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.

Eight Rounds Rapid Release Their Third Album "Love Your Work" (Tapete Records) a Blistering, Visceral Attack on The Senses

Eight Rounds Rapid have just released their third album "Love Your Work" on the excellent German label Tapete (Robert Forster, Monochrome Set etc) and it shows the band taking a big leap forward, broadening their sound and horizons quite impressively. They've seemingly taken the feel of "Johnnie Ray" and "Reverse" from previous album "Objet D'Art" as the template for this new set of songs and while there's undoubtedly less of the full-on cranked-up R&B of their previous releases, it doesn't mean the band have smoothed out any of their edges. Not a chance. If anything "Love Your Work" is more challenging and spiky than ever before. But don't worry, while the album will no doubt appeal to a much wider audience, there's still plenty of those classic trademark ERR sounds to keep all you existing fans more than satisfied. "Love Your Work" is visceral and hypnotic and is packed full of David Alexander's wry observations on the state of our nation. He has the knack of elevating the mundane minutiae of life in Brexit Britain superbly and it's difficult to say where lyrics stop and poetry starts. Opening track "You Wait" sets a scene that's full of simmering aggression and tension and it's this theme that runs throughout the entire album. The song's protagonist seems to be trapped in one of those endless call centre scenarios, waiting impatiently, trying to get through, stuck on hold probably listening to awful piped music "he's in a meeting, can I take a message?" You can feel him gradually unravelling as the "you just wait" mantra twists into the ominous threat of "you just wait!". The threat of violence permeates "Love Your Work" and nowhere is this more apparent than in "Passive Agressive". This is what I would call a classic Eight Rounds Rapid song in that it distils all that is great about the band into a two and a half minute adrenaline-fuelled blast. It places you squarely in the heart of a low-life low-rent criminal fraternity and you can visualize small time drug deals with fidgety thugs in pub toilets - "don't look at me funny, I gave you the money". It's driven along on a blistering guitar riff before the song breaks down into a frantic argument - "there's no negotiation, there's no fucking money you slimy little prick". It's one of the best songs the band have written. Luckily the tension lifts a bit with the next song "Love Don't" which is pretty much a Bluesy swing number with Simon Johnson's guitar whizzing all over the place, floating above Jools Cooper's fluid basslines and Lee Watkins superb jazzy drumming. It proves my theory that they are among the best rhythm sections around at the moment.

Eight Rounds Rapid - Photo by Paul Hughes

The switch of styles throughout the album is really what sets it apart - quite a few of the songs are almost like atmospheric mini-movie soundtracks, initially based around the foundation of the drums and bass with Simon's inventive playing setting the scene for David Alexander's evocative lyrics/poetry. Then you get something like "Retro Band" with it's clicking drum machine and unsettling background noises that is as unusual as it is addictive. David Quantick compared the band to Sleaford Mods in a recent review for Classic Rock magazine and after listening to this track I can kind of see his point. It's not just the backing track they use in "Retro Band" but the way both acts are using their local vernacular to shine a spotlight on the current state of our nation, warts and all. Another example of this shift in sound would be the hilarious "Onesie" which near as damn it, nails today's popular so-called culture succintly with it's simple mantra of "I took a selfie in my onesie". It's a jittery avant-garde Jazz blast with some wicked sax from George Cleghorn that reminds me of the late 70's New York No-Wave scene. "Letter" is one of my favourites on the album, a slow burning song with some great choppy ryhthm guitar. Is it a love song for the Coronavirus times? At first I thought so - "when this is over, when this is through, I'm gonna write a letter to you, I'm gonna make it better for you". However, this is Eight Rounds after all and the sampled atmospheric strings and creepy voice in the background makes you wonder if it's actually something slightly more sinister. "Future Estates" is an absolute classic where David Alexander's idiosyncratic half-spoken vocal delivery of his stunning street poetry clicks perfectly with the musical soundtrack. It's so evocative. You're immediately transported to kicking-out time on a Friday night in provincial Brexit-Britain, waiting in a taxi rank in the pissing rain trying to avoid the seething aggression from the "ragamuffin street urchin toerags" all around you. It conjures up images of dodgy tattoo parlours, botox and nail bars and raucous hen and stag parties - "ticket tout lash out lip pout fell out..." Not only does the song boast what I think are David's best lines yet, it also features some unbelievable guitar from Simon - he mangles the strings just like Pixies' Joey Santiago, cranking up the tension almost to breaking point. What a song. "Tricks" is a return to the old-school ERR sound of rough and ready Canvey Island R&B that you've come to expect from the band. It's topped off with a superb harmonica solo and is probably the closest the album gets to what you might call a traditional Rock & Roll song. However, "Mirror" changes the feel again with its lovely shimmering guitar textures reminiscent of Wire's Bruce Gilbert around the "A Bell Is a Cup Until It Is Struck" period.

