, the numerous
first timers were left rolling with laughter by Marti's antics with the
skeletal appendages from hell. What I want to know is when are we going
to see a resurrected crow from below?
A
return to intensity ensued with a rousing "Ghost Of Tom Joad", Marti feeling
the depth of every lyric as he spat them out with due venom. Cue guest
percussionist "Roxy" and the huge drum-a-thon that is "Green Manalishi"
as Marti threw his head around wearing the now obligatory dreadlocks.
Always
looking to leave the crowd something to remember, AKQ Stottin returned
to their musical heroes and delivered rip-roaring covers of RATM's "Killing
In The Name Of" (complete with crowd chant along) and "Freedom" - Marti
lying flat on the stage screaming with every last ounce of energy he had
left.
As
if to show it was all just one big game, Terry took the opportunity to
fake humping Marti where he lay, much to everyone's amusement. Despite
this, it was imposable to detract from what had been an eye opening performance
from a band that I thought held no more surprises for me. How wrong can
a man be?
The
surprise was that, deprived by Trillians stage of the almost personally
tangible contact with the audience that AKQ so thrive upon, tonight it
was their performance as an actual covers band that shone through.
They
may be the most dangerous band since the Sex Pistols, but tonight that
aspect of their presentation was outshone by the sheer musicality of it
all. Strip away the madness and the anarchy, and beneath the layers of
mirth lies a band that truly can perform with the very best our region
has to offer.
Long
may it continue.
MOO!pmsbull
:-)
(pics:
Jason Warne)
Hello,
Can
anyone help me?
Does
anyone
remember the Brass Alley line up when they were Long Vehicle?
I saw them at the Bombers Club in Gateshead but can only remember Dave
Ditchburn Vocals, Colin Mason Drums, Marty Craggs Sax, Barry Alton Guitar
and Stu Burlison Bass.
I
thought it was a bigger line up.
Peter
Annable
THE
BOARD INN , STELLA BLAYDON
NOTICE
TO ALL VENUES
WE
HAD NIGHT TRAIN A GUNS & ROSES TRIBUTE LAST NIGHT 4th
JULY
IVE
BEEN WANTING TO SEE THESE LADS FOR A WHILE AND FINALY HAD THEM LAST NIGHT
AND WHAT A NIGHT I HAD.
IF
YOU HAVENT SEEN THEM BOOK THEM THEY ARE TRULEY AMAZING AND SO GOOD AT WHAT
THEY DO.
NICE
TO SEE A BAND WHOO REALY ENJOYS WHAT THEY DO, I THINK THEY WOULD SUIT A
BIG BIKE RALLY. SO STORMIN, AND THE HOGG BASH LOOK INTO GETTING THEM BOOKED
THEY HAVE A BIG SOUND I WILL HAVE THEM BACK SOON.
ONCE
AGAIN THANKS LADS FOR A GREAT NIGHT
REGARDS
DECKA
Hello
riffs,
We (OLD CODGER) did the Steels WMC on sat and would just like to
give a few accolades out.
First .Dave who did our sound, Brilliant from front to back of the room
(takes some doing in the Steels) well done Dave.
Second .Arthur was so hospitable (as usual ) this lad does a great job
. See You soon Arthur
Steve
OLD CODGER
JUNE
Just
wanted to say thank you to Paul and the rest of the lads from the Paul
Rodgers Story for taking time out to write to Riffs and to namecheck
me for helping them out with a light show at the Office last Saturday.
It's always nice to be thanked for any work put in, and not to be taken
for granted, so thank you very much indeed to the band for appreciating
my efforts.
But
also while on the same subject of the Office lights, this is a good opportunity
to publicly ask 'ALL' bands that are due to play at the pub in the future,
that if they have their own lighting rig then please bring it along for
the gig! This is because only a minimal amount of the cans in the in-house
system are currently working, and in all honesty there's not enough to
give a decent light show for that size stage. However the Office does have
some in-house scanners & lazers and a smoke machine, which are marvellous
effect lights for occasional use, but not really for putting on full-time
throughout the entire duration of a show.
I
will continue to badger the Office management in an attempt to get the
rest of the in-house lights repaired & fully functional once again,
but in the meantime it's in the best interests of all bands due to play
there to bring their own!
And
if any bands don't have their own lights, then unfortunately they'll just
have to make do with the few lights that are presently working at the pub.
Thanks
once more to Paul and the P.R.S. They put on a great show, and the audience
quite happily would have had them play all night long.
Cheers,
... Colin Smoult.
THE
BOARD INN STELLA BLAYDON SATURDAY 27th JUNE
WE
HAD THE ROOSTERS I DIDNT KNOW QUITE WHAT TO EXPECT BUT AGAIN A BIG THANKS
TO JEFF AND THE LADS FROM THE ROOSTERS WE HAD A BRILL NIGHT EVERY ONE ENJOYED
THEM GOOD VERIED SET LIST WITH GOOD TUNES. ILL BE INTOUCH TO HAVE THES
LADS BACK ONCE AGAIN THANKS LADS.
REGARDS
DECKA
Hi
,
SPARTAN
would just like to thank Mad-Dog Mick and all the crew at Wardley Legion
Rock Nite for making us feel so welcome, we had a great night and are looking
forward to being back there in October.It was our first gig at the Legion
and even though we had a bit of a delay getting our gear to the venue,
we had a blast.
We
would also like to thank Gaz and all the staff and customers @ The Old
Tannery, Hexham who made Saturday another night to remember, we can't thank
you enough for the support at both venues and you made us feel right at
home.
Cheers
to you both...
Gazza
, Kev, Mick & Phil ( SPARTAN )
Just
like to give Col a big THANKS for the light show on Friday night at the
Office. I normally take a set of cans to gigs but as we were playing The
Office I took it for granted that the rig there would be okay. Not the
case, too many lamps out of action, so Col offered to put on a show for
us. Superb light show Col it made us put on a better show and the lasers
were an extra bonus. Hope you made it to your taxi mate. Thanks again.
Paul
S, Paul Rodgers Story.
