Elastica Two Early-ish London Gigs

Here's a double gig that I have previously posted on Dimeadozen.

Forget Oasis, Blur and Pulp! Elastica were not only the best band to be lumbered with the 'Brit Pop' label, they were the best band of the '90's.

So what was it about them.....

1) They sounded like all the best bands of the late '70's
2) They looked great
3) They had a bass sound nicked from you know who (they had a song nicked from you know who!)
4) They had an attitude at a time of shoe gazers

So here's two sets that preceded the release of the 'Elastica' album. Artwork is included in the download file.

FLAC: http://we.tl/UTPlv4ROO8

ELECTRIC BALLROOM
CAMDEN, LONDON
17TH FEBRUARY 1994

1. SPASTICA
2. ROCKUNROLL
3. LINE UP
4. ANNIE
5. CONNECTION
6. IN THE CITY
7. S.O.F.T
8. STUTTER
9. WAKING UP
10. BRIGHTON ROCK
11. SEE THAT ANIMAL
12. VASELINE
13. STUTTER

ASTORIA LONDON
28TH OCTOBER 1994

1. SPASTICA
2. ROCKUNROLL
3. 2:1
4. LINE UP
5. ANNIE
6. CAR SONG
7. NEVER HERE
8. SEE THAT ANIMAL
9. STUTTER
10. WAKING UP
11. S.O.F.T
12. BLUE
13. CONNECTION
14. VASELINE

'Rock Goes To College' University of Surrey, Guildford 19t November 1978

 

The Don & Phil of Punk Rock

Guildford 1978

 

To tie in with the anniversary article on the Guildford debacle on the official site (here), this is a good opportunity to repost the five tracks that were recorded on that day.

 

MP3: http://we.tl/5FA2osGsXc

 

01. Ugly

02. I Feel Like AWog

03. Bring On The Nubiles

04. Burning Up Time

05. Hanging Around

Culture Shock And The Mob T-Chances. Tottenham 19th October 2013

As indicated in an earlier post this was something that I was really looking forward to having missed the blighters first time around.

Strange venue (especially for a London comeback gig), but what the hell, this social club or what ever it was suited the occasion perfectly. On entering and making my was to the usual first stop, the bar (although increasingly these days it's the gents!), I noticed that vegan beer was being advertised, whilst out of the corner of my eye I could see a banner of The Hunt Saboteurs Association...... this was like stepping back in time 25 years - the only discernible difference was that now there were no Metropolitan Police vans parked up outside the venue full to bursting with constables eager to nick a few of those troublesome anarcheest types.

Another upside to the gig was that, whilst the vegan bitter did not appeal, cans of Tyskie lager were on offer for £2.40... a sharp contrast to the £4.80 charged in Koko five days earlier! I've paid less in hotel minibars!

First up were AOS3, with the ex- P.A.I.N. frontman on vocals, who played an excellent set of ska punk. Next up, and as keenly anticipated as Culture Shock themselves, were The Mob. I had their seminal album 'Let The Tribe Increase' in the '80s (now I have it on CD of course), but never got to see them as they called it a day in 1983 at around the time that I was cottoning onto this punk thing.

The Mob, with their original line up played an excellent set, two songs of which I videoed, incidentally the two opening tracks on the 'Tribe' album.

'Cry Of A Morning' and 'Another Day, Another Death' by The Mob

T-Chances, Tottenham 19th October 2013

With The Mob still ringing in my ears, it was time for a quick circuit of loo, bar (for another cheap one) and then stage front as Culture Shock took to the stage without drummer (who sauntered on about 10 minutes later). The set that followed threw me right back to student digs in the late '80's when Culture Shock's albums were rarely off the turntable.... they being one of the few bands where all residents found some common ground.

'Pressure' And 'Colour TV' by Culture Shock

T-Chances, Tottenham 19th October 2013

The heat was intense as Dick and Co. ploughed through a brilliant set of material as evidenced by the set list.

So there you have it, one of the gigs of the year, three excellent bands, cheap beer and all for the princely sum of £7. They were onto something these anarcho punks!

Club Quattro, Lagova, Japan 20th December 1992

Apparently, it's all kicking off in the little niche of cyberspace occupied by The Stranglers. Not surprisingly, and with depressing predictability, it's the aged who's better, who's best 'debate' that is behind it all.