There aren't really any other contemporary bands I can think of like Eight Rounds Rapid, they're impossible to pin down or categorize. I mean, their uniform of black suits, white shirts and skinny black ties harks back to classic late 70's/early 80's Power Pop, that most innocuous and feelgood of musical genres. But there's certainly nothing innocuous about Eight Rounds Rapid and not a lot of feelgood (excuse the pun) if truth be told. After all, the band look more like a bunch of bouncers outside a local neon-lit boozer than some frothy New Wave band. It's not easy-listening that's for sure. Their music is challenging and thought-provoking and sometimes it can drive you to distraction just like the best Krautrock and Post-Punk bands have the tendency to do. Sure, there are bits of The Fall, early Talking Heads, Can and Public Image Ltd, maybe not musically, but in the way they push the listener to the edge of their comfort zone. However, when you get it you really get it and it's ultimately rewarding. I sometimes wonder if there's a grand plan behind Eight Rounds Rapid. Some of their press releases and statements are challenging, sarcastic almost, are they taking the piss or what? Are they a parody, some kind of Anti-Rock art statement or are they just four Essex blokes who like to get together and kick up a goddamn almighty racket? A bit of all I suspect. But in the end you can do all the theorizing and pontificiating you like, the bottom line is it's music that hits you in the guts, smacks you in the nose but then makes you wonder just what the hell is coming next from Eight Rounds Rapid. I have no idea but I'm certainly looking forward to finding out.

You can hear "Passive Agressive" from "Love Your Work" in Episode 39 of Retrosonic Podcast.

Retrosonic Podcast · Episode 39 "Be Seeing You!"

Useful Links: For more information on Eight Rounds Rapid check out their web-site here or their Facebook page here. "Love Your Work" is available to buy here from Tapete Records. Thanks to David Alexander. Thanks to Sidewinder DJ David Edwards for being the first to tip me off about the band at the very start. Thanks to Mondo & Piley at Radio Podrophenia. They released the band's debut single "Writeabout" on their own label. Hello to all at The Railway Hotel, Southend-on-Sea. One of the U.K.'s best independent Pub Venues where Eight Rounds Rapid played as part of one of our joint Retro Man Blog/Podrophenia Nights. Band photo by Paul Hughes.

Retrosonic Podcast Episode 39: Be Seeing You - with The Clash, The Courettes, Jetstream Pony, The Prisoners, Fleur, Eight Rounds Rapid and more!

Podcover Star: Flavia Couri/Photo by Martin Couri

Welcome to Episode 39 of Retrosonic Podcast and you can probably tell that we've been watching a lot of TV during the lockdown as there are some musical montages inspired by two of our favourite shows (the original) Star Trek and The Prisoner. So, we have tracks by The Clash, Ron Grainer, The Vapors, The Prisoners, SpizzEnergi, The Times, The Galileo 7, The Wedding Present and William Shatner, yes indeed, Captain Kirk singing The Cramps no less...seriously! Then there's a round-up of some fantastic new releases from Damaged Goods Records with the new single from The Courettes, Bickerton Records give us some superb Dutch Ye-Ye from Fleur and also The Colour Collection and then our busy friends at Spinout Nuggets have yet more great stuff out now from Paul Groovy & The Pop Art Experience and The Hurricanes. The Plastic Pals provide their cinematic new single, there's a track from the excellent debut Jetstream Pony LP and a blistering unreleased taster from the forthcoming album by Eight Rounds Rapid. My original Podcast colleague Adam is back with Sam, the singer/guitarist of his old band The Jetsonics, in a new duo called Keller Machine and there's a track from the first of three EP's by The Cult Figures. Then there's some rip-roaring Punk Rock from The Anabollic Steroids and one of Sweden's first Punk bands, GLO. I hope you enjoy this episode, if you are interested in finding out more information on the bands/artists/record labels or would like to buy any of their music, then please click on the highlighted links below to take you directly to their web-sites. Thanks to all the featured bands and you for listening, be seeing you!