Hi
Val,
My
name is Jo, I take care of the bands for The Rose and Crown in winlaton,
I
thought you might like to know about a band we had here recently, The Arrivals,
when they walked in they looked like a bunch of frightened school kids,
well they are school kids, but when they played WOW they were fantastic,
we have rebooked them to play on the 16th August if you want to pop along
and see them in action.
The
drummer is a little, erm?, hyper to say the least as when he was playing
he leaped up from his stool and ran around the pub, sat back down and never
once missed a beat.
I
think they are the one's to watch.
Hope
to see you at our venue but if not please go and see one of their gigs,
it'll be worth it.
Morning
folks,
just
thought I'd drop a line to say how much The Rivals enjoyed their
gig at Chinos in North Shields on Saturday. To be quite honest we'd heard
there had been some teething problems when they started putting live music
on, but these all seem to have been sorted now and for a venue such as
this, which is situated halfway on the road between two of North Shields'
more famous music pubs, we were happy to see that there wasn't an empty
seat in the house when we started.
The
manager was friendly, helpful and accommodating all night. Although he
had his own preferences for start times, he was happy to go with the flow
and we pretty much judged the crowd to work out when to start and end our
two halves. The venue does have a bit of a 'corridor pub' feel after 10:00
where a small handful of people do leave to go elsewhere regardless of
what happens, but there is another side to that as apparently while we
were on stage, a few of our friends had noticed people walking past, looking
through the window, realising there was something on, and turning around
to come in and check it out.
Chinos
will only really be putting on smaller, quieter acts, and so the manager
is really hoping to establish the place as an alternative for anyone who
has visited either of the bigger local venues only to find the band was
too loud or the bar was too busy - and from the looks of it, he might be
onto something.
Cheers,
Den
(The Rivals).
THE
BOARD INN
STELLA
BLAYDON
SATURDAY
20TH JUNE WE HAD VOODO SKY
JUST
TO SAY A BIG THANKS TO MALLA AND THE LADS FROM THE BAND VOODO SKY I THINK
I CAN SPEAK FOR ALL BY SAYING IT WAS A GREAT NIGHT. THIS BAND HAS A WIDE
AND VERRIED SET LIST WICH PLEASED EVERY ONE I THINK ANY ONE WHO HASNT SEEN
THIS BAND SHOULD GET THEM BOOKED AS I WILL DEFNATLY HAVE THEM BACK. THEY
HAVE A GOOD FOLLOWING ONCE AGAIN LADS THANKS FOR A GOOD NIGHT
REGARDS
DECKA
HI
LADS,
JUST
TO SAY REALLY ENJOYED YOUR GIG ON FRIDAY AT THE LORD CLYDE...LOVE THE NEIL
YOUNG STUFF ,ESP CINNAMON GIRL ITS THE BEST IVE HEARD IT PLAYED APART FROM
THE GUY HIMSELF,REALLY LIKE ALL THE STUFF YOU PLAY AND THE GUITAR PLAY
EXCELLENT. HARMONYS TOO, HOPE TO GET TO MORE OF YOUR GIGS SOON..............KEEP
ROCKING LADS . BRILL.
CHRIS.
Dear
all,
Just
like to thank all those people who shared a kind word with me following
the recent loss of my Mother. Mam was cremated yesterday (Tues 16th) at
Birtley where there was a considerable turnout of friends and family to
see her off. "When I see the angel shining in the sun, I know that I am
home". R.I.P. Ellen Ann Sinclair. 14th Nov 1926 / 8th June 2009.
Alreet,
A
bit confused about Laura's second letter about The Factory. Surely when
you start a letter with "A warning to ALL bands, stay away from Factory"
It is pretty to the point and cut and dried within that statement.
As
I said to Riffs at the time, cheap drink, lasses in fancy dress,
and loud music, sounded like my sort of night out! Also commenting on the
fact that there was bouncers on the door? You may find that when you venture
into city centre licensed premises of a weekend, you do encounter "door
ambassadors". I prefer this, as if there are people making it uncomfortable
for others who are trying to enjoy a well earned evenings entertainment,
they can be ejected with the minimum of fuss.
Granted
a lot of venues do come and go as many are just not suited to hosting live
music, but to warn ALL bands to stay away from a new venue because of an
acoustic folk night that went wrong is a tad extreme.
We
neither fall into the Rock or Pop categories, but I'm sure that when we
play there in October we will enjoy another good night out with the good
citizens of Sunderland.
Keep
on Keeping on,
Alan
Source
Buckets
Blowing (Away) Bubbles, Thurs 11th June
As
I'm sure most of you lot know by now, things have been a little subdued
here on Mucky Udder Farm due to our recent bereavement, so when an invitation
from Bran to come up to Bubbles to see the Buckets arrived in my message
folder, I'm thinking "Maybe that's just what I need to blow away the blues?"
So,
setting the controls for the heart of the sun, I pointed moo mobile MK3
Northwards to wards Ashington - and nearly ended up in Morpeth at which
point it finally occurred to me I had missed my turn some time ago! This
wouldn't be funny except that I own a Sat Nav that has yet to see the light
of day...
Finally
arriving at destination Bubbles, I find a small crowd but warm welcome
from several friendly faces and spend a good half hour chewing the cud
with Kev bucket, Jason Scoobysnaps and Bran among others before the show.
Kicking
off the night with some 'Jump Jiving' it looks like we are in for a relatively
quiet if entertaining night - how wrong can a man be! From the opening
song there were a couple dancing, soon to be joined by others and as the
band hit full pace I looked around to see Bubbles had filled up nicely
with eager punters in search of a party. They had come to the right place!
Putting
the 'rock' back into rock N roll is something of a Buckets specialty and
never one to be caught out, Kev gamely took on all requests, touching base
with just about anything you can think of from rock to pop to metal and
back to psychobilly via a decent wedge of improv stand up.
Jamming
along with Bessie And The Zinc Buckets on stage tonight were Ian
(Bran) Bucket, Marky (Stickies) Bucket and Jason (Scooby Snaps) Bucket
- a party on the stage that spread good vibes right throughout the venue
and delighted the crowd.
In
order to carry off such flexibility requires musicians who are both ontop
of their game and totally without fear, and that's exactly why Bessie and
the Zinc Buckets are the legends they have become, their showmanship obvious
as the band change places and swap instruments for the final jam of the
night.
