Sunset Drive live at The Ruby Room Tokyo December 10th

Sunset Drive - Photo by Paul Slattery

I saw Sunset Drive at Tokyo's Ruby Room last year and was blown away by their powerful and raw good time rock 'n' roll. I bought their two CD mini-albums "We've Got To Talk" and "It's All You" at the end of the gig and they have been constant companions ever since. It's just a shame that I haven't been back and able to see them this year as I really wanted to feature them on the Blog. So the next best thing, if I can't write about them then get someone local to do it for me...! Step forward Kurt Schussler from Tokyo band The Big Nothing, who very kindly and ably, filed this report on the band's latest live show. As luck would have it, regular contributor to the Blog, photographer Paul Slattery, was in Tokyo at the time and has sent in some excellent shots of the band too.

Sunset Drive live at The Ruby Room Tokyo December 10th by Kurt Schussler

"When I saw the size of this bass amp I got really excited, but this is as loud as it goes!" Alastair shouted from the stage as he slapped the side of the misfiring new piece of equipment like a fuzzy telly. No one expects great gear from the Ruby Room, just great local rock 'n' roll. Sunset Drive blazed through such hits as "Not Alright" and "See Your Face," Alastair's vocals trading licks with Tosh's firey flying V. The bass kept the songs driving, defying the weak amplifier, bolstered by Shin's rapid drum attack.

Sunset Drive - Photo by Paul Slattery

The headlining trio played with the well-oiled authority of a band that has been together for 30 years (though they're about 25 shy of that). The band's overall sound is joyous garage rock, like a dirty Ted Leo or a slightly cleaner Jay Reatard. But they're also capable of the sweet melodies found on "We've Got to Talk" and "On Fire". This Kiwi/Japanese combo's energy does not come at the expense of songwriting. The crowd danced, as they always dance to Sunset Drive, specially prepped on this night by the fantastic grooves of the Golden Katies. Like a modern Black Sabbath, with 50% of the members and 200% of the sound, this hard rocking two-piece stirred the appetite for rock. Among the revellers were the Walsh brothers from The Watanabes, Mike from The Mootekkis and Kinlay's mighty frontman Andy. 

Sunset Drive - Photo by Paul Slattery

Later on, Hiroki of  thatta showed up to hang out for a DJ set. Tokyo bands love to whinge about the city's lack of a cohesive scene due to the "noruma" pay-to-play system of its live houses. For them, a night like this restores hope that DIY music is alive and well in the metropolis, thanks to bands that truly admire each other's work. It also helps to have venues like the Ruby, which doesn't charge the bands and requires punters to pay just 1,000 yen per head to see four or five bands on a weekend night. Get past the clouds of cigarette smoke and dodgy sound system and it feels like you're rocking out in your friend's basement (the one with the awesome record collection and the reliable connection). After Sunset Drive's set, before the DJs revved up the turntables, the Ruby clientele filed out into the street to watch the lunar eclipse. The shadow drawing across the vast white expanse felt more like a beginning than an end.



Tosh, Alastair & Shin from Sunset Drive - Photo by Paul Slattery

Many thanks to Kurt Schussler for the review and Paul Slattery for the photographs.

The underground Rock scene looks very healthy in Tokyo, there seems to be a good spirit and camararadie between the bands that are often mixed with ex-pats and locals. If possible, please take some time to click the highlighted links in the review to check out some of the bands.

The Rezillos live at The Camden Underworld London December 11th

The Rezillos not only rolled away the years they positively ripped them up and kicked the backside out of them. Bursting with energy from the off, they slammed straight into "Destination Venus" closely followed by "Flying Saucer Attack". The crowd went wild and there was no let up from there, "Mystery Action" then the superb "Getting Me Down" kept up the pace. Time has looked down kindly on The Rezillos, Eugene's quiff was intact and Faye danced and bounced around the stage like I remember from their Top Of The Pops and The Old Grey Whistle Test appearances back in the day. It's hard to imagine it's over 30 years since the release of their one and only album "Can't Stand The Rezillos" which certainly must rank amongst the top ten best Punk and New Wave debut albums off all time. With its' super powerful production, razor sharp guitars, inventive bass runs and the shared boy/girl vocals, it was a colourful and upbeat sci-fi bubblegum classic. 