Full Tracklisting:

Ron Grainer "The Prisoner opening sequence"

The Clash "The Prisoner" (Studio version)

The Prisoners "Be On Your Way"

The Vapors "Prisoners" 

The Times "I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape"

The Clash "The Prisoner" (Live version from the Rude Boy movie)
SpizzEnergi "Where's Captain Kirk"

The Galileo 7 "Too Late"

William Shatner "Garbageman"

The Wedding Present "Shatner"

Jetstream Pony "The Very Eyes of Night"

The Cult Figures "Under The Overground"

Fleur "Petit Homme de Papier"

Eight Rounds Rapid "Passive Aggressive"

Paul Groovy & The Pop Art Experience "He's a Liar"

The Hurricanes "Baby Move On"

The Courettes "Want You! Like a Cigarette"

Keller Machine "Mystery Bag"

Anabollic Steroids "Abnormal"

GLO "Bajs!"

The Plastic Pals "Hangin' In The Louvre"

The Colour Collection "Ne Decide Pas Pour Moi"

Podcover Star: Flavia Couri, Photo by Martin Couri (The Courettes). Ms Debbie Sheringham-Boom from the fabulous Thee Girl Fridays has reviewed the latest Spinout Nuggets releases featured in this episode - you can check out her feature here. Retrosonic Podcast has a valid PRS Licence. You can listen/download/stream directly below or via our main Retrosonic archive on Soundcloud or subscribe for free on iTunes so you don't miss an episode!

Retrosonic Podcast · Episode 39 "Be Seeing You!"

Eight Rounds Rapid - New Live Album "Live at Kulturzentrum Merlin in Stuttgart"

Eight Rounds Rapid - Photo Copyright Paul Hughes

One of Retro Man Blog's favourite bands Eight Rounds Rapid will release a brand new live album recorded at Kulturzentrum Merlin in Stuttgart on Kosmik Orgon Kanister Broadcast Records on November 2nd. It's out on limited edition numbered vinyl in Deluxe and Regular versions and is available to order from the band's Bandcamp site here. The Deluxe version includes a bonus 7" Single and comes with two cue sheets, A2 poster, three printed photographs and a copy of the setlist of the night that the broadcast was recorded. Rooted in the infamous Canvey Island R'n'B tradition, Eight Rounds Rapid channel the fervour of Dr Feelgood, Wire, Gang of Four and PIL with gritty tales of the underworld that rankle beneath the seaside kitsch of their hometown, Southend-on-Sea. With a blast of no-frills, bullshit-free excitement, the English four-piece take you back to the angular, drugged-up thug punk of the 1970s — but they’ll remind you of nobody but themselves. Enigmatic singer David Alexander commands the chaos with an outsider intelligence and nutty humour that shines through in barbed verse worthy of Mark E Smith — always delivered with a thick Essex drawl. To his right, guitarist and R&B ruffian Simon Johnson leads a sonic assault, his unusual style of thrashing out rhythm and lead simultaneously often leaving his scratch plate splattered with blood making for incendiary live performances. Geezer-rock rhythm comes in the shape of a cut-and-shut Mk1 Ford Capri as bassist Jules Cooper and drummer Lee Watkins wildly push each other to furious speeds. With quality lyrics and an erratic sound, the band have found a devoted following of fans that sing along to unique songs like "Steve", "Dostoyevsky" and "I Like It". Eight Rounds Rapid released both of their LPs "Lossleader" and "Objet d’Art" to critical acclaim in the UK music press. They’ve played prestigious support slots at The Royal Albert Hall and Koko Camden and have performed in England, Wales, Scotland, France and Germany.

The album was produced by Jürgen Jankowitsch and Michael Piltz for Kosmik Orgon Kanister and Incognito Records. Recorded live at Kulturzentrum Merlin in Stuttgart 02nd October 2017 with an old fashioned Tascam 4-track to tape recorder. Mixing and Mastering: Oberst Gregor. Live Tape Operator: Barny Trouble. Live Sound Merlin: Haufi. Graphic Design: Agnes Wagner. Host Merlin: Arne Hübner. Pictures (Deluxe Edition): Paul Hughes (band sheet + poster). Thomas Waldhof (band live). Introduction: Günter Verdin. For more info on ERR please check our their web-site here.

