Retro Man Blog Night with The Members at The Half Moon in Putney June 30th

The Members by Paul Slattery

Firstly, I'd like to say  a big "thank you" to all those that came along to my latest Retro Man Blog night at The Half Moon in Putney last week. This continued my series of "Punk Rock Legends" gigs which kicked off the week before with our superb show for TV Smith of The Adverts at The Railway in Southend-on-Sea. Headliners, The Members take the stage and bang straight into the classic "Soho A Go Go". I'm really enjoying this three piece line-up, with original "members" JC Carroll and Chris Payne augmented by the legendary Damned drummer, Rat Scabies. It's great to see Rat play up close, maybe his character has sometimes overshadowed the fact that he really is a superb drummer. I don't think the music press has ever accorded him enough credit. It's not all crash, bang wallop and setting fire to the drum-kit, he takes on The Members more subtle and intricate songs, especially those with the reggae influences, superbly well. 

Rat Scabies by Paul Slattery

Of course there's no doubting his muscular style is still there, showcased in the way he powers round the kit in the Keith Moon style drum breaks of "Chelsea Nightclub". Guitarist JC Carroll shares the vocal duties with bassist Chris Payne, and they complement each other perfectly, with the hyperactive JC zooming about the stage, and Chris looking on with a quiet grin. The slightly limited time means we get a lean set-list packed full of classic tunes, "Solitary Confinement", "Working Girl" and a selection from the excellent new album "InGrrLand" including "Bleak" and "New English Blues". Of course we do get a rousing "Sound of The Suburbs" which has the crowd singing along and encores of a crazed "Ain' Gon' Be Yo' Bitch No Mo'" and a cover of Larry Wallis's "Police Car". So, The Members really do deserve to be re-evaluated and certainly I'd recommend you trying to see them live, as this current line-up kicks that proverbial ass!

Monica & The Explosion by Paul Slattery

Kicking off proceedings were Monica & The Explosion who comprise Swedish singer-songwriter Monica Welander and Paul Slack, the original U.K. Subs bassist and composer of that classic bass riff to "Warhead". They play a selection of tracks from their excellent "Shut Up!" album and new material from their forthcoming album. Playing their acoustic juke-box Punk, driven by Paul's inventive bass which makes up for the lack of percussion, the songs come across really well live. Monica bashes away on her acoustic guitar and is an energetic and charismatic singer, her and Paul exchange smiles on stage and together they transmit some good vibes to the appreciative audience.  They are currently recording songs for their new album so watch this space for news on it's release. Next up is The Jetsonics, a band that have a West London Ruts and Clash style reggae-tinged influence, apparent on their crowd favourite "Somewhere Else". They mix this with their take on a late '70's Power Pop/New Wave sound of the suburbs with boisterous, shout-along numbers such as "Never Meet Your Heroes" and the catchy "Amazing".

The Jetsonics by Paul Slattery

They are improving with every gig and building more of an on-stage chemistry between live-wire vocalist/guitarist Sam Day and laconic bassist Adam Donovan. Their third E.P. is currently being mixed and should be a cracker as the new songs played tonight such as the bass driven "She Wolf" and "Debbie Harry" are sounding really great. Things draw to a close with "Chelsea Drugstore" which, although yet to be released, is fast becoming their signature track and then "New Romance", for which the band have recorded a great video that is well worth checking out.  Thanks again to all those who came along, to all the bands and Carrie and staff at The Half Moon. Here are some more exclusive Paul Slattery photos of the gig:

Rat Scabies of The Members - Photo by Paul Slattery

Chris Payne of The Members - Photo by Paul Slattery

JC Carroll of The Members - Photo by Paul Slattery

Your host for the evening! - Photo by Paul Slattery

Monica Welander of M&TE - Photo by Paul Slattery

Paul Slack of Monica & The Explosion by Paul Slattery

Sam Day & Adam Donovan of The Jetsonics - Photo by Paul Slattery

Dave Lombardi, Sam Day & Adam Donovan of The Jetsonics by Paul Slattery

With many thanks to Paul Slattery for the excellent photographs!

The Members with Rat Scabies + The Jetsonics + Monica & The Explosion live at The Half Moon June 30th

Here's a reminder that Retro Man Promotions has put together another superb line-up for Part 2 of a double hit of Punk Rock Legends gigs. Following hot on the heels of our fantastic gig at The Railway in Southend last Friday with TV Smith, this is sure to be another great night.

