Wilko Johnson "Love and Death and Rock 'n' Roll" a Play with Live Music by Jonathan Maitland

I was intrigued when a friend suggested going along to see “Wilko: Love and Death and Rock ‘n’ Roll” which was advertised as a “play with live music” (as opposed to the dreaded ‘musical’) about guitar legend Wilko Johnson and his influential pre-Punk raw R&B band Dr. Feelgood at the Southwark Playhouse Theatre. I checked it out online and the reviews were unanimously ecstatic – to win over passionate, die-hard fans of a band is something of an achievement but that’s exactly what writer Jonathan Maitland and his quite remarkable cast seemed to have pulled off. We went along to the sold out matinee performance on the very last day of the show’s run at the Playhouse, but don’t worry if you missed out because they announced that the play will be transferred to the West End with a well-deserved additional set of dates at the Leicester Square Theatre in July. Maitland, a well-known author, journalist and playwright has managed to distil pretty much all the essential ingredients of Wilko’s inspiring and quite remarkable story into the thoroughly entertaining two hour show. It starts off in the unique landscape of Canvey Island in Essex, reclaimed land in the Thames estuary that is mostly below sea level and dominated by a huge oil refinery and flood defence systems which were erected much too late to stop the fatal flooding in 1953. Canvey Island boy John Wikinson meets his beloved Canvey Island girl Irene and invites her to see his band that will be playing at the local venue the Monico that evening. It turns out that this band is actually a rag-tag ensemble of mates playing skiffle outside the Monico, busking their jug band sound to drunks and punters making their way home. 

The Labworth, Canvey Island - Photo by Retro Man Blog

Irene and Wilko become inseparable, they marry young, and her presence looms large across the whole arc of the story. Wilko is unable to afford his coveted Fender Telecaster guitar but Irene generously steps in and pays for it in full. So, hugely inspired by American Blues, R’n’B and Rock ‘n’ Roll, Wilko decides to form a proper band with three of his mates who all live within a stone’s throw of each other on Canvey. In thrall to the Mississippi Delta Blues, they name themselves Dr. Feelgood and decide on a stripped back raw sound and image far removed from the Prog and Glam Rock excesses of the early to mid-70’s, ditching most of the cover versions in their set in favour of Wilko-penned originals. Toying with the hard and rough reputation of Canvey Island, the band look mean and moody, and they play on the swampy backwater atmosphere that they name the Thames Delta. The charismatic Lee Collinson takes on the role of lead vocalist and is renamed Lee Brilleaux partly due to his hair looking like a Brillo pad but given a New Orleans style twist. John B. Sparks on bass becomes Sparko and drummer John Martin is christened The Big Figure and due to the proliferation of ‘Johns’, Wilkinson becomes Wilko Johnson. The casting of Johnson Willis is inspired (and not just because of his real name!) he has the look and captures, not only Wilko’s wide-eyed incredulous stare and vocal mannerisms, but his unique guitar style too. This guitar style was influenced by Wilko’s attempts to emulate his hero Mick Green from Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, he can’t quite manage it but ends up with his own choppy rhythm and lead all-in-one sound that will in turn go on to inspire countless guitarists. The stage is set with drums and amps and there is another really pleasant surprise when the cast hammer out some early Dr. Feelgood classics, they sound bloody amazing. David John on drums and Georgina Field on bass are a wicked rhythm section – and yes, it does seem a bit strange at first having Sparko played by a female actor, but she nails his “walking backwards and forward” style and any doubts are very quickly dispelled. 

The Monico, Canvey Island - Photo by Paul Slattery

The real revelation is Jon House as Lee Brilleaux, who has the physical presence and gruff vocal delivery down to a tee and proves himself to be a mean harmonica player too. The four of them could quite easily go out on tour as the UK’s premier Dr. Feelgood tribute act. The only thing missing is Johnson (the actor) doesn’t attempt Wilko’s uniquely wired skittering across the stage, moves and poses which is a bit of a shame. The script skips the fact that Dr. Feelgood were absolutely huge at one point, with a number one live album “Stupidity” in the charts and were a big influence on Punk Rock, both with New York’s CBGB’s crowd and on Joe Srummer, John Lydon and the early London Punk explosion. But I guess these are minor quibbles after all. The play does cover the somewhat unusual circumstances around the band’s break-up – of course there are the usual tensions between band mates constantly on tour, pretty normal for many a band and there's the frustration over Wilko’s diminishing songwriting prowess and the others lack of contributions. However, they do gloss over the differing drug and booze habits that did cause a divide between Wilko, who favoured speed and the solitude of his own room and the heavy drinking, hard partying of the others. But it’s a song called “Paradise” about Wilko’s somewhat blasé attitude to monogamy that finally causes an irreparable divide between Lee and Wilko who considers it his masterpiece. Despite his love for Irene, he professes his affection for another woman in the song’s lyrics and the band take exception to the morally dubious sentiments. Wilko leaves the band and the once tight frontman and his trusty guitar wielding sidekick were never to be reconciled. There are some touching scenes in the play where Wilko is visited by the ghost of Brilleaux, who very sadly died of cancer in 1994, and the pair reminisce on their times together and the chemistry they had. “You love the Stones but there’s a reason you don’t own any Mick Jagger or Keith Richards solo albums, it’s because they are shit, they need each other” Brilleaux tells Wilko, before twisting the knife a bit reminding him that they actually scored their biggest chart hit with “Milk and Alcohol”.  After Wilko had left Dr. Feelgood he formed Solid Senders and then also joins Ian Dury & The Blockheads but is hampered by his own perceived lack of musicality among the virtuosity of the rest of the line-up. He then forms the Wilko Johnson Band with drummer Dylan Howe and the Blockhead’s legendary bassist Norman Watt-Roy, who has actually appeared in the play on occasion. 

