OHMS "Melodies of Our Lives" - A New Album of Electronica From Members of The Past Tense & SuperMinx '70

Well, I didn’t see this one coming. Considering our favourite Garage-Psych-Soul outfit The Past Tense have just released an excellent new LP "7A" and their terrace stomping pals SuperMinx’70 have recently announced their return with a new line-up, I wasn't expecting to receive an album by a side-project featuring members of each band. I thought they would be far too busy. I certainly wasn't expecting what lies within "Melodies of Our Lives" the debut release by OHMS, a new duo featuring Past Tense bassist Ken Halsey and SM’70 frontman Paul R Osborn. Yes, it’s Ken and Paul but not as we know them! The opening track "6-8-1-6-79 (For a City Boy)" immediately conjures up early Tubeway Army around the time that Gary Numan started adding early analogue synths over buzzing Punk Rock guitars. It’s a great song and as we swoop into the next number "Sky Falling Now", an unashamedly catchy Electro-Pop song, I notice a theme developing. Suddenly I’m transported back to the early 80's like the time-travelling cop Sam Tyler in TV’s "Ashes To Ashes".

You see, OHMS wouldn’t be out of place appearing alongside Heaven 17 or OMD on any episode of Top of The Pops from around that era. Blimey, "Our Time Will Come" even has a subtle undercurrent of that 80’s museum-piece, the fretless bass. Talking of bass, "Never Let Them Tell You" is another highlight with its New Order bass line and synths that swell into a great chorus. Indeed, what we have with "Melodies of Our Lives" is an affectionate and superbly executed look back at the birth of Electronica in the late 70’s and early 80’s. The duo’s tag-line, 'Music From The Future When We Were Young', pretty much sums it up as they have captured that period where people were taking the Punk DIY philosophy and applying it to synths, drum machines and sampling instead of guitars. You get the feeling that you’ve just tracked down a rare album from an unknown early 80’s band who were discovering this technology and experimenting with it for the first time. There are throbbing sequencers and bubbling analogue synths, sampled brass, Sci-Fi sound effects, toy-town drum machines and rhythm boxes and even the good old classic cascading chimes effect. It's kind of "Vintage Futuristic". Now there’s a good title for the follow up LP guys!

I'm also taken by "Theme For A Swimmer" which is an Erik Satie style minimalist instrumental with hints of Japan’s "Canton" that would be perfect playing over the opening credits of a Cold War Spy movie or part of a Philip K. Dick film score. However, what saves the album from being a gimmick (albeit an extremely well-conceived one) or merely an 80's concept album – is the quality of the songwriting, in particular three tracks bang in the middle of the record. The album gathers momentum and really hits it's stride with the excellent Bowie influenced "Together Forever". Then comes my favourite track "We Were Young" in which Paul reverts to his more familiar South London tinged SuperMinx '70 vocals and they seem to have hit on a style that could lead to OHMS being more than just a nostalgic trip down memory lane. But I think the album’s centrepiece is the stunning "So Alone" which features the best vocal performance I have heard so far from Paul. It starts with a spoken-word verse strangely reminiscent of a darker Pet Shop Boys, before building to an almighty chorus shot through with raw emotion. The lyrics sting with their honesty. There is certainly enough in these three songs alone to hope that OHMS won’t just be a one-off project.

To order the album and find out more information on OHMS check out their official web-site here.

The Past Tense: New Album "Heads Held High" Out Now...

It's been a very busy time for The Past Tense, not content with releasing an outstanding album of brand new material entitled "Heads Held High", they have also put out "Six Live Special", a mini-album comprising six classic tracks brilliantly recorded by Steven Tagg-Randall at our own Retro Man Blog Night at The Half Moon Putney last September. Talking of The Half Moon, the band played a blinding set at the Fruits de Mer and Mega DoDo Records "Games in May" event, where they had yet another record up for grabs, this time "What's The Past Tense of Pipe", a collection of old tracks from their previous incarnation, Pipe, along with early Past Tense demos. The gig at "Games In May", which also featured enjoyable sets from Mark & The Clouds and Crystal Jacqueline & The Honey Pot, was undoubtedly the best performance I have seen from the band, and I've seen a few over the years! New(ish) recruit Buzz (for he was actually previously in Pipe...) is fully embedded in the band and he now plays organ as well as lead guitar. Actually, this was the first time for me to see the band play with the addition of keyboards and I must say it works a treat.