The Members, now with The Damned's legendary drummer Rat Scabies, will be headlining The Half Moon on June 30th along with Monica & The Explosion who feature original U.K. Subs bassist, Paul Slack and Swedish singer songwriter Monica Welander. Completing the line-up will be The Jetsonics who bring their New Wave Power Pop to the party.

Tickets for this gig can be pre-ordered from the Half Moon web-site HERE.

The Half Moon Putney, 93 Lower Richmond Road, London SW15 1EU - Tel: 0208 780 9383

News: Monica & The Explosion French & German Tour Dates

Monica & The Explosion - Photo by Paul Slattery

Monica & The Explosion, featuring Swedish vocalist/guitarist, guitarist Monica Welander and ex-UK Subs bassist Paul Slack, will be in Jigsaw Studios, Peterborough next week, recording tracks for their new album.

Then, mid-march they will head off on a tour taking in shows in Germany and France, more dates are to be confirmed so please keep a check on their web-site for up to date news. The band are also confirmed to play Blackpool's Rebellion Festival in August. 

Mar. 15th Wageni, Bochum, Germany
Mar. 16th Freak show, Essen, Germany
Mar. 18th Yoko Mono, Hamburg, Germany

April-May French tour: (more dates TBC)

Apr. 6th Café du Theatre, Dinan, France
Apr. 7th Le Galion, Lorient, France
Apr. 8th Les Valseuses, Lannion, France
Apr. 12th Le Dynamo, Nantes, France
Apr. 13th Mondo Bizarro, Rennes, France
Apr. 17th Le Chat Noir, Angouleme, France
Apr. 19th Houses Of Parliament Bar, Bordeaux, France
Apr. 20th Zic Zinc Bar, Limoges, France
Apr. 21st Le Baraka, Clermont-Ferrand, France
Apr. 27th Café du Boulevard, Melle, France
Apr. 28th 5ème Avenue, Orléans, France
Apr. 29th Les Combustibles, Paris, France
May. 11th L'Antidote, Bordeaux, France
May. 12th Le Houlala Rock bar, Bergerac, France
Jun. 1st Korrigans, Trémentines, France

Aug. 2-5th Rebellion Festival, Blackpool, UK

Check the Monica & The Explosion label on the right of the Blog for more info, review & photos.

Review: Monica & The Explosion - Live at The Grey Lady Music Lounge Royal Tunbridge Wells February 08th

Monica & The Explosion - Photo by Paul Slattery

A nice little excursion to picturesque Tunbridge Wells to catch my first Monica and The Explosion show and it was well worth the trip. I'd been impressed by the album "Shut Up!" so was really looking forward to seeing how the songs would come across live. Although on the album they enlist a drummer, recently the band have been performing with the rather unconventional two-piece line-up of Monica on Vocals and Acoustic Guitar and Paul Slack on Bass. Any reservations on how this will work are soon dispelled as Monica & Paul take the stage and launch into their first song titled (I think...) "Heart".

Monica & The Explosion - Photo by Paul Slattery

Monica strums away energetically on her guitar, laying down a solid rhythm and Paul's inventive bass lines add a swing to the songs so you soon forget the lack of drums or percussion. Next up is one of "Shut Up!"'s stand out tracks "Take It Or Leave Me" followed by the excellent "Ran Away". Monica is a great performer, full of energy and charisma and there is a natural chemistry between her and Paul that makes for a very engaging show.

Monica & The Explosion - Photo by Paul Slattery

"That's It" from "Shut Up!" is another highlight but it's new track, the superb and emotional  "Volcano" which is my personal favourite of the night. In fact most of the set is made up of new songs from their, as yet untitled, forthcoming album. Monica and Paul will head to the studio in early March to start recording tracks and it is promising to be a great record judging by the excellent songs peformed tonight. The too-short set is ended by "I Wanna Go Home", which is a rousing finale, the gig was over but we're left with the promise of much more to come in the future from this great band.

Monica & The Explosion - Photo by Paul Slattery

We had a chat with Paul and Monica after the gig and both were extremely friendly so I hope to do a more in-depth feature for the Retro Man Blog and Retrosonic Podcast soon. I was also very chuffed to have a go on Paul's bass, the very one that he wrote the inspirational riff to the U.K. Subs classic "Warhead" on...I was transported back to the early 80's when I learned to play bass hammering along to "Warhead"...in fact my band performed a cover of it during our very first gig in our school hall...so I was very honoured! Nice for photographer Paul Slattery to meet Paul Slack too, they hadn't seen each other for many years since Slatts took some of the first iconic photos of the U.K. Subs original line-up.