Like any football team, there are going to be starting line ups that don't meet your approval, but then again within any single line up the performance is not always consistent!

Best to be inclusive, regardless of personal preference.... it's all Stranglers music by definition.

So, from the 'In The Night' Tour in Japan......

FLAC: http://we.tl/0Rmd5atamZ

01. Intro
02. Time To Die
03. Toiler On The Sea
04. Sometimes
05. I Feel Like A Wog
06. Golden Brown
07. Strange Little Girl
08. 96 Tears
09. Someone Like You
10. Always The Sun
11. Heaven Or Hell
12. Laughing At The Rain
13. Never See

01. Hanging Around
02. Brainbox
03. London Lady

Sadly, this is not the full set recording. The following songs are missing.

All Day And All Of The Night
Sugar Bullets
Tank
Duchess
No More Heroes
Five Minutes

XSLF (Henry Cluney, Jim Reilly) - Anyone Seen Them?

I picked this flyer up after the Wilko gig. I didn't know that this band had been put together. I don't know the circumstances under which drummer Jim Reilly left SLF, but I understand that Henry and Jake did not part amicably. The footnote on the flyer.... 'as it was meant to be' would suggest that there is still some differences there!

Whatever, it is good to see Henry back on his feet.

Ruts DC And Wilko Johnson KOKO Camden 14th October 2013

Ruts DC at Koko, Camden Town

14th October 2013

This was very much an unexpected one on two counts as I anticipated being in Budapest when I was informed by a very excited Leigh Heggarty that Ruts DC were playing a one off gig at KOKO supporting, and here's the other surprise.... Wilko Johnson!! London thought that it had bade a fond farewell to Wilko back in March when he played what was poignantly billed as 'The Last Tour'.

But it is our good fortune (not to mention his) that Wilko's health is holding up, allowing him to continue to play.

This was a first for me as I never saw a gig at the Camden Palace (let alone The Music Machine) so I was interested in this one from that point of view as well. The venue is an imposing building opposite Mornington Crescent tube station, inside it is very plush, with the heavy drapes and ornate boxes typical of many of London's surviving Victorian theatres.

I was slightly unnerved as I first walked into the auditorium as a quick glace towards the stage necessitated a double take...... a young Wilko!! But this was in fact the tail end of Eight Rounds Rapid's set which is Wilko's son's band, who sound not unlike one Dr Feelgood!

This evening, Ruts DC's set was to be compressed down to 40 minutes, so every song counted. Prior to the gig, a friend had told me that the sound in KOKO was always bad, but from where I was standing, mid venue, the sound was spot on. The band rose to the occasion brilliantly and whilst the audience were rather slow to respond, come Babylon's Burning, a fair portion of the crowd were singing along heartily. Towards the end of the set, Segs paid tribute to Wilko, saying that without him there would have been no British punk bands, which is true, no band did more to ignite the London music scene from which punk spewed than Dr Feelgood.

I headed to the bar at the end of the Ruts set in order to be mugged, the KOKO decor may have been old fashioned but the bar prices are bang up to date, you could almost say futuristic..... £4.80 for a can of Kronenburg!

The second unnerving of the night came in the form of five or six blokes at the bar each sporting an oversized Wilko mask! Great stuff.

Wilko's set was great, the expected mix of solo material interspersed with Feelgood classics. I suppose I have seen Wilko Johnson play about a dozen times now and I could stand and watch them a dozen more times (saly unlikely I know) because the combined visual spectacle of Wilko and Norman is such a treat..... you cannot stop yourself from smiling!

Wilko & Norman Koko, Camden Town

14th October 2013

 

Leigh emerged after the Ruts DC en-route to the bar, since a handful of celebrity liggers had rendered the backstage area as dry a desert! A few faces were to be seen during the gig though, a couple of members of.... The Members and Graham Coxon as I recall.

Wilko has even more recently guested on dates by Norman Watt-Roy & Friends (dates can be found on Wilko's website) but whether or not he is doing all I have no idea.

Thanks to Big Andy for the photos.

Baz Gets The Beaumont Treatment

 

Baz Warne

by Steve Beaumont 2013

 

Love This!!