Welcome to the ramblings of a man who really should have grown out of listening to "that sort of music" a long, long time ago...A place to share thoughts and photographs on music and related paraphernalia.
Happy New Year to all Retro Man Blog supporters, subscribers and contributors. Here's our favourite 25 Albums of 2025, another great year for new music...
1. The Liminanas "Faded"
2 . Mandrake Handshake "Earth Sized Worlds"
3. The Minus 5 "Oar On, Penelope
4. WitchDoktors "Izzatso?"
5. Viagra Boys "Viagr Aboys"
6. David Byrne "Who Is The Sky?"
7. WITCH "Sogolo"
8. Oh! Gunquit "Flex"
9. Sparks "MAD!"
10. The Penrose Web "The Least of Our Concerns"
11. Spiders "Sharp Objects"
12. Jetstream Pony "Bowerbirds and Blue Things"
13. Stereolab "Instant Holograms On Metal Film"
14. The Hives "The Hives Forever Forever The Hives"
15. Robert Forster "Strawberries"
16. The Guy Hamper Trio "Volume IV: The Goddess Tree"
17. Luke Haines & Peter Buck "Going Down To The River To Blow My Mind"
Oh! Gunquit have been one of our favourite live acts since we saw them for the first time at this very same venue courtesy of a much-missed Weirdsville club night back in 2014. They are here headlining a sold out show to promote the release of their fourth album "Flex" (Beluga Records), which is another superb collection of their trademark genre-defying blissed out good time Rock 'n' Soul. With the quality and diversity of Oh! Gunquit's songs it means that they now have four albums and assorted singles worth of killer material to choose from and tonight's set-list is a packed full of irrestistible nuggets. The songs from "Flex" sit easily alongside the more familiar classic Gunquit numbers as the hugely catchy riffs and choruses bounce around the walls of the packed out venue, it's getting hot in here. New single "Shark Bait" distills all that is great about Oh! Gunquit with it's twanging Surf Rock guitar intro, rumbling drums and blasts of sleazy Saxophone and it's one of the highlights of the night. The Punky rush of "Sniffing Glue" and crunching riff of "Gutter Stars" are also real standout moments in a set that's packed full of them.
Visually the band are as energetic and exciting as ever, vocalist Tina is decked out in a Top Gun cheerleader style outift and bassist Veronica is their very own Wonder Woman superheroine. Ergi on drums powers everything along while guitarist Simon Wild and Saxophonist Luciano are throwing shapes, immersing themselves in the music. Tina is busy as always, one minute she's down in the crowd crawling through people's legs during "Caves" then she's back on stage playing the trumpet while hula-hooping at the same time and then she's whipping assorted band mates and audience members with a cat of nine tails. It's all go at an Oh! Gunquit show. The band just get better and better and with "Flex" they have produced what I feel is their best album of an already impressive back-catalogue, it's thoroughly recommended and can be ordered from Beluga Records or Rough Trade here. Here's some more photos and a video from an extremely memorable show.
I must also mention the support act Industry Standard, who were the perfect choice to warm up the crowd. They shared some similarities with Oh! Gunquit - a livewire charimastic vocalist and some catchy guitar riffs, I'll definitely be checking them out further. You can see another video at our Retro Man Blog YouTube channel here.
All photos and videos copyright Retro Man Blog 2025
Here are some of our favourite gigs from 2023 - another great year for superb live music which included the long-awaited reunion of The Soundtrack of Our Lives and an emotional return to Japan for former Shack and Pale Fountains Mick Head with his new band, The Red Elastic Band. Please check out and subscribe to our Retromanblog65 YouTube channel for lots more original live videos from the featured shows below.
1. The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Way Out West Festival, Gothenburg, Sweden - August 10th
2. Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - Shangri-La Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, Japan - May 30th
3. Gaye Su Akyol - King's Place, London - May 20th
4. Iggy Pop, Blondie, Generation Sex & Stiff Little Fingers - Crystal Palace Park, London - July 1st
5. Indochine - The Roundhouse, London - June 11th
6. Black Angels - Shepherd's Bush Empire, London - March 3rd
7. Lalalar - The Jazz Cafe, London - September 9th
8. Viagra Boys - Troxy, London - January 25th
9. The Undertones - Electric Ballroom, London - October 5th
10. The Courettes, Oh! Gunquit, Paul Groovy Pop Art Experience - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
- April 6th
11. Wingmen - Islington Academy, London - January 21st
12. Killing Joke - Royal Albert Hall, London - March 12th
13. The Blue Aeroplanes - Electric Ballroom, London - September 29th
14. Ruts DC - SUB89, Reading - May 17th
15. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Koko, London - February 15th
16. Shonen Knife - SUB89, Reading - April 13th
17. WitchDoktors & Seeds of 77 - The Half Moon Putney, London - March 5th
18. Duncan Reid & The Big Heads - The Lexington, London - October 7th
19. Thee Moot - High Tide Festival, Twickenham - July 30th
All Photos & Videos Copyright Retro Man Blog. Please support live music and venues.