Having
seen the Buckets a few times now, it's apparent that what at first sight
looks like total chaos is infact organized chaos, albeit loosely within
the 'piss up in a brewery' category - but that's the whole point isn't
it? Buckets plus beer equals party. Make sure you're at the next one.
MOO!
pmsbull :-)
Hi
Apparently
my letter about The Factory in Sunderland was misconstrued by several people.
Just to reiterate, the venue is suitable for rock and pop bands, but in
my opinion nothing else. I am happy to be proven wrong as I think Sunderland
needs a decent venue for live music that stretches the boundaries a bit,
but if you fall into this category (ie NOT a rock or pop band) I only urge
you to contact the venue and make sure you want to play there as we were
sorely disappointed. My comments about the bouncers and the wallpaper were
purely to illustrate that the venue booked us on a completely unsuitable
night.
To
clarify further, although I signed the letter 'Laura (Ask Ruby)', it was
not Ask Ruby that were booked to play there, it was Matt Stalker and Fables,
whom I occasionally sing with.
If
anyone has been badly offended, I apologise.
Laura
I’d
just like to write in to say a big thanks to everyone at the Newfield
Inn at Newfield, near Chester-le-Street, for another great night on
Saturday. It’s the second time we’ve played there and both times we’ve
had a noisy and appreciative crowd. It’s a cracking pub and even does free
bait at half time – we had to drag our bass player Andy away from his chicken
curry to get him to do the second set! It also has a good-sized stage area
and nice easy load-in from the car park at the side. Thanks a lot to all
the staff and punters - we’re looking forward to playing there again later
in the year.
Cheers,
Pete
– The Whodlums
Hi,
Spartan
would just like to thank everyone who came out on friday at the Wheatsheaf
and sunday at the star, you made us feel so welcome and it was great to
be back at both venues.We would also like to thank all the staff at both
locations for their help and support during our gigs.And we hope to be
back real soon............if you'll have us
Gazza,
Kev, Mick & Phil
Steven
Christie Photography, professional images at amateur prices!
I specialise in promotional shoots and live work and can work with your
band to capture the image you want to project. No up-front fees for
local work (Newcastle / North Tyneside) you only pay for the images you
like.
My
work and portfollio is shown at www.myspace.com/stevenchristiephotography
I
can be contacted by email at s.christie1@talktalk.net or you can ring me
on 07796680031 (evenings or weekends).
MAY
This
is a warning for all bands: STAY AWAY FROM ‘FACTORY’ IN SUNDERLAND.
My
other half’s band, Matt Stalker and Fables (www.myspace.com/mattjstalker
- I also sing for them) was booked to play there on Friday night,
alongside Nell Bryden; one of America’s hottest new young artists, recently
introduced on the Late show and currently on her first UK tour. After arriving
and sound checking, we went to get a bite to eat, only to find out upon
our return to the venue that Nell and the other 3 bands due to play that
night had nicked off…..the sound man was wrapping up cables. Now, before
you blame the bands, listen to this:
Factory
opened about 2 months ago stating it is ‘run by people who love music just
as much as you’ and ‘giving you the chance to catch the best bands around
in a warm, friendly and exciting environment’. They also claim to ‘provide
you with a wide and varied music policy’. Factory does not live up to any
of these statements. It is decorated like a bowling alley crossed with
a Yates’ wine lodge, with shots at £1 each served by girls in fancy
dress. It pumps out chart music at a million decibels and draws in exactly
the sort of crowd that enjoys binge drinking and fighting. There are bouncers
on the door, for christsake!! How the hell did they expect to draw in the
type of crowd that would appreciate Nell’s country/roots style music or
Matt’s acoustic folk? WHY did they book us? WHAT did they expect when the
bands turned round and buggered off?
If
you are booked to play there and fall under any of the categories that
Factory claim to be ‘devoted to’ (“we intend to bring you nights devoted
to dubstep, indie, punk, metal, electro, folk, alt-rock and a shedload
more!”) PLEASE RECONSIDER. Visit the venue on a Friday night. Talk to the
organisers (the words ‘piss up’ and ‘brewery’ spring to mind) and think
about what you’re getting yourself into.
Thanks
very much!
Laura
(Ask Ruby)
Slip
Of The Tongue - Trillians, Friday 29th May 2009
In
these hard and troubled times we live in, more and more music fans are
finding it hard to afford the over inflated prices that venues like the
Newcastle Arena are charging to see bands that are on some occasions, frankly,
shadows of their former selves.
Following
recent reports of lackluster performances and David Coverdale breaking
the eleventh commandment (thou shall not get caught) while using backing
tracks to shore up his rapidly disappearing voice, who would risk paying
£30 to £40 to see Whitesnake? That is, if you can still legitimately
call it that anymore.
Step
forward "Slip Of The Tongue", tribute band extraordinare and one of the
cream of the local crop of hardworking bar based rock groups that make
the North East scene such a pleasure to be a part of. After not catching
them for around six months, it was time to see how much they had progressed
and this already superb band have come on leaps and bounds in that time.
Finally booked into Trillians, the lads were determined to show just what
they were made of...
On
a hot night in Newcastle, the band's regular opening double whammy of Burn
& Stormbringer couldn't have been more appropriate - or met with any
bigger response from a room that was literally jam packed. In fact I have
since found out that Trillians had to close their doors, such was the turnout
to see these guys in action. Those lucky enough to get in saw a show to
remember.
As
at home on stage as in his own back yard, frontman Bill Hornsby's rapport
with the audience is effortless, while the sheer power of his delivery
is anything but. Bill gives everything he has on almost every note, only
once or twice sounding a little dry on such a swelteringly hot night. Delivering
songs like Blindman with enough soul to convince you they were his own,
I defy you to find me a better Coverdale replacement. Should the man drop
dead tomorrow, his legacy would be in fine hands.
They
say that behind every great man is a great woman, and likewise, behind
every great singer there needs to be a great band - and this one is outstanding.