Retrosonic Podcast Episode 15 "You Can Stick Your Frothy Lager" with Graham Day & The Gaolers, Ebbot Lundberg, The Damned, Eight Rounds Rapid, The Fleshtones and more!

Welcome to Episode 15 of Retrosonic Podcast entitled "You Can Stick Your Frothy Lager". Steve from Retro Man Blog and Rock Photographer Paul Slattery chat about a selection of gigs and events including Captain Sensible's Birthday Gig, Paul's time on the road with Oasis and his involvement in the "Chasing The Sun" photo exhibition. There's the latest "best gig ever" from The Fleshtones and a slight moan about The Fuzztones' time keeping, praise for Eight Rounds Rapid, Galileo 7 and a weird coincidence involving Swedish band Stupidity. We report on our visit to The Medway for our interviews with Garage Rock legend Billy Childish and the Pubmonkey movie writer Jamie O'Hara and Glenn Page from The Len Price 3 who provide the film's soundtrack. We also attended the first ever screening of the movie at the BFI and lavish praise on the final cut. There's talk about our Retro Man Blog gigs with The WitchDoktors, King Salami & The Cumberland 3 and The SuperMinx'70 and chat about the two previous sold out shows with The Monochrome Set and Graham Day & The Forefathers. There's an excellent new song from ex-Soundtrack of Our Lives front-man Ebbot Lundberg's new solo E.P. and spins of tracks by The Teamsters, The Damned, The Shall I Say Quois and The Snakeman 3 amongst others. The episode is free to listen to and download below and you can also check out our extensive archive at our Soundcloud page here. Enjoy!

Eight Rounds Rapid new album "Loss Leader" plus Live at The Alley Cat London May 02nd

Eight Rounds Rapid at The Alley Cat - Photo by Paul Hughes

Eight Rounds Rapid have just released their debut album "Loss Leader" on Cadiz Music and it's already received a glowing 4 star review by Pat Gilbert in the new issue of Mojo Magazine, glowing yes, but why not the 5 stars the album deserves, eh Pat?  "Loss Leader" is a blistering debut album from the Southend-on-Sea four piece who I first heard about via my Southend based pals, the Podrophenia DJ's Mondo & Piley, who tipped me off about a local band that was blowing them away. In fact they were so blown away that they decided to put out a limited edition 7" vinyl single for the band entitled "Writeabout" on their own Podrophenia label. Blog contributor Mark Lancaster also saw Eight Rounds Rapid as support to Thee Faction at The Railway in Southend and filed his report here so I was intrigued to find out more about this band who were causing such a stir. 

(L/R) David Alexander, Simon Johnson & Jules Cooper by Paul Hughes

We featured the band's first single "Channel Swimmer" in Episode 7 of Retrosonic Podcast and the song got some great feedback so we decided to go one step further and ask them to play support to TV Smith at the Retro Man Blog and Podrophenia night at The Railway back in December. It was the first time I had seen the band play live and I wasn't to be disappointed, in fact it was seeing their gig that night when my lingering resistance to fully embracing the Eight Rounds Rapid sound finally broke. Why resistance? Well, I think they grated a bit when I first heard some of their tracks - probably down to vocalist David Alexander's half-spoken delivery I guess - the distinct lack of vocal harmonies or backing vocals meant it wasn't an immediate love at first listen. However, there was no doubting their hugely powerful sonic intensity and slowly the songs that I was unsure about started to stick in my head as though they had the catchiest choruses ever written. So, seeing them live for the first time that night at The Railway was when it all made sense and I was totally hooked.