It doesn't seem like five minutes since we last saw The Courettes and Oh! Gunquit put on a blistering show together at the Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth - a perfect combination of two of Retro Man Blog's long-standing favourite bands - it was a match made in heaven. But not only are The Courettes now affectionately known as the 'fabulous' Courettes, they are also known as the hardest working band in showbusiness and for good reason, yes they are back in the U.K. once again and they picked Oh! Gunquit to join them at the legendary 100 Club on London's Oxford Street for the very last night of their latest tour. Tonight we are also treated to the added bonus of DJ Barry "Scratchy" Myers spinning some superb tunes to get everyone in the mood so we certainly got great value for our ticket money. Resident DJ at Dingwalls just as Punk Rock hit London, Scratchy did shows with Ramones and Flamin' Groovies before being spirited away by The Clash as their tour DJ from 1978-80. I love the fact that his eclectic choices of International roots music not only gets you dancing but also takes you on a whirlwind tour of the World's many and varied musical landscapes. I can see why he has struck up friendships with Joe Strummer in the past and with contemporary mixed-nationality bands such as Oh! Gunquit and King Salami & The Cumberland 3, as they, like Scratchy himself, sum up the best of multicultural London.
It was one of the hottest days of the year but luckily the 100 Club now seems to have working air-con which was bloody good news as Oh! Gunquit and The Courettes certainly raised the temperature with their full-on, no holds barred Rock 'n' Roll assault, just what you expect from two of the most energetic and visually arresting live acts around. Gunquit were so good and everyone got so carried away that there was genuine surprise when the 100 Club turned off the lights and power due to them over-running their set. We wanted more, the band wanted more but the 100 Club said no. It's one of the downsides of Sunday night shows or at venues where they have night clubs after the live music - the curfews are so strict that there's not much chance of squeezing in extra songs or encores despite the crowd reaction. I've lost count of the amount times I've seen Oh! Gunquit play and they never disappoint. They have the originality, the songs, the look, the sound and the unpredictability to make each and every show a unique event that will leave you smiling for days after.
There aren't many bands who would be able to follow Oh! Gunquit, it must be a daunting task - but of course The Courettes are one band who rise to any challenge, and its hard to believe the visual impact this Brazilian/Danish duo can have, especially as one of them is sitting behind a drum-kit for the duration! But Martin Couri is no typical drummer, first of all his kit is positioned at the front of the stage and he's a constant blur of energy, spitting water on his cymbals so that each hit sends a spray out over the audience. Then there's his call and response vocals with Flavia and his badgering of the crowd to join in the singing and chanting and to push themselves to match the band's energy.
When Flavia is not singing she's zooming about the stage leaping on the speakers one minute and then down into the crowd the next, machine gunning us with blistering, instantly memorable riffs. She also sings "Daydream" in fluent Japanese and we are honoured to get a dedication for our help in the special 7" single released to coincide with their Japanese tour by Damaged Goods Records. Their last album "Back In Mono" and the companion "B-Sides and Outtakes" showed a band perfecting their own version of the Phil Spector layered "Wall of Sound" in the studio but live, stripped back to the raw elements of just drums, guitar and vocals, the quality of the song-writing still shines through loud and clear. Talking of quality song-writing, they played two excellent new numbers "Keep Dancing" and "Shake" which promise even better things are still to come from The Courettes - and knowing the 'hardest working band in show business' as I do, I can bet we won't have to wait too long for those good things to come!
All photos copyright Retro Man Blog 2023. Here's the video to their latest single "Tough Like That"...
More of our live videos from the show can be found at our Retromanblog65 YouTube channel here, and don't forget our very special Retrosonic Podcast episode "Presenting the fabulous Courettes" is still available at Spotify, iTunes, Apple Podcasts or direct from our SoundCloud site below.
The Courettes, living up to their reputation as the hardest working Garage Rock 'n' Roll band in showbiz, were back in the U.K. again for a short headline tour. These gigs were sandwiched between their first ever visit to America and their appearance at the Roskilde Festival which then leads onto a full Danish tour. There really is no rest for the wicked as yet more tour dates have been pencilled into Martin and Flavia's diary so it won't be long before you get the chance to see the band play again, no matter where in the world you are. They were so busy that I didn't even have chance to arrange an interview with the duo at their stunning Portsmouth show. I wanted to discuss their acclaimed mini-tour of Japan in the Autumn of last year but hopefully, we can speak to them soon about their experiences for a future Retrosonic Podcast. We decided to go down to Portsmouth to see the band, mainly as they have often claimed that they get the best crowd reaction there and also, another of Retro Man Blog's favourite bands Oh! Gunquit were supporting.