Ainsley
Wills and Paul (Hook) Richardson are Bill's wingmen, bringing a frontline
wall of dueling guitar that when on top form sends every run, hook and
solo screaming from their strings with a quality few can muster. Both lads
played a blinder tonight, and if Hook's smile got any broader it would
have needed a stage all to itself.
Every
good rock band needs a solid foundation to build upon, and Ian (Brick)
Thompson is as solid a drummer as the name suggests. At times tonight his
playing was simply awesome and it would seam that he and smooth sounding
new bass man Paul Allen lock together like the tightest of nut and bolt.
Even with only five gigs under his belt as a member, Paul slots in like
a custom made jigsaw piece.
Keyboards
are an integral part of the Whitesnake sound, and Jon Winship brings a
wealth of experience to his role. It's a common feature that all artistic
people are their own worst critics and despite Jon being unhappy with his
own performance tonight, personally I could find no fault. Jon is IMO an
excellent musician who adds just the right amount of flair to the Slip
Of The tongue sound.
After
not seeing the band for so long, it was nice to hear a few new additions
to the set list and the early section where Child Of Babylon and Mistreated
lead into the afore mentioned Blindman lifted the hairs on the back of
my neck as I sang along. A good selection of classic Whitesnake followed
with bigger numbers like Crying In The Rain and Judgment Day sounding stadium
large thanks to a good mix from soundman 'Gamb' and subtler, bluesy material
given just the right touch of restraint.
Highlight
of the evening was the huge audience sing-along of Ain't No Love (In The
Heart Of The City) and when the band finally left the stage after a bombastic
encore of Still Of The Night, a by now soaked crowd would have gladly suffered
the heat for another hour and a half.
As
tribute bands go, this is far and away the best Whitesnake / Coverdale
homage I have ever seen, and based on tonight's performance - which was
every bit the equal to their much lauded Tyne Journal Theatre appearance
- it's high time Slip Of The Tongue moved into the realms of pay to view,
because seeing this for nothing is frankly criminal. I don't get better
than this. AN ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL LIVE EXPERIENCE.
MOO!pmsbull
:-)
Hi
Riffs Readers,
There
is a new large venue in Bishop Auckland seeking good covers bands. We need
a variety of bands and would like to start up and running in about 5-6
weeks. These are PAID gigs. If you're band would be interested get in touch
with me sending a list of available Saturday dates you have for the next
3 months, and a contact number, and a link to your website. Email me at-
paulrobinson283@btinternet.com
Cheers
Scooby
(The Mystery Machine)
Hello
Andy
Hislop once of FM is doing the North East a big favour and moving
to Ireland !! He will be joined by friends at the Barking Dog Wallsend
on Saturday 6/6/09 to say farewell. There will be a special guest appearance
by the increasingly popular Beth Hopper and Andy will perform some old
favourites. A small charge of £2 will be made to cover expenses and
tickets will be on sale from Saturday. ALL are welcome
Bill
Bruce
Hello
everyone, Seen Heavy load at the Lord Clyde a couple of weeks
ago, they have a new young guitarist and he's very good. He's only 17 yrs
old but he makes the guitar sing, he has the kossof sound and looks like
he's going to be a star. Hope they can keep hold of him.
Can
anyone confirm Blue Diamond are back. I've seen their name on the
gig listings. Hope it's not a misprint.
Keep
on CLASSIC rocking.
Hansom
Les.
Just
wanted to say how much I enjoyed FM at the George Stephenson in
West Moor last night. From the opening song where the lead singer proclaimed
"Welcome
back to the George Stephenson!!!!!!!", you knew you were in for
a memorable night.
Unbelievably,
this was the first time I've seen the band live but wow did I enjoy it.
As some may know, the previous management at the venue had decided this
band, and indeed their families were no longer welcome at the pub - but
with the news of a long-awaited departure of the management in question,
the boys were not the only familiar faces to make a return. Noticeable
amongst the sizable crowd were several former staff, a number of former
regulars and a few other band players who had all found their way back
to the pub in light of the changeover and despite the fact that it was
a Thursday night gig.
And
speaking of which, to their ultimate credit, the boys superbly managed
to take a dull and rainy Thursday night and effortlessly transform it into
a crackin', Saturday night-type atmosphere, by belting out some classic
tracks with the full gusto of a weekend gig, making use of a simple but
effective lighting rig and unlike some acts, managing to make intelligent
(and not overpowering) use of a smoke machine. This kind of effort in terms
of presentation alone should serve as a reminder to a lot of acts that
a weeknight gig is a gig nonetheless and the same degree of effort can
be made to tremendous effect.
Of
course, whereas the above does deserve mention, this is not to say that
the music wasn't equally impressive. Although admittedly, a lot of what
the boys played was only vaguely familiar to me, the whole show was thoroughly
enjoyable and had a nice mix of easily identifiable tracks like Enter Sandman,
Highway To Hell, Whisky in The Jar and the even the classic 4 Non-Blondes
track.
Then
again, with brilliant vocals, classy guitar playing and a tight as &*%£
rhythm section, even the songs I didn't know made me sit up and listen,
and there were certainly no arguments from the crowd who were singing along
most of the night.
Here's
the boys for putting on such a great show on a week night and here's to
more excellent nights like this at the GS in the months to come.
Den
(pictures
supplied to Riffs)
Church
Of Misery, Firebird, Electric Mud Generator - The Three Tuns 17th May 2009
Strange
how sometimes the nights you don't plan turn out to be the best, and this
was one I didn't even know was happening till someone who reads Komodo
Rock sent a message to my myspace page saying "Hello Bully, I think you
should check this band out tonight". No sooner had the U-tube video finished
than I was up off my seat telling Mrs. Bull that I was going out tonight!
Manager
Paul Smith has been scheduling Sundays at the Three Tuns for showcase nights
of late, but this wasn't actually his show, being put on by local promotions
company "What If I Want Wings?" - an unusual name to say the least that
had me sarcastically thinking maybe drink a Red Bull or two... but as it
happens they appear to know exactly what they are doing because the three
band lineup they put on tonight made for an excellent gig that even with
a cover charge of £8 had the place jam packed.