Lee Watkins of Eight Rounds Rapid - Photo by Paul Hughes

Tonight down at the front of the stage at the packed-out Alley Cat Club on Denmark Street, once home to Regent Sound Studios, I was really looking forward to seeing the band play live again. Even more so since picking up a copy of "Loss Leader" from them last week and playing it on repeat pretty much every day since. They take the stage all decked out in black suits and they look pretty damn cool, Drummer Lee Watkins, Bassist Jules Cooper, Vocalist David Alexander and on guitar Simon Johnson. Yes, that's right, it is Wilko Johnson's son and it's difficult to write about the band without mentioning the family connection especially as opening number "My Mate" is steeped in that Canvey Island/Southend raw blues sound. Simon's stuttering rhythm and stretched string guitar work certainly remind me of his Dad, however "My Mate" is probably the only track on "Loss Leader" that does conjure up images of the Oil City and it would be an injustice to dwell on the connection too long. The witty lyrics about a less than generous friend have a few people exchanging knowing glances and others quickly offering to get a round in. "My mate is a bit tight, but he's alright....". 

Eight Rounds Rapid - Photo by Paul Hughes

Next track "Channel Swimmer" is a storming song and I love the way the drums and bass kick in over the great guitar intro, again it's packed full of clever word play from David Alexander and it makes me wonder if Eight Rounds Rapid are as much a vehicle for his poetry as they are a Rock 'n' Roll band. "Channel Swimmer" seems on the surface to be tackling the subject of suicide with it's "Bungee jumping hero who forgot his band" and the "gun smoke poke in the feather pillow", but were they pushed or did they jump I wonder? There is something nicely unsettling about Eight Rounds Rapid, not just lyrically but something else that challenges preconceptions. I've already mentioned David Alexander's vocal delivery, part Mark Perry Thames Estuary sneer and part Gerard Langley beatnik poetry reading, and on stage he doesn't play by any Rock "rules" either. He stands stock still when delivering his words, eyes focused at the monitor in front of him. Sometimes he has a quick minimalist blast on a harmonica and then occasionally he'll move aside during an instrumental break to grab a beer and let his three band-mates take the limelight. There's no engagement with the crowd, not a word, certainly no banter and that means thankfully no cliches. 

David Alexander of Eight Rounds Rapid - Photo by Paul Hughes

You don't get the feeling that David will ever implore a crowd to raise their hands and clap along or ask if we can hear at the back. He's certainly charismatic and despite the lack of theatrics it's all hugely compelling and effective and there's a great on-stage chemistry between the band members - Simon glances at David, Jules smiles and grimaces sheepishly at one slightly off note - David steps aside to swig a beer and to allow the band to play. "Dostoyevsky" is a slow Bluesy number and I don't think I have ever been amongst a crowd drunkenly chanting "Dostoyevsky is dead and he never saw it coming", a somewhat obscure singalong to say the least. "Writeabout" starts off with a howling Ron Asheton Stooges style riff before Lee Watkins' thunderous drums and then quick-fire spat out vocals that are almost a take on the old Pepsi "Lip-smacking, thirst-quenching, ace-tasting..." slogan. It's a withering put down of today's apathetic celebrity obsessed culture, "channel flicking TV dinners sniffing thinners". Next song "Steve" is a slow burner built around a fluid bass line from Jules Cooper, it's a tale of mundane local gossip and Chinese whispers "To be honest I don't what to believe so I'm going round to talk to Steve...", there's an air of menace about it and you want to know what really did happen. "Kicks" is a Punky thrash detailing a night out "At 10:38 we started to relate" and later on as the date progresses "at 4:33 the best things in life are free..." 

Simon Johnson & David Alexander - Photo by Paul Hughes

Next up is the excellent "Talent" which features some superbly funky Gang of Four rhythm work from Lee and Jules and nice stabbing guitar riffs from Simon. "Britain's got talent but most of us haven't" David intones and the crowd join in boisterously. It seems to be another attack on celebrity culture, people desperate for a quick fix of fame while the qualified and truly talented people can't find work, "Curators stack shelves in the local Poundshop" or those failing to get recognition for their art, "Musicians hit tins and play the bins". It reminds me of that feeling I get every time I watch "Later with Jools Holland", what the hell is that rubbish on for while there are many more exciting and vital acts out there! The band then play a few tracks that are not on the "Loss Leader" album, new unrecorded numbers "Bully Boy" and "Mystery" promise even more good things from Eight Rounds Rapid in the future. The set draws to a close with a raucous version of Mick Farren's "I Want a Drink"...and after such a great gig I certainly felt like I did too!

You can order "Loss Leader" now from all the usual outlets or check out the official Eight Rounds Rapid web-site or Facebook page for further details on how to buy a copy and for news on future tour dates. You can hear a track from the album in Episode 7 of Retrosonic Podcast which is available to listen to below or at our Retrosonic Podcast archive on Soundcloud.