The humourous and irrereverent choice of cover versions such as Gerry & The Pacemakers "I Like It" and The Dave Clarke Five's thumping "Glad All Over" also helped to set them apart from some of their more earnest Punk contemporaries. Tonight it's a short but perfectly formed set taking in most of the album along with the new single, "Out of This World", and two excellent new songs that did not detract from the flow of the set in the slightest. In fact one of them "So Deep", was easily on a par with their much loved classics and I am sure will grow into a real crowd favourite. It also points the way to the highly anticipated hope of a new album.  

Although Faye and Eugene are the main focal points, new guitarist Jim Brady seems to have fitted in extremely well, the chemistry between him and the two vocalists was excellent and he has already built up a rapport with the audience, so much so that you would think he was one of the original members. He took to the task with a refreshing enthusiasm and matched Faye and Eugene with his energetic guitar theatrics. The rhythm section of drummer Angel Patterson and Bassist Chris Agnew, whilst remaining in the background somewhat, certainly played their part in ensuring the songs were driven along at a breakneck speed and reminded me that The Rezillos were always one of those bands that you just have to dance to, it's an involuntary reaction. Well, when I say dance, in my case that would mean stop everything and jump around the room like a lunatic. They played another of their unexpected cover versions in the shape of "River Deep Mountain High" and closed the main set with an awesome version of "Can't Stand My Baby". The band are called back for an encore that culminates in an extremely boisterous "Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight" and the crowd are left as satisfied and happy as the band appeared to be. So a hugely entertaining gig and I seriously hope this is a more permanent line-up with a future of many more excellent live shows to come, and please...a brand new album very shortly!

 

All photos and video of The Rezillos at The Camden Underworld by Steve Worrall

The Len Price 3 + Lupen Crook + Dead Lovers at Preservation Society Presents December 09th

Here are some photos from a very enjoyable gig at the Bull & Gate, Kentish Town on Friday night. The event was organised by The Preservation Society Presents, which is a promotion company that showcases the best of local talent from the Medway area with gigs and various plans, that include compilations and the possibility of a Singles Club, of the vinyl variety rather than of the dating kind if you get my drift...I missed the start so first up for me were the Dead Lovers who played some edgy and catchy guitar pop with two main vocalists who complemented each other very well. Next was a solo performance by Lupen Crook, who played a compelling set of acoustic numbers. It was the first time for me to see both and I am really looking forward to investigating their music further. Headlining were The Len Price 3 with yet another blistering set of their three minute garage-pop nuggets. By the end of the show there was a very happy and exhausted crowd baying for more from a band that just keep on delivering flawless live shows time after time. So, a great night and an excellent show from The Preservation Society Presents, keep an eye out for future events and releases as they have great taste in music and an eye for talent!

Dead Lovers - Photo by Steve Worrall

Lupen Crook - Photo by Steve Worrall

 

The Len Price 3 - Photos by Steve Worrall

For more photos of The Len Price 3, Dead Lovers and Lupen Crook please visit the Retro Man Blog facebook page.

     

The Moons live at Bush Hall London December 02nd - by David Kerr

Andy Crofts of The Moons - Photo by David Kerr

Bill Clinton may have remarked that there was a certain pleasure in re-acquainting oneself with a favourite, familiar, old bush and this body-warming thrill of anticipation kept me going as I strode along the Uxbridge Road towards my re-acquaintance with The Bush Hall. Unfortunately, I had not been back since the red velvet curtains were a fitting back-drop to the classic sound of Booker T in 2009, and as I crossed the threshold I just knew that I would have to be standing on Jupiter on a crystal clear night to be in a finer location to be witnessing the true brilliance of The Moons. My anticipation was about to be fulfilled.  

The Moons took to the stage following fine supporting sets from Flamingo Drive and the Sundowners. I had heard great things of The Moons playing live and I was not disappointed as they smashed straight into a plaster splitting rendition of Life On Earth’s opener "Don’t Go Changin'" to commence a well balanced set spanning The Moons distinctive sound. From Andy Crofts' original MySpace uploads to many unreleased tracks from the forthcoming album, to be released in early 2012. Anybody with a passion for the Lunar Sessions and Life on Earth will be wishing away the festive season and looking forward to the delights 2012 has in store. The live renditions of both, the recent single, "Double Vision Love", and James Bagshaw’s 12 string led "Something Soon", reveal that The Moons will surely eclipse the success of Life on Earth with their next long player release.  