As
I only saw the message at 5.30pm and the gig was scheduled to begin at
8pm, by the time I had reshuffled my Sunday night plans I arrived late
into the set of opening band "Electric Mud Generator" (great name) but
thankfully in time to hear their huge final number "Winter" - way over
ten minutes of weird and wonderful that started like strangely spaced out
prog and via some very unusual guitar notes built towards a monsterous
stomp that really made my ears prick up and take notice. One to investigate
further methinks.
"Firebird"
brought a more bluesy sound to the table - quite a surprise for a band
fronted by Bill Steer of Carcass. Some of the songs played seamed to owe
a nod to Pride And Glory in their slightly country rock feel and the closing
jam featuring Bill playing a mean blues harp went down an absolute storm.
Definitely worth hunting them out.
Having
spoke to vocalist Neggi, it was clear that most of "Church Of Misery" posess
very limited English. Understanding the 'Geordie' accent wasn't going to
be any easier and so I resorted to the one language guaranteed to cross
international borders of rock - Jagermesiter! Joining his band mates and
throwing down with aplomb, Neggi thanked me with a respectful bow and double
thumbs up before jumping head first into "El Padrino" - a set opener that
quite simply stunned the senses with the power of it's delivery.
Coming
from Japan and originally formed in the mid 90's, the band's first album
contained songs written about famous serial killers. Heavily influenced
by Black Sabbath and having undergone many lineup changes since, they still
retain a very doom laden stoner-groove sound that played with serious volume
comes over like a gale force blast of raw adrenalin.
Commanding
every inch like his own personal territory, Neggi is an an absolute wildman
on stage. Think of a Japanese style early Soundgarden era Chris Cornell
stripped to the waist, prowling around and flinging hair before leaning
back to yell, then throw in some Dio style hand gestures, add a sprinkling
of classic J-rock and visually at least you are somewhere near. Vocally
the songs came growling from the gut and intense as hell, sometimes a little
hard to understand but that's allowable as this was the first time I had
heard these songs, and just like hearing Pantera's "Primal Concrete Sledge"
for the first time, you didn't need to understand exactly what was being
screamed at you to know that it ruled. Playing a set full of incredible
stoned out, doom laden power chords matched to some outrageous guitar licks,
"Church Of Misery" grabbed me by the balls and refused to let go - kicked
my arse seven ways to Sunday.
Check
out their myspace page and listen to "I Mutherkcufer"- not for the faint
hearted. This is a totally awesome band that you absolutely must see! Check
out their myspace page for more information.
HIGHLY
RECOMMENDED
http://www.myspace.com/whatifiwantwings
(Promotions company myspace page)
http://www.myspace.com/churchofserialkiller
(Church Of Misery myspace page)
MOO!pmsbull
:-)
THE
BOARD INN BLAYDON
we
had sticky fingers on Saturday 16th may what a night we had was good to
see them again. everyone enjoyed them. This is a band that enjoys what
they do and they do it really well.
once
again lads thanks for a fantastic night ill ring you soon Phil get you's
back.
respect
Decka
good
to hear the news that glaxo social club are starting bands and what a better
band to start the band nights than aftershock. I played at this
club when i was 15 and it has lovely accoustics. Its also pleasing that
barnard castle is getting bands on full stop as the live music scene in
this area is practically non existant.
Regards,
Christopher
Holmes
Shildon,
County Durham
Hi
Riffs,
Just
read the review about the Hendrix tribute band Sundance on the site.
Great review for a deserving band.
I
went to see them last week at the Barking dog in Wallsend after I found
out Martin Bennet had joined them after leaving Tumblin Dice. I
know the Dice lads very well and was sad to hear Martin had moved
on. He was a major player in the band and will be a great loss.
I
know how good Martin is and he certainly lived up to his reputation at
the Dog. At 25 Martin is one of the most talented drummers you will ever
see.
Even
though the place was quiet we were warmed up with an excellent solo spot
from Beth Harper, a very young and talented guitarist / singer who gave
a cracking 30 minute set.
After
a short break Sundance came on and proceeded to give the audience
the full catalogue of the Hendrix collection. Nothing was spared and the
band gave it 120 per cent. As the review said this is a band to see and
if you love Hendrix you will not be disappointed by these fine musicians.
I
thoroughly enjoyed the show and will definitely see them again, sooner
rather than later.
I
will let you be the judge of how good this Hendrix tribute band
are, just get to see them soon before they start doing the big concert
halls around the country.
Les
Rock
4 All
The
Hybrids live at The Three Tuns, Thursday 8th May 2009
As
reported by Paul Smith in his recent "View
From The Bridge" page, the Tuns is well on the way to becoming
a six nights a week music venue. As such it remains one of the venues every
band wants to play and while it is usually the domain of hard rock, metal
or punk it was a refreshing change to see a band playing a mixed bag.
Opening
up with a respectable Kula Shaker version of "Hush", it was noticeable
that singer/guitarist Shaun was shaking his hand in time with the rhythm
rather like he'd lost his tambourine, exactly what he brought out for a
great cover of the Kaiser Chiefs "Ruby" which led into one of my personal
favorite indie numbers by Ocean Colour Scene "The River Boat Song".
So
far so good. Nice atmosphere in the room and the lads are going down well
with half a bar full of punters when the set list chucks in a spanner by
the name of Red Hot Chilli Peppers' "Under The Bridge".
Swapping
vocals between Shaun and singer/guitarist Dave was for the most part a
smart move and worked well, songs picked to suit the individual style -
but this one just didn't work at all. While both Shaun and Dave are competent
singers and confident front men, Dave didn't really have the refinement
to give this the subtle tones it needs and for me they should drop it from
the set. It didn't help any that something seamed to change at this point,
almost as if the band had altered a setting or two to give the piece more
presence, but what resulted was to hamper the rest of the first half with
a noticeable boom to the sound.
By
complete contrast, Dave's strong vocal for "Waterloo Sunset" was a good
party style sing along and Smith's classic "This Charming Man" was a pure
gem, Shaun's mannerisms and vocals fitting the piece perfectly and deservedly
met with rapturous applause.