With thanks to Paul Hughes for contributing his excellent photographs, all photos are copyright of Paul Hughes 2014. You can see more of Paul's pics at his Flickr page which include some superb sets from our Retro Man Blog and Podrophenia Nights at The Railway in Southend-on-Sea.

TV Smith and Eight Rounds Rapid at The Railway Hotel Southend-on-Sea December 07th

TV Smith and admirer - Photo by Paul Hughes

It’s no wonder that TV Smith has gone on record as saying Southend-on-Sea’s Railway Hotel is one of his favourite venues in the U.K. to play. They are a great match, both without huge (if any) financial backing but both tirelessly fighting their respective creative corners as true individuals in a sea of soulless branded chain venues and an equally soulless music industry. The Railway’s managers, Fi and Dave, put on a bewildering array of eclectic musical acts of all genres, along with film screenings and parties, often free or with a minimal cover-the-costs entrance fee such as this gig’s bargain ticket price of just £3.00. Tonight is a perfect example of what they offer, downstairs in the bar, Steve Hooker is entertaining the drinkers with his raw Rockabilly songs, augmented by a snare drummer, double bass and harmonica, it creates a lively buzz and is a perfect warm up for the night’s main event. This event is actually another joint get together with Retro Man Blog, Podrophenia DJ’s Piley & Mondo and Steve Pegrum’s excellent Southend Punk web-site for a night of great live music, DJ sets and of course a severe bout of boozing and socialising. 

Eight Rounds Rapid by Paul Hughes

I was really pleased that we could get local band Eight Rounds Rapid to open the show, I have been really impressed with what I have heard from them, and we received quite a few glowing comments after we played their last single “Channel Swimmer” in Retrosonic Podcast Episode 7. They have also started to get much wider recognition from respected BBC DJ’s Gideon Coe, Steve Lamacq and also David Quantick amongst others as well as some high profile shows supporting Wilko Johnson at London’s Koko. Now, here’s the thing. It’s very difficult to talk about Eight Rounds Rapid without mentioning Wilko Johnson, not just because they are both based in Southend but mainly due to the fact that guitarist Simon is Wilko’ s son. It might not be so apparent when listening to their recorded work, but live, Simon’s hugely impressive staccato guitar playing and his onstage mannerisms, although not quite as wired as Wilko’s, are cut from the same black-suited cloth. 

Eight Rounds Rapid by Paul Hughes

It’s also nice to see Wilko in the crowd tonight and he catches up with TV Smith and Steve Hooker, who he has recorded with in the past, as well as politely and patiently chatting to lots of awestruck punters. But despite that, Eight Rounds Rapid have forged their own idiosyncratic sound and are refreshingly very difficult to pin down – it’s a style that I guess could be said to almost divide opinion. With front man David’s deadpan delivery and half-spoken vocals, which are firmly rooted in A-House, Art Brut, Blue Aeroplanes territory, they challenge the expected norms of what a “Rock” band should be. They also occasionally remind me of Wire’s art project approach to being in a band, where they push the boundaries and limits between melody and noise, of what’s pleasantly catchy and what can grate and challenge the listener. It’s not to be filed under easy listening that’s for sure. But live they truly excel tonight, and Eight Rounds Rapid conjure up a powerfully hypnotic force on their slightly sinister little gems such as “Dostoevsky”, “Steve” and “Channel Swimmer”. 

Wilko Johnson and son Simon from Eight Rounds Rapid by Paul Hughes

The superb rhythm section of drummer Lee and bassist Jules lock in together perfectly and it’s nice to see a real onstage chemistry. It’s only on the swaggering bluesy beast of "My Mate" and a new song “I Want a Drink”, where that legendary rough Thames Estuary R’n’B sound comes to the fore and bassist Jules’ fluid runs bring to mind Norman Watt-Roy. They are called back for a well deserved encore and power through the new single “Writeabout” which was very generously part funded by tonight’s Radio Podrophenia DJ team of Dave Collins and Ian Pile, long-time staunch supporters of the band and evidently men of great taste! 