Monica Welander and Paul Slack, Monica & The Explosion - Photo by Paul Slattery

I must also mention the great work that Paul Dunton put in to organising the night and it was really encouraging to chat and find out all he is doing to promote local music. The Grey Lady Music Lounge was also a very nice venue to see acoustic based music. Not the sort of genteel venue Slatts and I usually find ourselves in on our quest for raw Rock 'n' Roll...but the friendly atmosphere was wonderful. Please check out and support Paul Dunton's events if you are local.

Monica and The Explosion will head off to Germany in March after recording their new album and then play an extensive tour in France in April and May. Check their Gig page here for all the latest news on dates and venues.

Also, keep your eyes on the Retro Man Blog for exclusive news of a special gig at the end of June...!

Monica and The Explosion - A Swedish singer and a U.K. Sub!

Monica and The Explosion - Photo by Ken Sharp

Monica and The Explosion is a two-piece band consisting of Monica Welander, a Swedish punk rock singer-songwriter and bassist Paul Slack (original member of the U.K. Subs and The Flying Padovanis). In July 2010 Monica released her second album “SHUT UP!" on Hands Up Music, recorded at Jigsaw Studios and featuring Paul on bass and Rob Bayliss on drums. They have toured in Europe, Ireland, Sweden and Australia as well as gigging extensively around the U.K. Having toured around the world as a solo artist for a couple of years, Monica finds the two-piece line-up retains the original concept of the songs whilst adding a new layer of complexity to the over-all sound which is best described as ”Jukebox Punk". 

Although primarily a two-piece they can sometimes be seen performing with drummer JP Morer, but whatever the line-up the songs are always delivered with a heartfelt passion that has won them fans wherever they’ve played. Monica and The Explosion started in 2005 when Monica left her old band "Lots of Pilots" to focus on writing and performing solo. Her music was described as punky rock with a lot of energy. The debut album "Monica and The Explosion" was released in 2007 on her own label, backed by Peppe Risenberg on drums and David Persson on bass. The three of them played together in Sweden for a while before Monica went touring on her own. The unusual girl playing energetic punk rock on her acoustic guitar awoke interest all around the world. In 2008-2010 she went on solo tours around Europe, India, Australia, New Zealand, and The U.S. Two music videos were released from the debut album: "Hollywood" and "Friday Night", both produced by Daniel Larsson.

Jane Connolly in SO Tunbridge Wells

"Female singers seem to be taking over the world right now, but if you want a break from the power ballads and quirky pop tracks, do not miss this feisty local musician. Strongly flavoured with classic British punk, Monica Welander - a Swede now based in Tunbridge Wells - is not so much a breath of fresh air, as a force-10 gale of honest, funny lyrics and insanely catchy tunes. She doesn't mince her words, with tracks like "Intoxicated" summing up a Saturday night romance in blunt and witty style, while the opener "Take it Or Leave Me" has toes tapping from the very first bar."

Michael Bednar in Big Cheese Review

"Sassy Swede + Paul Slack + Acoustic Punk = Jolly good time.

Acoustic punk? From Sweden? With the bassist of punk rock legends U.K. Subs? It may sound like a gimmick, but one listen to the album and any of those notions are soon dispelled.

Monica Welander is the front-woman of this three-piece band, and she’s got enough sass to pull the album together. Songs like “Take It Or Leave Me” and “Shut Up” are fiery musings with a little bit of Joan Jett attitude thrown in. The album might be a little rough at the edges but that only adds to it’s charm. Let it explode out of your stereo and enjoy!"

Paul Slack also writes a really great Tour Blog which is hosted on the superb U.K. Subs Time and Matter web-site. The Blog is a life-on-the-road tour diary that also doubles as a very interesting travelogue. Paul shares his photos, thoughts and comments on the various venues, bands and characters that they encounter along the way. However, what really appeals to me is the great insight Paul gives to the many Towns and Cities that the band travel through, places that are often totally overlooked in the average "coach-gig-backstage" tour diary. Paul really wants to discover  more about the local history and culture as they tour - Nantes, Mont St. Michel, Hamburg, Amsterdam, all are brought to life with some great photos and descriptions.

Monica and The Explosion have two confirmed dates already for 2012 in January at The Iron Duke in Brighton on the 21st and The Castle in Sheerness, Kent on the 28th. However I would recommend you keep a regular check on their Gig Listing page, as this number is likely to grow quite a lot - in 2011 they played around 100 gigs from the U.K. and Ireland, France, Holland, Germany and Sweden and all the way to Australia!

Photos courtesy of Paul Slack