Kicking
off round two with "Take Me Out" showed the bands intent to kick things
up a gear and a brilliant "Grace" (Supergrass) was every bit as bouncy
and fun as the original. Keeping the pace going with "Hate To Say" (Hives),
Dave - having shone on guitar most of the night - had a chance to let rip
vocally on this which suited him much better.
Not
to be outdone, drummer Chris (who along with bass guitarist Ian had weighed
in with backing vocals in addition to keeping the rhythm solid) took lead
vocal for Steelers Wheel movie soundtrack regular "Stuck In The Middle
With You", making a decent fist of it too.
Covers
of Stereophonics and Foo Fighters maintained the uptempo feel and while
Dave again struggled a little vocally in places he did a respectable job
of things during a very well received encore that included The Jam's "Going
Underground".
On
the whole, it's songs like "Going Underground" and others with an uptempo
indie feel where The Hybrids are strongest. While one or two numbers could
do with a little vocal polish, musically the band are tight and the lads
created a nice laid back party atmosphere that more that satisfied their
audience, and there was some good craic to be had after.
If
they are gigging near you then The Hybrids are well worth a look.
http://www.myspace.com/thehybridsgigs
MOO
pmsbull :-)
Great
BH Sunday at Crook FC this weekend gone. 4 acts (with us on last)
and the audience were fantastic from the first chord of the first act through
to our last. Great venue and setup. Marshall and the crew are
second to none. Line up was Steve Muse (young solo acoustic
- "you might have noticed I have the voice of a young girl"), The Headhunters
(nice bit of gritty bluesy r'n'b stuff - great singer) and The Whole
Hog (again, great singer, fantastic stand in bassist and cracking drummer
- thinking of changing their name to The Whole Sheep due to current pandemic
scares). We may attempt to steal one of these singers to help out
The
Bandits' delivery at some point ha ha, as I'm getting too old for all
this shouting lark. I suspect we'll be turned down mind as both front
excellent bands capable of almost as many jazz moments as us.
Still
recovering.
All
the best.
Bad
Bob Bates The Bandits
THE
BOARD IN STELLA, BLAYDON UPON TYNE
SATURDAY
2ND OF MAY WE HAD THE RETURN OF THE GEUSTS AND WE WERNT DISAPOINTED
ONE AGAIN A FANTASTIC SET HAD THE CROWD JUMPING ITS GOOD TO SEE A BAND
ENJOYING WHAT THEY DO RATHER THAN THINK OF IT AS WORK ONCE AGAIN THANKS
TO ALAN DAWES AND THE REST OF THE BAND FOR A GOOD NIGHT ILL BE IN TOUCH.
REGARDS
DECKA
Alreet,
May
be contentious, however I'm getting a little bit confused by bands who
state to be "Classic Rock" but we do a bit of " The Killers/Arctics/Snow
Patrol/Kings/ Oasis" etc.etc.
Why?
Surely the the epoch of music you contend to be playing is one genre enough,
without dabbling in waters that you have little or no knowledge of. Personally
I have a little chortle every time I see someone playing the "catch all"
option.
Stick
your neck out man and ignore all the petty naysayers. There's a massive
heritage of choons out there without resorting to the tried and tested.
Believe me we've tried it every single weekend. Old men in leather?
Mods
Rule.
Alan
Source
"Mayday
Madness" - Akq Stottin at Wardley Legion Club 1st May 2009
What
a bloody laugh a minute this was!
Paul
Smith once said in his "From The Bridge" page on Riffs that there is some
indescribable magic that only happens at an AKQ Stottin gig, and he has
never said a truer word as long as I've had the pleasure of knowing him.
The
small room in Wardley Club is nothing if not intimate and fittingly there
was a small but appreciative turnout which nicely filled the main part
of the room for what - due to some equipment failures - tuned into a bit
of a shambles, but in all honesty, it didn't matter one little jot.
The
problems with the kit merely gave muse for Marti to go off on a couple
of walk arounds in the audience, patter set on pure waxa 48 carat Greggs
mega wopper, and reassure people that it was all part of the greater AKQ
Stottin plan for world domination.
When
Reggie and the crew did get their shite together, the band were just getting
into the swing of Black Sabbath, extending arms et al... when a certain
Bon Scott impersonator decided to heckle with cries of "Wolverine!"
I'm
sure most of you have seen the "arms of evil" so you can imagine the piss-yourself-laughing
response! Not only did this just sum up the laid back feel of the whole
evening, but kicked Marti into high gear heckler handling mode and resulted
in an extended giggle fest as he, Shaun O'Brien and others in the audience
traded one liners to hilarious effect.
Add
to this the fact that the band were being roasted alive by 1000 watt lights
(which wouldn't have looked out of place sporting the Bat signal) that
many moons ago shone down from the cieling of Tyne Tees TV studios while
transmitting legendary music show "The Tube" and you have some indication
of the atmosphere on the night!
Yes
there were equipment failures, yes Terry missed a cue or two, yes the smoke
machine failed to produce more smoke than the Conchie on Guy Fawkes night....
but you know what - I couldn't care less if I tried!
AKQ
Stottin are my favorite band for one reason - Entertainment ... and where
these lads are concerned, you should always spell it with a capital E .
Hats
off to Mad Dog who keeping this venue up and running. Cheap drink, great
band, fantastic craic. Two quid for that night? Can I sign up for a dozen
please mate?
MOO!pmsbull
:-)
APRIL
We
in RELOAD would like to thank HOUGHTON BUFFS for a great night last
Friday. This has to be one of the best rock venues around.The guys in charge
have made a great effort to get the place up and running. The crowd are
fantastic. We would like to thank Dave for all his help on the night and
the review he has done of the gig on Davys Rockpage. We have been constantly
gigging for 4 years and this is our first review!!
So
if you want to see a band in a proper rock venue get yourself along
to the BUFFS - you won't be disappointed!!
"Straight
Shooting Classics" - Mike Estes & Skinny Molly @ The Three Tuns, Gateshead.
Tuesday 28th April 2009
Like
love and laughter or sunshine and blue skies, some things in life are just
meant to go together. Such is true of Skinny Molly and the Three
Tuns, although much more in the vein of Jack Daniels and Coke - and a better
combination of band and bar you would be hard pressed to find.