TV Smith by Paul Hughes

And then it’s time for TV Smith to take the stage to a warm reception from his loyal Southend fans. Armed only with his acoustic guitar he has emerged as a kind of Punk Rock folk troubadour in the grand tradition. He is a globe-trotting story-teller with topical protest songs full of a barbed yet humorous satire on modern life. It’s a life fraught with the issues of Globalisation, Surveillance, Corruption, Capitalism and well…the perils of Xmas…! For TV Smith’s sometime cynical and world-weary tales are not just aimless diatribes against “the Man” but often moving and perfectly drawn personal observations that many people can easily relate to. It’s politics of the individual, he’s not bashing you around the head with a “down with this sort of thing” placard, but he is opening eyes and ears to various issues that mean a lot to him. 

There are various dimensions to his approach too, he can use humour in different guises to make his point, whether it’s the less-than-subtle laugh out loud attack on festive consumerism in “Xmas Bloody Xmas” or on the clever wordplay of “It’s Expensive Being Poor”. On songs like “The Day We Caught the Big Fish” and “Generation Y” subjects such as nuclear submarines accidently sinking fishing vessels and the recent trend for youthful apathy towards politics, are  wrapped up in sublime melancholic songs that force you to think as you sing along. There’s Punky aggression on “Coming Into Land” and of course a rich back catalogue of songs to be plundered such as “We Who Wait”, “New Church” and “No Time To Be 21”. Promising new songs from the next album are also aired, and these include tonight’s set opener “The First One To Sign Up", "Replay" and a song that turns out to be one of my highlights of the set and a sure-fire future classic called “I Delete”. 

TV Smith at The Railway by Paul Hughes

We get the hilarious “Complaints Department”, the moving “The Lion and The Lamb” and a superb version of one of my favourite songs “You Saved My Life Then Ruined It” and it just goes to show the depth of TV Smith's song-writing. At one point he snaps a string on his guitar and then launches into an off-the-cuff performance of Cheap's “My String Will Snap" which goes down really well. For the encore we are treated to three classic Adverts songs “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes”, “Bored Teenagers” and a raucous “One Chord Wonders” – where TV invites The Railway’s soundman Duncan up on stage to join him on vocals. Duncan sings in local band Swindle and although he looks a bit bashful for, oh all of 10 seconds, he soon throws himself into the task with a huge grin while the now traditional Railway stage invasion takes place around him. It’s all over and time for TV to relax and chat to fans by his merchandise stall, a time that he always seems to relish. Then we retire back down to the bar to enjoy DJ’s Piley and Mondo’s excellent music and soak up the atmosphere of another great night at The Railway. I’d like to thank Tim, Eight Rounds Rapid, Fi, Dave, Heather, Duncan and the staff at The Railway, Steve Pegrum from Southend Punk, Dave and Ian from Podrophenia and to Paul Hughes for the excellent photos. Of course a huge “thank you” to all who came along and for all the encouragement and support. Cheers! 

Soundman Duncan with TV Smith by Paul Hughes

TV Smith has a brand new album “The Acoustic Sessions Volume 1” out now along with volume four of his highly entertaining Tour Diaries  entitled “To Heligoland and Beyond”. Eight Rounds Rapid new single “Writeabout” is available on Podrophenia Records as a limited edition 7” vinyl. Check out Podrophenia for their regular radio shows and Podcasts. Southend Punk is an excellent archive and resource and forthcoming events at The Railway Hotel can be found here. 

TV Smith and Wilko Johnson by Paul Hughes

Podrophenia DJ Mondo entertains the packed Railway bar by Paul Hughes

Eight Rounds Rapid by Paul Hughes

Piley in the pulpit - DJ Ian Pile by Steve Worrall

The customary Railway stage invasion - Photp by Paul Hughes

More of Paul Hughes’ excellent photos can be found at his Flickr site. More videos of Eight Rounds Rapid and TV Smith from the night are up on the Retro Man Blog You Tube channel now. 

Finally, don't forget our Retrosonic Podcast special edition with TV Smith which includes an in-depth interview and exclusive acoustic session featuring four classic songs.

Eight Rounds Rapid "Writeabout": New Single Launch Party at The Railway Hotel, Southend on August 09th

Southend-On-Sea's Eight Rounds Rapid launch their new single 'Writeabout' with a free gig at The Railway Hotel in their hometown on Friday 09th of August, and it will be the very first chance to get your hands on a copy. The title track has never been available in any format prior to this single, which is the first release on Podrophenia Records and it's strictly limited to 500 hand-numbered copies. Support comes from the always excellent Tuppenny Bunters, and then join Podrophenia DJs Piley and Mondo downstairs in the bar for the aftershow party!
 