Down by the jetty, Canvey Island - Photo Retro Man Blog

Wilko’s beloved Irene (played by the excellent Georgina Fairbanks) passes away with cancer and this terrible disease is of course going to play a big role in the next part of the story. Before we get to that, I must mention that the play also touches on Wilko’s early career as a rebellious teacher, his love of Astronomy and English literature and his tendency to pepper his speech with quotes from Shakespeare and the poets. There’s also his appearance in Game of Thrones where he plays the mute executioner Sir Ilyn Payne, lucky for him as he didn’t have to learn any lines, just look mean. In 2013 Wilko is diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and given less than a year to live. He decides against chemotherapy, claiming that he feels alive and ready to enjoy what time he has left including a final farewell tour of the UK and a trip to his beloved Japan. Then another unexpected twist occurred when a photographer, who happened to be a doctor, was astounded that he was still careering around the stage when in reality he should have been at death’s door. The photographer referred him to a colleague for a second opinion and it turned out Wilko had been misdiagnosed and there was a chance that the supposedly inoperable tumour could be removed. The doctor warns Wilko of the dangers of the operation and that it would be a lengthy procedure, “I’m going to need a lunch break” he quips. Wilko agrees, the operation is a success and a 3kg tumour ‘the size of a watermelon’ is removed, meaning that he has to now come to terms with the fact that he will not be dying anytime in the near future after all. I was promoting a Retro Man Blog night at Wilko’s local The Railway in Southend-on-Sea in December 2013 with TV Smith from the Adverts and supporting were Eight Rounds Rapid who included Wilko’s son Simon on guitar. Wilko turned up and of course was mobbed by well-wishers all desperate to chat and with his usual self-effacing humour he claimed that the cancer diagnosis was a good career move, and he was now playing bigger venues than he had in years. It was this inspirational attitude that won him even more admirers and I’m sure that “Wilko: Love and Death and Rock ‘n’ Roll” will hopefully encourage many more people to check out the music of Dr. Feelgood and the remarkable story of Wilko Johnson, a truly inspirational musical icon.

Wilko and son Simon (Eight Rounds Rapid), Retro Man Blog Night, The Railway Southend, 2013 by Paul Hughes

You can see our Canvey Island location report, including photos of Dr. Feelgood on the Naughty Rhythms Tour in 1975 by photographer Paul Slattery, in our Retro Man Blog archive feature here. Thanks to Paul Slattery, Paul Hughes and Buddy Ascott. Photos of the play by Retro Man Blog. To book tickets for the Leicester Square Theatre in July please check out the box-office link here and for more information please visit the official Facebook page here.

Mick Jones Rock & Roll Public Library - Exhibition of The Clash & Big Audio Dynamite Legend's Memorabilia

It was great to visit the Rock & Roll Public Library which is just part of Mick Jones' collection of memorabilia and 20th century pop culture now on display courtesy of former Subway Sect and JoBoxers drummer Sean McLusky and his team at the excellent Farsight Gallery. We'd been to the two previous Rock & Roll Public Library exhibitions at the Chelsea Space and Subway Gallery and it's always a huge pleasure to marvel at the hundreds of nostalgic and evocative items on display that include books, comics, fanzines, games, posters, clothes, electrical equipment along with tons of music, movie and football memorabilia. Of course there are many items that will be familiar to fans of The Clash and Big Audio Dynamite including handwritten lyrics, posters, guitar cases, T-shirts and clothing, record covers and even a ticket and poster from The Clash's very first London show. Here's a walk-through of the exhibition...