Having
exchanged a few emails with Mike Estes over the months, he told me just
how much Skinny Molly were looking forward to playing the Three Tuns once
more. "It's by far our favorite place to play in England. You guys have
the loudest crowd I ever heard".
Forget
the fact that it was a Tuesday night and pissing with rain, or that it
was once again ridiculously humid inside, the concert room was as expected
rammed full with eager punters - many of whom had been to every previous
show Skinny Molly had played here, such is the measure of this band.
Singing
from the heart and the balls Mike has that slow, whiskey drenched southern
drawl that only comes from years on the road and all the experiences that
go with it - often reflected in music that contains as much southern harmony
as Texas hold 'em. Mixing southern classics with their own exceptional
material ( 'Straight Shooter' being a personal favorite ) and a nod to
the British old school with a wonderful version of The Rolling Stones
'Dead Flowers' made for an evening full of gilt edged rockers.
The
highlights of the night were always going to be the Lynyrd Skynyrd
songs, and both 'Simple Kind Of Man' and 'Sweet Home Alabama' were fittingly
met with singalongs that raised the roof, only for it to be sent spinning
off into the stratosphere by the one thing worthy of ending such a night
- a staggeringly performed nigh on fifteen minute version of 'Freebird'
that allowed guitarist Chris Walker, bassman Luke Bradshaw and drummer
Kurt Pietro to shine even brighter than they had previously - complete
with what must be the biggest wind down in history!
As
our lenses homed in for a few publicity shots of the band posing and cracking
a few jokes along with myself and other Komomdo Rock crew, it was good
to catch up once again with one of Southern rocks living legends. For someone
with such a musical pedigree, Mike Estes is as laid back and down to earth
as anyone I have ever met, tossing his head back with laughter and announcing
"Man, I never had so much fun taking photos in my life" - though that may
have had something to do with the cuddle my wife was giving him!
Some
of my friends drove four hours from Wales just to attend this show, and
Skinny
Molly went out of their way to make them feel welcome. I'm sure I speak
for all of us when I say that was one of the best nights we have had in
a long time, and if the crowd reaction was anything to go by then gigs
just don't get better than this.
MOO!
pmsbull :-)
Hi
nige/val,
we
(koncept)
would just like to say a big thankyou to the landlady at the moorhouse
in seaton burn,we played there for the first time on Saturday night and
we were made very welcome from the minute we walked in,free drinks were
on offer before we started,at half time and at the end of our second set!
The pub was pretty full all night with a very appreciative and knowlegable
crowd.we had a top night and look forward to playing at this top venue
again later in the year.
cheers,
paul (koncept)
BULLET
Saturday
25th April 2009
The
Board inn had Bullet those that have seen them know just how good this
band is. And Saturday was no exception the crowd loved them to the point
when the police came in
to
say they had a complaint about the noise level the crowed started to chant
f _ _ _K the law we want more witch the band obliged and we had a
cracking night thanks again two those ageing mates of mine Mark and Nick
and also to Greg and Alan who make this band so special keep in touch lads
we will have you's back.
Respect
Decka
Alreet,
Alan
from The Source here. Just to echo Rab's comments about The Wheatsheaf.
We had a great night there last Saturday, cracking crowd, good beer and
great hospitality (something Big Davey has always exelled at).
I
hope the punters get behind this venue as it has a lot to offer. Davey
knows his bands, so you can always be assured no matter when you go the
music will be top notch.
It's
been said before, "Use it or lose it".
"Remember
that you are an Englishman, and have consequently won first place in the
lottery of life."
Alan
Source.
P.S.
When we gonna get a review!!!
We
hadn’t been to the Howdon club in ages so went not knowing what was on
– as usual!!!
Posters
were displaying the Dee Dowling Band who we hadn’t seen before but
didn’t advertise what type of music they played. So we settled down
for a good drink, the club was full & we watched the band set up in
between domino cards, key draw tickets, play your cards right, bingo etc.
It was clear at the outset that these were musicians (i.e. they were setting
up instruments rather than the many good entertainers/singers/dancers that
you get on the club circuit). Also they sounded like good musicians
from the sound check but they played the various different sounds/effects
that they were going to use in the sets, however the drummer sounded like
a good thumper (always a good sign), but we were still in suspense wondering
what sort of music they were going to play…..
The
first set they kicked off with Thin Lizzy – The Boys Are Back In
Town & we turned to each other & said “This is gonna be a good
night”…..
Plenty
of diversity in the first set with My Sharona – The Knack not often
played, the Stereophonics & a few Police numbers culminating
in an incredibly superb acoustic Hotel California & Pink Floyd’s
- The Wall. The band consists of 4 guys whose names escape me except
for Dee Dowling being the tremendous front man who played bass (some slap
bass) & acoustic guitars. All the guys sang which makes for good
harmonising & depth to the vocals. Twin lead guitarists who were
both excellent, one of which swapped to the bass during the acoustic numbers
& a great drummer also proficient at a few stick tricks!
The
second set started off with a few Rolling Stones numbers, Amy
Winehouse & some cheese for us dancers. Livin on a prayer
(which I knew he wasn’t gonna be able to sing – not many people can! So
audience participation ensued.) Encoring with a slow starting,
Bryan
Adams – Summer of 69, very different.
I
have to say it’s not often on the club circuit that I come across a rock
band that can rival the musicianship of the local pub circuit but this
is one such band. Not a weak link among them all marvellous musicians
& singers, no gimmicks or over inflated egos, a surprisingly very entertaining
night. Go check them out – they are terrific!
JLH.
Slack
Rats & The Creepers At The 3 Tuns
Got
to this half way through Slack's set and must say what a good night of
rockabilly psycho punkyness I and the very small but appreciative audience
were treated to.
Any
band that does songs about their incontinent uncle who keeps pissing in
the bath, falling in love with a girl they saw through a notch hole in
their Granny's wooden leg and a song about Luke Skywalker being a redneck
have to be worth seeing !
Creepers
were great, amped to oblivion and going a million miles an hour. Singer
at times reminded me of seminal Debbie Harry band Stillettos. Didn't
know most of the material but loved the song "Baby Blue Tattoo".