The Past Tense at the Retro Man Blog Night September 2014 photographed by Paul Slattery

So, onto the new album "Heads Held High" and it really is a cracker, much more diverse than their two previous official releases "Pick 'n' Mix" and "Take Three", it highlights the band's different musical backgrounds and interests perfectly. The Past Tense take great pride in what they put out and this is no exception - the album has great cover art and an insert with background notes on each song, which us music fans just love don't we...! The band do everything themselves and they do it very well, I'm thinking in particular of their last official release "Remember The Days", the split 7" single with their mates The Loop, which was issued on different coloured vinyl, it was a real work of art. "Heads Held High" kicks off with "Top Of The World", which could well be the best song the band have written so far. It has a great chorus and melodic verses that I can imagine Pete Shelley would have been proud to have written. There's also a cheeky little nod to The Stranglers in there too, which makes it even better in my book! "Throwing It All Away" sees Andy's vocals on top form, seething with disgust at the current political climate. "Vision From Another World" has some groovy organ bubbling away underneath and is one of those superb little Garage Rock nuggets that The Past Tense excel in like their early live favorites such as "Wolfman" and "My Baby". 

Paul Osborn with The Past Tense at The Putney Club

The next two tracks are to me pivotal in the band's progression and point to a very bright future. Rather like Thee Spivs did on their third album "The Crowds and The Sounds", The Past Tense are also throwing off the somewhat limited Mod Revival/Garage Rock shackles and, whilst not losing touch with their roots, they are really stretching their sound and showing a real maturity in their song-writing. "Won't Miss Next Time" is one of the stand-out tracks on the album, it starts off with acoustic strumming before exploding into an emotional piece featuring some superb guitar work. Strangely enough it kind of reminds me of Dinosaur Jr. or Buffalo Tom which is certainly a new reference point. Next up is the brilliant "Crying" which features lead vocals by Paul Osborn from The SuperMinx'70 and again it's an acoustic guitar driven tracks that sounds a bit like Cockney Rebel. We saw the band last week at The Putney Club and Paul joined the band on-stage for a superb rendition of the song which went down really well with the crowd. "No Apologies" is an uptempo unabashed Motown inspired stomper with a brass section adding to the overall feelgood factor. 

The Past Tense at "Games In May"

The single "Remember The Days" will be familiar to fans of The Past Tense already and it sounds great amongst the track-listing here. "Another Putney Sunrise" is again an unexpected departure, it's a beautifully laid back and evocative song that's part Belle & Sebastian part Style Council, it really conjures up a bright and sunny early morning walk along the River Thames. "Just Keep Believing" is another positive call to action with some nice chiming guitar work, "Music Is The Key" is driven along by some more of those great keyboards and again like the previous track, it's sending out a positive message this time about the pleasures of being in a band. "What's Coming Next" starts off with "A Town Called Malice" style drumming and bass before cracking into a powerful little singalong. The album closes with "Putney Reprise" a whimsical little piece of Psychedelia that really brings the curtain down perfectly on a thoroughly satisfying album. With all the work the band have put into producing and promoting the album they deserve to be really proud of "Heads Held High". You can order the album from the band's web-site here.

