Face Of Cheam

Proving no band ever splits up or fades away, Republica have come back. THe mini tour was cancelled that just left this date. However, in view of a band with a couple of big tunes in my friends uni years I was surprised to be in a large group for this one. Saffron, the singer, was one of the best looking women I have seen on stage 14 years ago, yet the years have not been kind and she was ill advised to wear a dress that would have had me drooling back in the day. Still the music is still there with singalong tracks such as From The Rush Hour With Love, Gett Off and the biggies, Drop Dead Gorgeous and Ready To Go. Surprisingly they also played a couple of new songs, which like the gig itself, were probably over reliant on the keyboardists laptop but pleasant enough. I doubt whether they will see the light in an physical album, though I suppose I should catch up and think of the download market which any old tosser can make a release on these days. Main gripe here was in the venue it was £4.05 a pint of Tuborg!!!!! Still a good evening had.

Filmed for his latest DVD Ian Hunter played the church in Islington. A mixed set, a couple of Mott classics in the first bit together with the return of Irene Wilde and Motts I Wish I Was Your Mother. The encore was more of a second act which out did the first bit by some margin, having Sea Diver, Saturday Gigs, Michael Picasso and of course, All The Young Dudes in it. Annoyingly you could not take alcohol into the main part of the church which is a change from when I was last there allbeit several years ago.

First time I've seen this Brighton duo. As with many modern bands, no front lighting meaning most of the time they are silouettes. Good guitar shoeglaze stuff, with You Bring Me Down a particular highlight. This was apparently their biggest headline show in the UK, meaning that they are probably more popular abroad. Still Brighton is a thriving scene currently with these, The Pipettes and Bat For Lashes all debuting around the same time a couple of years ago. Before the show I had a pint in Britpop associated pub the Good Mixer. Full of strange people who seem to struggle to believe that Camden is not the place it once was. I left quickly.

Despite an all day thing we decided to get there for half six to see Thunderclap Newman. Something In The Air is a well reknowned classic and indeed was played here. Although Mr Newman is the sole survivor of the original three piece band, the replacement musicians including Pete Townshend nephew Josh, and drummer Mike Bryzenki (seen in Big Country, The Cult and The Alarm II previously by myself) keep true to the originals and played all of the tracks from the solitary album. They ended the set with Armenia City In The Sky, a song the Who recorded but written by Speady Keen, the original singer guitarist and songwriter in Thunderclap Newman.
Cover band The Wholoigans ended the night with a set along the Live AT Leeds period, Unfortuanately the show was over running and the fact a tube strike had just begun meant we had to leave just after they finished the Tommy segment. Still a good evening out.

Third time I've seen Mr Luke Morley & Pete Shoulders band and I have to say they are growing on me. Very blues and set list remains the album + Proud Mary cover they are still polished enough to put on a good show. Recommend their album if you are looking for some soulful blues rock. Got soaked on the way home though as the heavens opened which was not pleasant.

Thea has returned with the album Murphys Heart. I decide that Brighton would be the only date of the tour I would do this time as I didn't fancy a Tuesday in Camden having had plans to go there the Sunday and Thursday of the same week. Annoyingly depsite having a band the venue decided to keep the unreserevd seating in place meaning my nine pm arrival made it difficult to get a decent place. Still did the best I could and found a space on the left. The set was good, opening up with a song premiered on her last tour but still not yet on an album! Out of the new stufff, Teach Me To Be Bad sounds to be up there with her classics and it was good to hear a heavy version of Mainstream again which hadn't been played on the previous acoustic shows. Still an essential artist to see for each tour.

Come On Up / Call Me Darling / Gods Got Nothing On You / Coffee And Roses / Automatic Blue / Have You Heard? / How The Love Gets In / You Belong To Me / Set You Free (Nigel Stonier) / Old Soul / Not Alone / Teach Me To Be Bad / This Girl Is Taking Bets / You're The Radio / Mainstream //// Holding Your Hand / The Prize

Went up to Sheffield for the Wednesday Saints football match. Made a weekend of it and was a fun time. An early start, 9am at Morden, we get to Kings Cross with time to get a paper and beers for the train. Upon taking our seats we sat opposite two older friendly but repetative Saints fans both also with beer. 'He's come all the way from Colchester' says the Hampshire accented one before saying he was on the 7am train from Southampton. At an early stop some teenage Stevenage fans come on in boistorous mood singing songs and have a drum. Thankfully they were on the next carraige, still our new found friends found them good entertainment as after they got off all we heard was 'those Stevenage lads...' every stop. Then some Leeds fans come on and every one who passed in the aisle was told 'those two are Leeds fans, dirty Leeds'. Still made the journey interesting. Disaster struck at Doncaster as my mate left our remaing beers on the train as we changed. Idiot!
At Sheefield we had heard that the station pub was the best one so we took advantage of this. Lots of real ale and the only lager was Bernard Pils. Quite nice with my mate having a Strawberry beer (his only alocohol of the weekend it would appear!)
After a tram to Hillsborough we arrive a couple of minutes late due to underestimating the time of the journey. Saints won one nil in a good performance and after going back to the hotel it was time to explore the delights a Sheffield evening would have to offer.
Three back street type places were started with, the Irish Dog & Partridge, where a gorgeous rock type chick was with a large group of large Irish males for some reason. Flynns was a place being done up in one bar that had bands upstairs. Wasn't great but a hobo type bloke in the front bar whipped out a harmonica for a few bars of Fairytale of New York! Trippets had a DJ on a stage with the most bored looking girlfriend sitting next to him. Quite a nice front bar here I recall with candles in wine bottles. After some chips we head to the Red Deer an ikea type bar with games such as Jenga and Kerplunnk availiable to play. The Old House was next with Lindeboom. This was far too loud and crowded for my liking. Best place of the evening was next called Bungalows And Bears. A spacious modern bar with pub characteristics and a wide range of beer. Some young trendy people, quite busy, decent music which is what you want for a Saturday night. Here, I engaged with some lovely young ladies after whipping out my google map! After recommending a pub the blonde girl said if we wanted to go to a club we should go to 3X. It has many rooms and would play the type of older music I'd enjoy! How she would know what typ of music this is I don't know, perhaps she saw me tapping my feet to Lily Was Here when I was sitting down? The recommended pub was the Devonshire Cat, a slightly older crowd that had a Harrow type feel to it. Still very busy and another good choice of beer in here with Warsteiner on tap. Good stuff. We managed to get a seat and after whipping the map out again, another female comes up to us asking if we were local? Obvoiusly not having a map. With my mate struggling to finish his half we decided to make the next place the last one so go along the road to the self proclaimed late bar the Casbah. Here they played classic and modern indie such as Pulp, James and Pigeon Detectives. A bit bloke heavy in there but a good lively place with opportunity for a boogie if you so desired. All in all a great weekend specially with the Saints getting back on track!