Get
these two bands on followed by The Me Me's and Bessies Buckets
and you have a hell of an all dayer to get pissed at !
MOO!
PMSbull :-)
With
regard to letters about the audience shouting "shite" at bands. Do you
not think The Chestwigs should shoulder much of the blame?!!
They used to actively encourage it. It was written on the front of their
bass drum and half the audience wore t-shirts with it written on them in
a variety of well known logos. A section of the crowd at the Archer
always used to sing "You're shite and you know you are...." Hell, they
even did a version of D.I.S.C.O. called S.H.I.T.E. Their gigs finished
with chants of "More Shite" and they looked delighted by it!!!!
Much
missed.....prime candidates for a reunion surely
Virgil
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Mojo
Hand Blues Band: Back in the days before street pimps and wanna be
gangsters like 50 cent hijacked the term, guys like Ray Charles made black
folks move to a beat they used to call Rhythm & Blues. Anyone who has
seen Mojo Hand knows they keep it old school and play with a sophisticated
style that pays homage to the real artists of the time, but what really
stood out tonight was their nod to modern day with a sugar sweet cover
of Dexy's 'Jackie Wilson Said' - smooth as chocolate and twice as tasty.
Mojo Hand never fail to deliver and guitarist Steve played his arse off
tonight. Quality, quality and more quality.
A
Thousand Lies: Nearly blowing the roof off with the raging opener 'Fields
Of Eternity', A Thousand Lies were a molten mass of hair and energy throughout
a sledgehammer set that left me begging for more. Leaping off the stage
to mosh, Chris and the boys dropped bombs throughout and were absolutely
on fire tonight. 'And So The Story Goes' came down like the wrath of God
himself in a set full of modern contemporary sounding metal. Everything
Lamb Of God do wrong, these lads do right. Brilliant, just brilliant!
Beth
Macari: Dulcett smokey tones and sweet high range combine to give Beth
Macari a voice like few others and it's on the back of consistently outstanding
vocal performances that Beth made it so far in this competition. Given
well balanced and unintrusive yet complimentary accompaniment from the
ever talented Mr. Micky Luv(pod) on acoustic guitar, Beth gave a brilliant
performance that was annoyingly talked over by a disrespectful audience
that had mostly come from out of the area to see other contestants. Not
that Beth's own fanclub the 'Heaton Honeys' wern't out in force to show
their support. Standout song was an effortless cover of Lady Ga-Ga's 'Poker
Face' that smoothly segued between itself and the Eurythmics 'Sweet Dreams'.
Still only sweet 16, it can only be a matter of time before Beth is seen
in the UK charts.
The
27 Club: Cheeky as a box of monkeys, The 27 Club brought their own
personal party to the Tuns. Jazz funk fusion and hip hop backed up by some
excellent scratch mixing all covered in streetwise razor-wit rapping to
produce a sound as infectious as swine flu. 'Hard Core' had the room jumping
and 'Pop Tarts' (a new song to me) kept things flowing along in
The
Zoo: One of the most exciting perfomers in the competition, The Zoo
electrified the audience with an absolutely amazing set full of super strong
Brit influenced indie rock. Stand out moments included the tongue in cheek
'Gordon The Stalker', the bollock rocking sleeze of 'Rent Money' and downright
stomping rocker 'All Over you'. If Who, The Jam and Ocean Colour Scene
all gang banged the same girl, the Zoo would be their bastard children.
Incredible delivery from a powerhouse band surely destined for future glory.
The
Mosaics: A superb band with a well deserved reputation for classy songwriting
and even classier delivery, The Mosaics were right on form tonight. Opening
with the whistful beauty of 'Runner' and continuing to deliver quality
tunes throughout, 'Landslide' also raising it's head above it's peers among
a set of near perfection. Paul Smith has long raved about The Mosaics and
if you have never seen them then you are missing some of the finest melodic
indie our region has to offer. Thoroughly enjoyed this.
Bone
Idol: For a bunch of young lads who's very first gig was in the opening
round of this competition, Bone Idol are already carving out a name for
them self and have quickly built a very large and dedicated following.
Far too pretty to be seen in the same room as an ugly fat bloke like me,
they sound as good as they look and rocked out on new tune 'The Ugly Life'
which took a harder direction than most of their existing material. 'Work
Of Art' was subtle and heartfelt but as ever it's the wonderful 'Dead Flowers'
that received the biggest reception.
Yes,
I know what you're thinking - yet another piece from him about AKQ Stottin.
Don't he ever get bored with them? Well I must have seen AKQ Stottin a
gazillion million feckin times now and you know what? I can genuinely say
that I will NEVER get bored of seeing this band!
When
they play somewhere like The Three Tuns, AKQ get up close and personal
and front man Marti can be so in your face that on a hot and steamy night
you almost swap sweat, and it's on those legendary nights when the crowd
and band almost become one that AKQ Stottin transcend the level of mere
pub band and lift you away on a festival like wave of intensity that belongs
in one of those side tents at Glastonbury.
As
said, Entertainment with a capital E is always on offer at any AKQ Stottin
show, and the "Hands Of Doom" provided more than their fair share of frivolity
during the by now infamous rendition of "Black Sabbath" - including giving
me a good slap round the kisser! Guaranteed to raise a smile, the numerous
first timers were left rolling with laughter by Marti's antics with the
skeletal appendages from hell. What I want to know is when are we going
to see a resurrected crow from below?
Like
love and laughter or sunshine and blue skies, some things in life are just
meant to go together. Such is true of Skinny Molly and the Three
Tuns, although much more in the vein of Jack Daniels and Coke - and a better
combination of band and bar you would be hard pressed to find.
The
highlights of the night were always going to be the Lynyrd Skynyrd
songs, and both 'Simple Kind Of Man' and 'Sweet Home Alabama' were fittingly
met with singalongs that raised the roof, only for it to be sent spinning
off into the stratosphere by the one thing worthy of ending such a night
- a staggeringly performed nigh on fifteen minute version of 'Freebird'
that allowed guitarist Chris Walker, bassman Luke Bradshaw and drummer
Kurt Pietro to shine even brighter than they had previously - complete
with what must be the biggest wind down in history!