Retro Man Blog Night with The WitchDoktors, King Salami & The Cumberland 3 and The SuperMinx'70

The King WitchDoktor 6 Combo - Photo by Paul Slattery

I'd like to say a very big thank you to all that came along to our Retro Man Blog Night at The Half Moon in Putney despite many obstacles, diversions and other distractions - myself and all the bands really appreciated it! I'd also like to say thanks to the bands too, all three really turned it on with great sets. The SuperMinx'70 kicked off the evening and despite having to play without their regular sax player due to illness, they dug in and delivered a fine set of their raucous sing-along gems. King Salami & The Cumberland 3 raised the temperature even higher and got everyone dancing along to their Punk Rhythm and Blues. Then, headliners The WitchDoktors delivered another faultless set of supercharged down and dirty Rock 'n' Roll. For the encore, the band were joined by Kamikaze and Pepe from King Salami to power through a crazed cover of The Damned's "Neat Neat Neat" which brought proceedings to a suitably chaotic climax. Rock Photographer Paul Slattery was there to capture all the action and has kindly shared some of his great photos of the gig.

 

All Photos copyright Paul Slattery 2014. For more photos of the night head on over to the Retro Man Blog Facebook page and if you are not already connected, hit "Like" to access the exclusive photo album. We have also put together another fine line-up for the next Retro Man Blog night at the Half Moon Putney on Friday September 26th. Headliners, The Len Price 3, will be joined by Les Kitschenette's and The Past Tense, for more information on all the bands and how to order the bargain £8.00 advance tickets please check out the feature at this link here. See you there!

Retro Man Blog Presents: The WitchDoktors, King Salami & The Cumberland 3 and The Superminx '70 at The Half Moon Putney on Friday July 18th

We've got together another mighty fine line-up for July's edition of the Retro Man Blog Night at The Half Moon in Putney with three great live acts - The WitchDoktors, King Salami & The Cumberland 3 and The SuperMinx'70. This gig takes place on Friday July 18th and advance tickets are available for sale now at the bargain price of £8.00 from the Half Moon Box Office here, tickets on the door are £10.00. The previous two Retro Man Blog Nights featuring bands such as Graham Day & The Forefathers, The Len Price 3, Galileo 7, The Fallen Leaves and The Monochrome Set both sold out so book now, save some money and guarantee your spot at the front of the stage!

The WitchDoktors by Paul Slattery

Deep in the darkest vaults of South London, The WitchDoktors have been honing their SuperPunkRock sound and shows, drawing on their 70s punk upbringing (Ramones, Clash, Pistols, Damned etc) and adding a good ol' full measure of trashy rock'n'roll-a-billy, a dash of 60s Psyche-Out Garage, a bitter twist of country and whizzing it all up with some godamming loud geetars our special brand of thunderous drums! After 4 albums, a fistfull of singles plus hundreds of shows with like minded souls e.g. The Damned, The Revillos, The Fleshtones, Woggles, Phantom Surfers, The Saints, ? and the Mysterions, Man or Astroman?, Dogs D'Amour, Vince Ray and more recently The Polecats, The Germs, Macavity's Cat, they're fired up on high octane again and are out there gigging to promote their latest album "$3 Hooker" (distribution to retail stores by those nice people at www.fortedistribution.co.uk). "$3 Hooker" is also available for download NOW from iTunes, e-music, Napster and Amazon along with their Greatest Hits(!) album "Razor Cuts & Red Hot Needles". Go on, getcha 'pod' Doktored! Wanna feel like The WitchDoktors? Then getchersome comic books, catch some horror flicks, drink a bar dry, sling on some inkwork, fire up the hotrod and thank your lucky stars that you can relax in the safety of your own paranoia.