 

The exhibition is being held at the Farsight Gallery at 4 Flitcroft Street WC2H 8DJ (just off London's legendary Denmark Street) and has just been extended to March 22nd due to popular demand. Don't be surprised if you bump into some famous faces if you visit, Bobby Gillespie, Ian Brown, Clare Grogan, Phil Jupitus, Glen Matlock, Neal X and Steve Diggle are just some of the celebrities to have popped in. There's a fantastic magazine/programme to go with the exhibition too and issue 1 is available to buy at the gallery or via mail-order after the closing date. The magazine is beautifully produced on high-quality paper with some stunning photographs by one of Retro Man Blog's favourite photographers Jeff Pitcher, and there are plans to publish more issues which will hopefully be available at Rough Trade Records and other outlets in the future. Here's a few words from the organisers.

"The Rock & Roll Public Library (RRPL) is a large, material archive of 20th century pop culture, collected over a lifetime by British musician and songwriter Mick Jones. An archive encompassing many varied items, including books, comics, magazines, musical equipment, literature, art, clothing, ephemera, as well as music and film in every format, revealing a wide network of influences. The most comprehensive and in-depth exhibition of the RRPL to date, showcasing previously unseen material and artefacts and featuring new installations created from the unique collection and personal items from Mick’s life and times as an art student, to The Clash and Big Audio Dynamite. The show celebrates the physical pop culture history of the 20th century and beyond - the aim being to inspire others to create, make connections and remember. Visitors are invited to interact with the exhibition: relax in the recreation of a living room and use items from the archive including Mick’s home recorded VHS tapes, books, comics and newspapers from another time; browse through and listen to a selection of his record collection in the recreation of a 1970’s listening booth; or visit the RRPL Kiosk to shop for new merch. The exhibition marks the launch of Issue #1 of the RRPL Magazine. A portable exhibition in itself, it invites the reader to find their own connections and inspirations from the Library’s wide-ranging artefacts. Edited by the RRPL team and featuring three different covers, the first issue focuses on DIY culture - from punk rock fanzines to fashion, art school to dole queues, four-track home cassette demos to high-tech studios - a ragged map to aid further exploration and, hopefully, to inspire yet more creation. The exhibition and magazine are made up entirely of items sourced from the Rock & Roll Public Library that have been selected by Mick Jones & The RRPL Team."

"The magazine to me is like a record, with each article a separate track and it tells a story - my story and by extension through our shared culture, all of our stories. I hope that anyone who reads it will enjoy it." - Mick Jones

 

 

The Rock & Roll Public Library exhibition has been extended due to popular demand. The show is open every day including weekends from 12 noon-7pm. Now ending at 7pm on 22nd March 2025, it's free to enter and no pre-booking required. Farsight Gallery, 4 Flitcroft Street, London WC2H 8DJ

 

 

 

Check out the RRPL site here for further details. You can also see our features on the previous exhibitions at Chelsea Space here and Subway Gallery here.

Brian James - R.I.P. The Damned and Lords of The New Church Guitarist 18th February 1955-6th March 2025

Brian at the Retro Bar (with TexasTerri & Rat Scabies)

Such sad news about the passing of Brian James, I was too young to have seen him when he was first in The Damned, I was from the "Machine Gun Etiquette" and "Black Album" era but of course loved the first two LPs, particularly the raw power of the debut "Damned Damned Damned" and classic singles "New Rose" and "Neat Neat Neat". His visceral guitar sound was like nothing else, instantly recognisable and unique. Like many young bands starting out, we had a bash at a cover version of "New Rose" at our first ever gig back in 1981 and I still have the TDK D-90 cassette recording of the show to this day - however, it's better to be looked at and reminisced about rather than listened too! Lords of The New Church were more of my time and their debut album is a classic, they were a great live band too, Brian happily blasting away at the guitar while frontman Stiv Bators took the limelight. I also saw Brian play at various small gigs over the years, such as the Lenny Kaye Nuggets show at the 100 Club last year, the Retro Bar with Rat and TexasTerri (one of the loudest shows I've ever been too) in 2012 and the fantastic night at the Troubadour to celebrate the launch of his official biography by John Wombat, in 2019, which you can read about in our feature here. I was also chuffed to have caught him at the Hammersmith Apollo for The Damned's reunion in 2022, he did a sterling job despite not being in the best of health and it was a joy to hear all those early songs with Brian's trademark guitar sound. R.I.P. Brian James. Here are a few photographic and video memories...