Piley and Mondo may be better known for their DJing and Podrophenia Radio show and Podcast, not to mention their joint gig promotions with me at The Railway Hotel for The Len Price 3 and TV Smith. Here, Podrophenia give us the low down on the new single 8RR single "Writeabout".

Photo by Paul Hughes

Who are Eight Rounds Rapid?
Southend's rising stars and estuary bred Rock ‘n’ Rollers, filtering Dr Feelgood Thames-Delta grooves through post-punk punch and new wave clout. 

Describe 8RR.

"Window-licking, channel-flicking, TV dinners, sniffing thinners, lotto-playing, fare-evading, shoplifting, jumble-sifting"

Where might I have seen 8RR?
Supporting Wilko Johnson on his Farewell Tour.

Supporting Thee Faction.
At Podrophenia live event nights.

Where might I have heard 8RR?
Previous single (Channel Swimmer) was played by...
Mark Radcliffe (6Music and Radio 2)
Gary Crowley (BBC Radio London)
Radio Podrophenia

Retrosonic Podcast

What do I need to know about the new single?
It's a limited edition 7" vinyl release - and the only format that "Writeabout" will ever be available on. The flip-side "Steve" is long-haul live crowd pleaser and fan favourite.

Check out The Eight Rounds Rapid Facebook page for up to date info and news. 

Photo by Paul Slattery

Photo shows Piley & Mondo in action at The Railway Hotel, Southend-on-Sea at the very first (and packed-out) Retro Man Blog/Podrophenia night with The Len Price 3 back in March 2012. 

Retrosonic Podcast Episode 7: "Because I'm in love with Cathy McGowan"

Welcome to Episode 7 of Retrosonic Podcast. Steve from Retro Man Blog and Ad from The Jetsonics play a selection of Punk Rock, Soul, Garage Rock, Psychedelia, Mod and weird stuff...Generation X praise Rock 'n' Roll, Denim bury it...The Stranglers old versus new, there's classic New York sleaze from Wayne County & The Electric Chairs, Heavy Mod from The Loop and some groove from the Soul President. Hear a Stiff Records classic by Graham Parker and The Rumour and discover the Slightlydelic Garage Rock of The Hypnotic Eye. There's Southend's finest in the highly rated Eight Rounds Rapid and Wilko at Koko. Plus there's Hindi-Rock raga from Elephant Stone, the atmospheric guitar sound of The November Five and sausage based mayhem from King Salami & The Cumberland 3...And yes, we do manage to squeeze in our now traditional Graham Day track, this time a soulful slice of genius from The Prisoners. All this plus the usual waffle, reminiscing and news about the Hipsville Weekender and the "Locations" Art Exhibition featuring Gaye Black (Advert), David Apps from Artificial Designs and Lynne Blackburn and Ian Bailey from Hippo Screenprinters.

If you liked the bands and are interested in any events featured in the news section then please kindly take the time to click on the highlighted links and check out their web-sites to investigate further...Many Thanks! Steve & Ad.

 

Don't forget all previous Retrosonic Podcast Episodes are still available and as well as the regular shows there are various Special Editions featuring interviews with a wide range of personalities. The Fallen Leaves "Simple Songs for Complex People" a story in two parts, is a must for any music lover.  TV Smith from The Adverts treats us to an exclusive live acoustic session, Mattias Bärjed takes us on a journey from the Nymphet Noodlers to The Soundtrack of Our Lives, his successful movie and TV soundtrack work to his brand new band Free Fall. We have some demo versions and unreleased tracks from Mattias Hellberg's forthcoming album, JC Carroll from The Members takes us on a little Punk Rock trip and there are exclusive unreleased solo songs from Ian Person from The Soundtrack of Our Lives. There are also special reports on various music related topics such as the Swedish music scene  which includes interviews with Ann-Sofie from Spiders, Bruce from MUG Music store and Wayne Lundqvist-Ford from the Gothenburg based Ice Cream Man Blog. There are looks into the contemporary Mod scene, Paul Slattery's adventures in Rock and Roll Photography and much more...