King Salami & The Cumberland 3 by Zig Criscuolo

In 2006, one Japanese, one French, one Caribbean and one Spanish got together to form a black rhythm & blues party band, King Salami & The Cumberland 3! London's R&B-punk sensation are making fun times where ever they go. With a repertoire encompassing many of the greats of the ’50s and ’60s you won't be able to help but move your feet. The King howls like Screaming Jay Hawkins with Bo Diddley chasing his coat-tail and Andre Williams trying to offer up some of his bacon fat. This man never stops shakin' and twistin' and groovin' while the Cumberland 3 (former members of the Ulcers, Chinese Lungs and Parkinsons) play their own branded mix of vintage rockabilly desperate rock'n'roll and a bit of soul with fire, energy, gusto and fun! They have played all over Europe, sharing the stage with the Pretty Things, the Trashmen, the Standells, the Mummies, the Bellrays etc...and have released a bunch of killer 45's on different European record labels. Last year the band toured France, Japan, China, Australia and New York City and released their 2nd album "Cookin' Up a Party" on Dirty Water records.

The SuperMinx'70 by Richie Kyle

The SuperMinx'70: Paul R Osborn was in The Peppermint Airgun with Carl Eugene Picot (Dave Kusworth/Nikki Sudden) in the early Eighties playing psychedelic pop and gigging with PWEI and The Wonderstuff and after that in The Overself, part of the Rugby Town scene with the Spacemen3 and The Guaranteed Ugly. After giving up music for 15 years Rob Symmons (Subway Sect/Fallen Leaves) advised him to start another band so in 2012 he started The SuperMinx'70...The band have gone through some line-up changes but now Paul has gathered a great band around him, including relative newcomers Barry "Groovyman" Frost ex-Flat 19, Cannibals, and Legendary Groovymen on bass and guitarist Pete Scott who is a young but seasoned solo performer. Completing the line-up are drummer Johnny 'Bam Bam' Birdiani and Joe Squatt on Trumpet and sax. The band have signed to Plastic Pop Records and plan to release a live E.P. later this year and are also involved in a Merc Clothing sponsored residency at The Buzzclub in Wimbledon.

For more info on the gig check out the Event Page here and tickets can be bought direct from here. Thanks to Eric for the great poster design - check out more at www.flying lunchbox.co.uk.

The WitchDoktors + The SuperMinx '70 at The Fighting Cocks Kingston-Upon-Thames June 14th

The WitchDoktors Singer/Guitarist Andy - Photo by Steve Worrall

"I can't believe you haven't seen The WitchDoktors yet...!", "The WitchDoktors are right up your street...", "They were so great live, what a show, can't believe you missed them...again...!" Yeah, yeah, alright...how many times have I heard it...I know...It has taken me quite some time to get round to seeing the much talked about WitchDoktors, I'd come close, but bad timing and missed opportunities just seemed to go hand-in-hand with this band and me. So, finally last Friday I got my chance to see them play at The Fighting Cocks in Kingston, a great little venue in the Thameside town and I was not disappointed. Promoter Tony Holton put on a great night's entertainment headlined by The Bermondsey Joyriders and ably supported by The SuperMinx '70.

The SuperMinx '70 - Photo by Steve Worrall

I'd first seen The SuperMinx '70 at Jeff Munday's Birthday party and really enjoyed their set but this was the first time to see them with a full P.A. at a proper venue. At the last minute they had to draft in temporary cover for bassist Tom Slatter, and to his credit the replacement did a fine job with what I can only imagine was limited rehearsal time. The SuperMinx '70 have just emerged from the studio with four brand spanking new tracks - their first recordings actually, and rather good they are too. Tonight they start off with my favourite of the bunch, their ode to the star of some saucy British Seventies comedy movies, "Adrienne Posta". It's loud and sounds much more powerful than the recorded version. Next up is "Farringdon's Finest" with it's naggingly catchy chorus, a track that was co-written by Alan May, the DJ at Retro Man Blog's favourite radio show, Glory Boy.