At the Troubadour biography launch party

Our first gig 1981 with "New Rose" attempt (note Jeff's Damned T-shirt)

Some of my old Lords of The New Church gig tickets

With Rat and TexasTerri at the Retro Bar

The Damned original line-up reunion Hammersmith Apollo

Brian with TexasTerri and Rat at the Retro Bar

The Troubadour

Glen Matlock at the 100 Club with special guest Kathy Valentine of The Go-Go's, February 27th

The 100 Club played host to two of my favourite legendary bass players - Glen Matlock of Sex Pistols and Kathy Valentine of The Go-Go's. Headliner Glen Matlock takes to the familiar stage where he has trodden the boards on numerous occasions - from the Sex Pistols appearance at the Punk Festival in September 1976 to the location of the press conference to announce the Sex Pistols reunion in 1996 and regular solo appearances over the years. Forsaking his bass for guitar and lead vocals, Glen is backed by his excellent band comprising the super cool guitarist Neal X (formerly of Sigue Sigue Sputnik), drummer Chris Musto and bassist Jim Lowe and they ran through a great selection of Glen's solo songs and cover versions alongside The Rich Kids "Ghosts of Princes In Towers" and of course the classic he penned for the Sex Pistols, "Pretty Vacant". It was no-nonsense, good time singalong Rock 'n' Roll that left all of us with huge smiles on our faces. Opening the night was Kathy Valentine, bassist with The Go-Go's, who entertained us with a set comprising some of her favourite songs such as Nick Lowe's "Heart of The City" and Suzi Quatro's "48 Crash" alongside solo material, such as my personal highlight "In My Closet" and of course a few Go-Go's songs such as "Vacation", "Apology" and "We Don't Get Along". She was joined by Glen's band to play a raucous take on The Go-Go's "The Whole World Lost It's Head" and the new collaboration with Neal X, a superbly catchy 7" vinyl single "I Love You More" released under the name KVNX, which was available for sale on the night. Kathy was behind the merch desk to sign copies of the single and her searingly honest autobiography "All I Ever Wanted: A Rock 'n' Roll Memoir" and I also took along my gig ticket from The Go-Go's last U.K. show back in 1995 when they played a fantastic show at the Shepherds Bush Empire. Kathy glady signed the ticket and reminisced about the show. Here are some photos and videos from the night.

 

 

"I Love You More" is available to download at the KVNX Bandcamp site here. You can see some more videos of Kathy's set at our Retro Man Blog YouTube channel here.

Glen Matlock's excellent "Triggers" book is a must read, it's a musical journey through his life told through a selection of various songs that had a big influence on him as a songwriter. His latest solo album "Consequences Coming" is also well worth getting hold of. 

 Glen at the recording of the Word In Your Ear Podcast, promoting his book "Triggers".

The Limiñanas - "Faded" LP Launch at Rough Trade East, February 26th

The Limiñanas were back in London at Rough Trade East to promote their excellent new LP "Faded" with an hour long set followed by a signing session. The line-up has changed since their last visit with new vocalist Thomas Gorman from Kill The Young and bassist Clémence Lasme joining the familiar guitarist and keyboard player Alban Barate alongside of course, Marie and Lionel Limiñana. I must admit that personally, it was a shame that Mickael, Renaud and in particular, the unique Ivan Telefunken are no longer performing with the band, but rather like a football team, Marie and Lionel are constantly changing and evolving the line-up and Tom and Clémence fitted in very well. The band played a mixed selection of songs which surprisingly only included a few tracks from the new album, instead they treated us to a kind of 'greatest hits' including "Shadow People", "Down Underground", "The Gift" and "Istanbul Is Sleepy" and a searing cover of The Cramps "TV Set". New album "Faded" is a return to the more familiar trademark Limiñanas sound following their more dance-orientated collaboration with DJ Laurent Garnier on the "De Pelicula" album. So it's back to the fuzzed-up guitar chords, hypnotic motorik Krautrock drums, cinematic Ennio Morricone Spaghetti Western atmospheres all mixed up with 60's French Yé-yé Pop and grungey Garage Rock 'n' Roll. There's also an eclectic roll call of special guests including Keith Streng from The Fleshtones, Jon Spencer from the Blues Explosion, Anna Jean from Juniore, Pascal Comelade, David Menke, Bertrand Belin and Bobby Gillespie from Primal Scream on the brilliant single "Prisoner of Beauty". Here are some photos and videos from the Rough Trade event. 

The Limiñanas will play at the Electric Ballrom in Camden on Saturday April 12th, you can get tickets from the venue here. You can check out our features with photos and videos from their last two previous London shows at the Scala Kings Cross and The 100 Club in the archive. Our Retrosonic Podcast episode "Songs The Limiñanas Taught Us" in which I look at their some of their many and varied cover versions, influences, side projects and early bands and collaborations is available at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iTunes or direct from our Retrosonic Podcast Soundcloud site below.

Retrosonic Podcast · Episode 37 "Songs The Limiñanas Taught Us"