Long before Andy Crofts took to the stage to commence the encore with the acoustic beauty of "Jennifer Sits Alone", the gravitational pull of The Moons '60s inspired sound had swelled the crowd at the front of the stage, accumulating in a swaying tide of enjoyment to the flowing rhythms of "Wondering". 

Full force was resumed within the delighted revellers at the front as The Moons set was completed with a show stopping rendition of "The Ragman" as the eleven o’clock curfew brought a premature end to the merriment awash within the pleasures of the Bush Hall. Still, the positives of The Moons live at The Bush Hall far outweigh the negatives of an early closure, (just think of Solomon Burke and Victoria Beckham on a see-saw, you’ll get the picture), and what’s not to like about a gig venue with chandeliers, full wall height mirrors, a terrace bar for a raised view of the proceeding and the high standard of live entertainment supplied by The Moons. Another great gig at The Bush Hall. Ace!

Review and photos by David Kerr - you can check out David's videos of The Moons at Bush Hall, and many others, on his excellent YouTube Channel page here. Thanks David!

The Len Price 3 live at The Bull & Gate Kentish Town Friday December 09th. Last chance to see The Len Price 3 live in 2011...!

The Preservation Society Presents a selection of the best of the current sounds from the Medway Delta. Live at Club Fandango @ The Bull & Gate, 389 Kentish Town Road, London NW5 2TJ

It's the last chance to catch The Len Price 3 live in 2011, so don't miss it..!

T.V. Smith at the Signal Gallery Punk and Beyond Exhibition December 01st

I must admit that I did not know much about T.V. Smith's post-Adverts career, in fact come to think about it, I don't really know much about The Adverts either...Rather like the U.K. Subs, who were also right there at the birth of British Punk Rock - both bands appearing at The legendary Roxy Club - they seem to have been somewhat air-brushed out of a lot of Punk Rock history books and documentaries. Whether this is by accident or design I'm not really sure. They do have a voice in John Robb's excellent "Punk Rock; An Oral History", but are not often lauded in the same way that their contempraries The Clash, Pistols, Wire and Buzzcocks are for example. To me they are up there as the authors of one of THE classic Punk albums in "Crossing The Red Sea With The Adverts". Along with The Rezillos and X-Ray Spex they seemed to have a short-lived spell in the spotlight but managed to leave a legacy of some classic singles and a masterpiece album, and what a materpiece "...Red Sea..." is! However, I wasn't so keen on their follow-up "Cast of Thousands", in fact it got sold pretty quickly I'm sad to say...I also didn't follow T.V. Smith's music after that except for the excellent "Tomohawk Cruise" and only got to see him at The Ruts' Paul Fox benefit show at Islington Academy a couple of years ago. But music is like that, you branch off on different tangents, lose touch with certain bands but follow the careers closely of others but in the end you always come back to quality, and The Adverts first album was certainly quality. It was always pushing against the musical boundaries of Punk Rock. Lyrically too they were straining at the leash from the off, with "Safety In Numbers" they were already questioning the point and validity of the Punk and New Wave "movement". Certainly one thing that resonates is the superb lyrics and how the themes are still pretty relevant today. In fact from the solo songs T.V. Smith plays tonight there are real parallels between "Bored Teenagers" and his later "Generation Y". His world weary take on the state of Britain is also still very much apparent. Tonight he plays a selection of solo material and a choice of classics from The Adverts including "No Time To Be 21", "New Church", "The Great British Mistake".