The SuperMinx '70 - Photo by Steve Worrall

Singer Paul Osborn introduces the excellent "This Is The Sound" as their "Garage Rock song" and it certainly has that raw sound that packs a punch. "Who Are Ya?" is as you would probably guess from the title, a football terrace chant of a song, stuffed full of aggression. "Jeffrey's Song" is a slow, snaking number based on a plaintive sax riff with a heartfelt chorus and "Waltzer" is a brash fairground singalong. "Do Da" has some great lyrics about beer bellies and I can see people holding their stomachs in, me included, as the subject matter becomes clear. Another of the songs from their download E.P. "What Would You Change?" is an excellent way to end what was a great set. The band will play at the 12 Bar Club on Saturday June 22nd with The Loop, so if you're in London on Saturday why not pop along to see The SuperMinx '70, you won't be disappointed.

The WitchDoktors - Photo by Steve Worrall

So, The WitchDoktors take the stage and the temperature in the already baking hot venue is raised a few more degrees as they slam straight into the rollicking "Movie Star" from the latest album "$3.00 Hooker". The lyrics name check some pretty cool actors and it's clear that the band are steeped in that classic Americana and vintage Rock 'n' Roll imagery of old Hollywood glamour, bowling shirts, Sci-Fi comic books, road trips, diners and plenty of beer along the way. The song pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the gig, it's high energy, non-stop action from the off. The band are a great live act, with bassist Zig and guitarist Tony vying for attention up against front man Andy who is not going to relinquish the spotlight easily. "No Pain No Gain" and my personal highlight of the night "I'm Sick", are prime cuts of sleazy Garage Rock, bursting with hooks and harmonies and they both thunder along like an out of control dragster.

The WitchDoktors bassist Zig - Photo by Steve Worrall

"Knock Me Back" and "Neck Tattoo" channel The Sonics and Rocket From The Crypt perfectly, before we are reminded that the band are from South London and they don't neglect their British Punk Rock, roots as they play great covers of "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" and "Neat Neat Neat" which are both really well received. Tony plays a mean harmonica too and it all adds to a enticing cocktail of Punk Rockabilly on last song "Common Prayer For The Working Man" with it's crazed Johnny Cash rhythm which brings the set crashing to a close. It's fantastic stuff, I'm completely hooked and will definitely be getting along to see the band at the next available opportunity, hopefully the Rock 'n' Roll gods will look down kindly on me and make sure this time the fates don't conspire to keep me away for too long!

The WitchDoktors Guitarist Tony and Drummer Si - Photo by Steve Worrall

The WitchDoktors are working on their fourth album which will be out either later this year or more likely early next year. The band usually play the 12 Bar Club every 2nd Friday of the month (except August) and some other key dates this year include October 4th at The Barfly with the DeRellas, Day Of The Dead Festival back at The Fighting Cocks in early November and Stay Sick in Brighton Blind Tiger on December 14th with The Mojo Kings. Check out their Facebook page for news and info.

For more photos of The WitchDoktors and The SuperMinx '70 "Like" the Retro Man Blog Facebook page for access to the Photo album. Here's a Video of The WitchDoktors and "No Pain, No Gain" - sorry about the sound quality, it was LOUD and nearly blew my camera to pieces...!

Here's The SuperMinx '70 with "Adrienne Posta" introduced by David Williams...

Introducing: The SuperMinx'70

The SuperMinx '70 have just emerged from the studio with four brand spanking new tracks - their first recordings actually, and rather good they are too. The tracks are "Farringdon's Finest" which was co-written by Alan May, the DJ at Retro Man Blog's favourite radio show, Glory Boy, which goes out live at 7pm every Sunday on 6Towns Radio, "Adrienne Posta", "What Would You Change?" and "Jeffrey's Song". I first saw the band play at D.J. and man-about-town, Jeff Munday's, birthday party earlier this year and I was really impressed. The thing is, they were really hard to describe, sometimes a nightmare when you're trying to review a band, but this is what struck me at the time. "It was my first time to see The SuperMinx '70 and they were a pleasant surprise - off stage I'd always seen singer and guitarist Paul Osborn dressed to the nines, perfectly suited and booted, so I was expecting their sound to be more of the Mod persuasion. However, the band are refreshingly different - on stage Paul was more casual - wearing a Mott The Hoople T-Shirt that gives a slight clue to their sound. They play brash South London street-tough tunes nicely augmented by Sax and Trumpet. There's hints of the rougher bovver-boot end of British Glam Rock such as The Hollywood Brats and Jook. If you've ever heard the early demos of the Sex Pistols where Glen Matlock plays his melodic bass lines then you might get an idea where SuperMinx are coming from. Paul's a great singer and his lyrics are also original and amusing".

