THE LET'S GO's & The Baby Seals at The Trinity Harrow September 25th 2025

In these days of seemingly endless bad news full of intolerence, bitterness and hatred it's refreshing to just go out and see some great soul cleansing live Rock 'n' Roll music. There's nothing like it for taking your mind off an increasingly selfish society and reminding yourself that yes, there are still decent like-minded people out there. Tonight's gig courtesy of promoters Shake Some Acton is just one of those uplifting nights and with the Tokyo trio THE LET'S GO's they picked a perfect antidote to these troubled times. I'd always just missed out on seeing the band during my trips to Japan so I was really pleased to find out they were playing up the road from me in Harrow and I'd finally get to see them play. I wasn't to be disappointed as right from the start as they make their individual introductions to the intro music of the Ramones & Paley Brothers Power Pop classic "Come on Let's Go", the smiles of the band and audience light up the room. 

 

Kicking off with a triple hit of "In My Head", "222" and a manic version of The Revillos "Yeah Yeah" they mean business. Founding member Coco on guitar and lead vocals is a livewire focal point, an excellent guitarist, spitting out Johnny Thunders style riffs one minute and then cheerleading us to sing along and get involved. Their fantastic bassist Manami bounces off Coco's energetic performance as they jump and pose around the stage together, their smiles are as infectious as their melodic tunes. There must be something in the Japanese water that produces so many amazing female drummers and Ame-chan is no exception, she's worth the entrance price alone with a stunning display behind the kit. THE LET'S GO's have the swagger of the Heartbreakers but can belt out Power Pop numbers that match Baby Shakes at their best and the brilliant "Let's A Go-Go!" is a sure fire classic. 

 

However, they are not afraid to slow the relentless pace with the dreamy, melodic sweetness of "Mirror Ball" sung by bassist Manami which has a Phil Spector feel to it. They play a few cover versions including "What A Wonderful World" that is more of a take on Joey Ramones' version and "Boys" possibly Ringo's finest vocal moment with The Beatles and there's a great rousing version of The Clash's "Janie Jones'. The set draws to a close with the uptempo "Frontier" and "Disco Night" but sadly due to time restraints, that's it, no opportunity for what would have been an extremely well deserved encore. However, we all went home satisfied, with smiles still plastered all over our faces.

 

I was pleased I made it to the venue in time to catch the Cambridge based support act Baby Seals, another three piece band comprising vocalist and guitarist Kerry, drummer Amy who also provides some impressive backing vocals and super cool bassist Kate who treats us to some crunching bass riffs. There's a nice chemistry between them all which creates a really good atmosphere and means the crowd are immediately on side. Of course, good songs also help and Baby Seals thankfully have a lot of those to share with us tonight. The rollicking non-conformist 'fuck you' choruses of "Nipple Hair" and "Vibrator" are prime examples of some classic dynamic songwriting. Then there's the brooding Psychedelia of "Irene" and "Chaos" and the hypnotic slow-burning "It's Not About The Money Honey" which show there's a real depth to The Baby Seals, that on first glance of some of the song titles in their set list, might not be immediately apparent. Sure, they have the cheeky humour of The Gymslips (showing my age there...) but there are also echoes of "Dry" and "Rid Of Me" era PJ Harvey, the brilliant Duke Spirit, Post-Punk and some Grungey guitar wig-outs courtesy of Kerry. 

I was really impressed so I picked up a copy of their debut album "Chaos" after their set and even on first listen in the car back home, I could immediately remember all the songs from the show - songs like "Mild Misogynist" and "ID'd at Aldi" will stick in your head and are truly addictive. The fact that Baby Seals have got me, a 60 year old bloke, happily walking around singing "My Labia Is Lopsided, But I Don't Mind" is testament to their knack of crafting some insanely catchy choruses. I'd better be careful not to sing too loudly when I'm out in public...

 

 

All photos and videos copyright Retro Man Blog 2025. For more videos of both bands please head on over to our Retromanblog65 YouTube channel and subscribe for free.

Ronnie Mayor: New Album "Beyond The Limberlost" and Vinyl Reissue of "Retrospectively Yours" Compilation from former Tours & Da Biz songwriter

Ronnie Mayor, the former joint singer, songwriter and guitarist with the legendary Power Popsters Tours', one of the much-missed DJ John Peel's favourites, has two releases out now. First of all, there's a new solo album "Beyond The Limberlost" and then courtesy of Bachelor Records there's a vinyl reissue of the compilation "Retrospectively Yours" that showcases his songwriting talents with Tours, Da Biz and as a solo artist, here's some information on the compilation from the record company...

"Power Pop enthusiasts, rejoice! For the first time ever, Ronnie Mayor’s cult-favorite CD "Retrospectively Yours" gets the vinyl treatment, courtesy of Austria’s premier garage/punk/power pop imprint Bachelor Records. Originally released in 2022 as a CD-only archival compilation on Small Operations and available exclusively via Boiler Room Records, "Retrospectively Yours" dives deep into Mayor’s late-70s/early-80s tape archives. Now this essential collection is being reissued on limited edition vinyl (500 copies), bringing new life and analog warmth to 14 gems spanning Mayor’s prolific work with Tours, Da Biz, and his solo releases. Featuring all three of Mayor’s cult 7″ singles—including the John Peel favourite "Language School", the long-lost TOURS anthem "Imagination" and the ultra-rare "On the Beach" by Da Biz—this LP is an irresistible time capsule of DIY energy, sharp hooks, and pure pop passion. The album also unearths eight previously unreleased recordings from Tours and Da Biz, plus the raw rockabilly cut "Clock ‘n’ Rock", written for Surfin’ Dave but never issued until now. "Retrospectively Yours" is exactly what it claims to be: All killer, no filler. A must-have for fans of vintage UK power pop, mod revival, and punk-inflected guitar pop. Released on June 23rd 2025 via Bachelor Records, housed in a deluxe sleeve with a printed inner sleeve with liner notes about the songs and recordings."

Ronnie Mayor in 2018 - Photo by Paul Slattery

 

 

As mentioned above, Ronnie has also just released a new solo album entitled "Beyond The Limberlost" which starts off with the acoustic Country & Western opener "Hank Made It Home" and the pedal steel guitar of second song "Don't You Know You're Home" and you can tell Ronnie is in fine voice. What hits you next is the quite excellent production perfectly highlighted on "This Love Passes On" with some superb backing vocals and understated percussion. Then there's the feel good blue-eyed Soul of "I Wanna Make You Happy" with its brass section and gospel style backing harmonies. The more familiar jangling guitars make an appearance on "Love Is Gonna Pick You Up" and the uptempo album closer "A Kinder World" is based around a naggingly catchy guitar riff and is a great ending to the record.

Tours with Ronnie in the centre - Photo by Paul Slattery

Our features on the Tours reunion gig in 2018 by photographer Paul Slattery, who photographed the band back in their early days, can be found in our archive here. You can also hear Paul discussing the band and playing some choice cuts in our Retrosonic Podcast Episode 47...

 

Retrosonic Podcast · Episode 47 "This Is No Audition" with Rock Photographer Paul Slattery

Photos copyright Paul Slattery.