Opening up proceedings on the night were local band Paul Groovy & The Pop Art Experience, who we have played on Retrosonic Podcast before but never managed to see play live. I'm glad we did in the end though as they proved to be the perfect appetiser on a tasty looking bill promoted by the enthusiastic Chris Abbott and his team at Pompey Punk N' Roll. The Groovies, led by the charismatic and energetic frontman Mr Groovy himself, treated us to some impressive original songs and a selection of cover versions of a few Nuggets classics that went down well with the crowd and really set the tone nicely. Their "He's a Liar" single is a big favourite here, more so as it was released by our good friends at Spinout Nuggets, I'm looking forward to some more records soon.
Of course, Oh! Gunquit never let you down with their nice 'n' sleazy Bop, Rock & Soul, guaranteed to put a smile on your face and a bounce in your step. Their voodoo infused swampy gumbo sound blends a mix of influences into their very own unique style. Vocalist Tina is wearing a rather risqué outfit that might need a bit of photo-shopping to pass the social media censors and is her usual live-wire self. Juggling the trumpet, hula-hoop, maracas and for "Whiplash" a scary looking cat o' nine tails that she brandishes at bandmates and audience alike, she is a constant blur of high-kicking knee-dropping energy. Tina spends a lot of time down among the crowd and if she's not literally whipping them into shape, then she is crawling between their legs or encouraging them to "Dance Like F*ck". Someone really should make a Monkees style cartoon series about Oh! Gunquit as all the band members are charismatic characters in their own right. There's the sultry Veronica on bass, Erg powering away behind the drums, Luciano straddling the barrier between stage and audience as he adds some soulful sax to the mix and of course there's Simon Wild, who must be one of the most innovative guitarists on the scene right now. Their distinct and individual personalities really do add to the colourful eye-popping explosion of an Oh! Gunquit live show. The band have been in the studio working on new material, so that's certainly something to look forward to.
Then, it's the turn of The Courettes and they are probably one of the very few bands who could follow on from Oh! Gunquit - surely a daunting task. But, follow on they do and considering there is just the two of them, husband and wife Martin Couri on drums and Flavia on guitar and lead vocals - they do indeed raise the ante and treat the packed out Wedgewood Rooms to a visceral wall of sound and vision. Despite the recent critically acclaimed album "Back In Mono" concentrating more on the Phil Spector/Beach Boys harmonies and layered production - live, on stage, The Courettes have lost none of their original energy and fuzzed-up Garage Rock assault on the senses. It's great to see a band on the up, from the first time I saw them at a Weirdsville Club Night at the Fiddlers Elbow in Camden, to the Louisiana in Bristol, a matinee at The Prince Albert in Brighton - then their biggest London show at the Lexington but now they are packing out the 400 capacity Wedgewood Rooms - it'll be interesting to see where they will play next time they are over here.
The set is packed full of great tunes, Martin is a phenomenal drummer - a non-stop blur of energy, managing to provide impressive backing vocals even if the non-stop touring is messing with his timing, although luckily not the drumming kind - "It's Friday night, let's go crazy Pompey!" he keeps shouting, until the crowd and Flavia remind him politely that it's actually Thursday night. Flavia hops, skips and jumps about the stage in between singing and peeling off some blistering guitar. ""R.I.N.G.O.", "Edge of My Nerves" and "Night Time" are stand-out tracks and they only slow the pace for "Daydream", which Flavia sings in faultless Japanese. Yes, Damaged Goods Records released the Japanese version on 7" vinyl especially for the band's Japan tour dates and we were honoured to get a dedication on the night for our help with the cover art, translation and hooking the band up with friends in Tokyo, not forgetting recommending Poor Cow, run by Fifi of Teengenerate and easily the best Punk Rock 'n' Roll bar ever. During the last song "All About You", Flavia leaps over the barrier to crowd-surf while impressively still managing to play guitar, it's a great moment. Then finally for the encore The Courettes are joined onstage by all the bands, promoter Chris Abbott and the irrepressible driver, roadie and cheerleader Patrice, for a great run through of "Hop The Twig". It was a thoroughly entertaining time - great venue, great crowd and of course great bands - all in all just what a perfect night of live music should be all about.
All photos copyright Retro Man Blog 2023. You can check out more videos from the night by subscribing to our Retromanblog65 YouTube channel. Don't forget our Retrosonic Podcast interview special with The Courettes is still available in our archives at Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts or direct from Soundcloud below.
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