The SuperMinx'70 - Photo by Steve Worrall

Get a good feel for the band by checking out their list of "interests": Nice clothes; Waltzers; Adrienne Posta; Candy-floss; Adam Faith in 'Budgie'; David Essex in 'That'll Be The Day' and 'Stardust'; Football; Novels by David Lodge, Kingsley Amis and Malcolm Bradbury; Black Forest Gateaux; Six Million Dollar Man; The Ipcress Files; The Likely Lads; Curly Wurly bars; Port and Stilton; Mott the Hoople; David Bowie; The 12 Bar Club; Late night drinking and cheap minicabs home...

The SuperMinx'70 - Photo by Steve Worrall

Paul R Osborn (Vocals & Guitar) was in The Peppermint Airgun with Carl Eugene Picot (Dave Kusworth/Nikki Sudden) in the early Eighties playing Psychedelic Pop and gigging with PWEI and The Wonderstuff. In the late Eighties his band The Overself, part of the Rugby Town scene along with the Spacemen3 and The Guaranteed Ugly, released the drone E.P. "Watchmen/Wings" and "Upsidedowntownthing", also appearing on the "Ahimsa" compilation album. Paul then gave up music for 15 years until Rob Symmons (Subway Sect/Fallen Leaves) advised him to start another band and so, suitably inspired he did just that and in 2012 he started The SuperMinx'70. Tom Slatter (Bass & Vocals) is a well known solo artist on the Steampunk circuit playing folk-prog and with his brother Joe produces independent videos. Matthew Irvin (Lead Guitar) is a painter who produced backdrops for Led Zeppelin and worked on the gold statue of Freddie Mercury in Tottenham Court Road, he was previously in North London avant-punk surrealists, The Twits. Drummer Johnny 'Bam Bam' Birdiani is a 'businessman' from Bromley with interests across South London, he recently took up drumming. Joe Squatt who plays Sax, Trumpet and Keyboards is a very talented young musician.

Here's one of their new tracks, if you like it, head on over to their Facebook page and hit "Like"...

The SuperMinx '70 will be playing at The Fighting Cocks in Kingston on June 14th with The WitchDoktors and The Bermondsey Joyriders, more details can be found here.

The Bermondsey Joyriders, The Witchdoktors & SuperMinx '70 Live at The Fighting Cocks, Kingston June 14th

T.H.E. Promotions presents an evening of great British Rock 'n' Roll at The Fighting Cocks Kingston-upon-Thames on Friday June 14th, featuring...

The Bermondsey Joyriders claim all the credentials of a bonafide ‘77 super group, pooling the hard-won experience and history of three veteran Punks. Founding members Gary Lammin (vocals/guitar) and Martin Stacey (bass) cut their teeth in the Joe Strummer-produced Little Roosters and Generation X precursors Chelsea respectively, whilst recent recruit Chris Musto (drums) is a sticksman of some credentials – having previously played with Johnny Thunders, Joe Strummer and Nico, to name but a few! 

The WitchDoktors play gloriously catchy Supercharged Punk Rock'n'Roll - a healthy dose of '70s Punk Rock, a good ol' full measure of trashy rock'n'roll-a-billy, a dash of '60s Psyche-Out Garage, and a bitter twist of country. 

The SuperMinx '70 are all about foot-stomping Punky-Mod-Glam with catchy choruses and sloppy solo's. The sound of English cars with fins, bench seats littered with Jackie magazine and Spangles wrappers...happy days!