He is funny and self-effacing yet still retains an edge and a dissatisfaction with the ills of modern life. Whether it is the slacker generation or the obsession with minor gripes and grumbles whilst ignoring the bigger issues. One of his takes on consumerism is wittily summed up in "Xmas Bloody Xmas" which tickles the funny bone instead of just bashing you around the head. "Every musician has to have a Xmas song, and that was mine!". The sentiments are not exactly of mistletoe and wine. He claims that the worst thing you can do performing in such an intimate setting is to perform a ballad, but then duly goes ahead and expertly does just that with the sublime "Generation Y". "I might have to get a bit closer in the quiet bits" he says, "don't get nervous..." He's an impassioned performer, eyes shut tightly as he sings, sinews straining as he stomps the beat with his boots on the gallery's wooden floor. It was a marvellous performance in such stripped down circumstances and close proximity of the audience. He ends with "Gary Gilmore's Eyes", which he "leaves for last as that's what real musicians do, leave the hit for last...". It was such a thoroughly enjoyable evening so I had to say hello afterwards, although I felt a bit of fraud with just my love of "Crossing The Red Sea" as common ground. However, he was very charming and patient, despite my obvious lack of knowledge of his solo work. Still, that's one of the great things about music, it's a constant voyage of discovery, and re-discovery too, so I left the show armed with his new album and book "Getting There: Punk Rock Tour Diaries Volume 1" and I look forward to my own little voyage with the works of T.V. Smith!

T.V. Smith at Signal Gallery - Photos by Steve Worrall

T.V. Smith with Gaye Advert in front of Gaye's artwork - Photo by Steve Worrall

I bought a copy of T.V. Smith's new album, "Coming In To Land" at the show to kick-start my voyage into his solo work, and I must say it has been on constant rotation ever since. It is a great album, extremely strong from start to finish, each song is memorable even after the first couple of listens, especially the banjo and mouth-harp driven "True Believers". The witty "Complaints Dept." has neurotic half spoken verses but bursts into a beautiful, delicate chorus and whistling refrain. There are muscular guitar riff driven songs such as "Man Down" where Smith's voice is superb, reminiscent of Richard Butler from The Psychedelic Furs. But my favourites are probably the epic title track and album closer "No Message Please" which is an acoustic led singalong, a perfect way to end an excellent album. I will now have the pleasure of delving into T.V. Smith's back catalogue and look forward to discovering some more great music along the way!

T.V. Smith is playing at the New Cross Inn on December 11th where'll perform the Best of The Adverts with The Valentines. Check the web-site here for the store and news of other live shows.

With sincere thanks to T.V. Smith, Gaye Advert and the Signal Gallery

The Godfathers - St. Valentine's Day Massacre live in London February 14th 2012

The Godfathers will play their regular legendary Saint Valentine's Day Massacre gig at the 02 Academy Islington in London on Tuesday February 14th 2012.

Tickets available from the Box Office 0844 477 2000 or from Ticketweb.

The late '80's and early '90's was not a good time for me musically, I just didn't click with a lot of the British bands around at the time. The shoe-gazing and grebo things went over my head and it was all a bit bland for those of us needing our fix of raw rock 'n' roll. Luckily some bands including The Screaming Blue Messiahs, still carried the torch, taking over from The Prisoners, The Playn Jayn Billy Childish's Milkshakes. The Sid Presley Experience too who, of course evolved into The Godfathers. It's hard to believe now just how out of step The Godfathers were with the majority of their so-called Indie band contemporaries. Mean, sharp-suited coolness personified with their two guitar attack and aggressive live act, at odds with the shambling, charisma-free zones of most bands they had to share stages with.

My ticket for The Godfathers 1989 Valentine's Day Massacre

Singer Peter Coyne sneered his songs of mis-trust and cynicism from centre stage whilst around him was a blur of flailing guitars, courtesy of the live-wire Kris Dollimore and Mike Gibson. Bassist Chris Coyne was all coolness and calmness whilst the excellent drummer George Mazur kept the beat going. A direct link from the best of mean edged rock, from early garage punk to The Creation, The Who, Johnny Cash, to Dr. Feelgood and The Sex Pistols, The Godfathers took that musical lineage and spat it out in classic tracks of their own such as "I Want Everything", "This Damn Nation" and the anthemic "Birth, School, Work, Death". It didn't stretch your imagination too much to picture their guitar cases being fitted with compartments for baseball bats and machine guns!
 

And one from the 1990 gig at the Kilburn National

So The Godfathers are back and since 2009 have been playing with the Coyne brothers, drummer Grant Nicholas and original Sid Presley guitarist Del Bartle, this year releasing two stunning download singles "Back Into The Future" and "The Outsider".  I am already looking forward to next Valentine's Day to get the chance to show my appreciation to the band that helped me through those barren musical years with my dose of rhythm and booze flavoured rock 'n roll!