Doors open @ 7pm / Admission £7.00 /  Tickets available from We Got Tickets

A Musical Celebration of Jeff Munday's Birthday: Featuring The Fallen Leaves, The Past Tense, The Legendary Groovymen and The SuperMinx '70

Jeff Munday "guesting" with The Fallen Leaves - Photo by Steve Worrall

DJ and dapper Man-about-town, "Chelsea Jeff" Munday, celebrated his birthday in style last week at the William Morris in South Wimbledon with a great line-up of bands that bore close resemblance to the last Retro Man Blog Night at the Half Moon in Putney. The evening kicked off with The Past Tense, who played their danceable little garage pop nuggets to perfection. Drummer Warren Samuels and bassist Ken Halsey are getting a reputation as the best rhythm section on the circuit, and tonight Warren had the crowd's mouths agape at one particular point in proceedings with some tremendous drumming. They ended on the Quadrophenia tribute "Jimmy's Love Song" from their excellent debut album "Take Three" and singer and guitarist Andy Norrie-Rolfe performed a perfect Pete Townshend leap to round it all off, captured here by Paul Slattery...

Andy takes off! The Past Tense by Paul Slattery

Next up were The Legendary Groovymen, who are one of those perfect party bands, with their mix of catchy originals and a choice selection of cover versions including songs from The Jam, The Strangeloves and a cheery "You Need Wheels" by local heroes The Merton Parkas.

The Legendary Groovymen - Photo by Paul Slattery

It was my first time to see The SuperMinx '70 and they were a pleasant surprise - off stage I'd always seen singer and guitarist Paul Osborn dressed to the nines, perfectly suited and booted, so I was expecting their sound to be more of the Mod persuasion. However, the band are refreshingly different - on stage Paul was more casual - wearing a Mott The Hoople T-Shirt that gives a slight clue to their sound. They play brash South London street-tough tunes nicely augmented by Sax and Trumpet. There's hints of the rougher bovver-boot end of British Glam Rock such as The Hollywood Brats and Jook.  If you've ever heard the early demos of the Sex Pistols where Glen Matlock plays his melodic bass lines then you might get an idea where SuperMinx are coming from. Paul's a great singer and his lyrics are also original and amusing. Unfortunately, the band have not yet been in the studio, but I am eagerly awaiting their first recordings and look forward to seeing the band again.

The SuperMinx '70 - Photo by Paul Slattery

The Fallen Leaves close the show with their usual brilliant set, I've already waxed lyrical about The Leaves so many times on the Blog, but they really are the best band out there playing now. Tonight they wow the crowd with their Punk Rock for Gentlemen! Jeff Munday gets the ultimate birthday present, he gets to join in on backing vocals on "Trouble"...money can't buy a gift like that!

The Fallen Leaves - Photo by Steve Worrall

In the audience were spotted members of The Aadvarks, The Onlookers and The Transients and Ray Gange, star of the Clash's "Rude Boy" movie, was also there. So, a great night of music in celebration of Jeff Munday's birthday, brilliantly organised by Paul Osborn, Paul Philips and Tony Holton. Cheers Jeff! Here are a few more photos from the evening.

The Past Tense - Photo by Steve Worrall

The Legendary Groovymen - Photo by Steve Worrall

The SuperMinx '70 - Photo by Steve Worrall

Rob Green of The Fallen Leaves - Photo by Steve Worrall

Bill Lewington & Matthew Karas of The Fallen Leaves - by Steve Worrall

Rob Green of The Fallen Leaves - by Steve Worrall

Rob Symmons of The Fallen Leaves - by Steve Worrall

Birthday Boy Jeff Munday with Rock Photographer Paul Slattery - by Steve Worrall

Thanks and "hello" to all the bands, Jeff, Paul Osborn, Paul Philips, Tony Holton, Paul Slattery, Andy Norrie-Rolfe, Les, Albert, Emer, Adam, Ray Gange and Mark Leech.