You know it must be getting close to Christmas, ‘I'm a Desperate C*nt Get Me On To Here' is back on the box , and containers loaded with moulded plastic kids' TV characters from China are dwarfing the skyline at Southampton docks.
But at this time of impending financial collapse you don't wanna go wasting the old valuable cash on toys for the nippers….sod em… a satsuma ,a one legged Subutteo man and a second hand snake belt stuffed into an unwashed woolly sock was good enough for us in our day.
Let the kids learn the value of money by paying em 1p per potato peeled this Christmas. Money they can pay back when you hire use of the TV to them should they wish to air their High School Musical DVDs.
Nah, forget Xmas. Blow all your dosh down the pub- it's the season to be jolly is it not? Dunno about you but getting rat assed tends to encourage a certain jollity in me- and what's more I like a bit of live music too….
As it happens we're in a position to recommend you some right here and now…who'd have thunk it……infact we have so many freaking ace bands this Particular Time you would probably be forgiven for doing an Arthur Fowler on yer Christmas Club moolah…..
Whatcha mean what's a snake belt/who's Arthur Fowler…..
RAUCOUS JAYS
THE SEA
THE WINTER KICKS
The Dublin Castle
94 Parkway, Camden Town, NW1 7AN 0207-485-1773
Mon-Wed: Doors: 8.30pm £6/£4.50
Thur-Fri: Doors: 8.30pm £6/£5
Sat: Doors: 8.00pm £6/£5
Sun: Doors 7.00pm £6/£4.50
CAMDEN TOWN TUBE/CAMDEN ROAD OVERGROUND
BUSES: 29, 253, 254, 274, 214, 27 etc etc
FOR FULL DUBLIN CASTLE LISTINGS GO TO http://www.bugbearbookings.com/pages/dclist.htm
THURSDAY 20 th NOVEMBER
PITCHBLACK LTD – Onstage 10.45pm
Interesting blend of big dubby bass, Chic like funkish guitar and techy keys via attitudinous vox....remind of the Grace Jones stuff with Sly and Robbie sonically, that kind of crossover vibe-Two Swordsmen, Material, Tackhead, Stereo MCs, Fashion....pretty good, a big fat sound. From Sweden y'all…
ELENA – Onstage 10pm
Like an Italian Chrissie Hynde with some dark pop thoughts beautifully expressed….
LILIES ON MARS- Onstage 9.15pm
Experimental indie electro rock...2 quirky girls who sound like they do indeed come from Mars singing...Their vocals are a mix of Portishead ethereal and coco rosie..music is bit Deerhoof, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Eno..really interesting..jumps from strange alien singing against stripped back acoustic only backing to rich soaring waves of electro orchestration and improvised synth distortion and discord..punk shouts and anarchic raw beatings of big drums..then some twisted electro sitar noises..a new wave revolution army..original and interesting...deffo…
FRIDAY 21ST NOVEMBER DUBLIN CASTLE FILMICALLY EPIC GIG OF DA WEEK
REVOLUTION– Onstage 10.45pm
An anthemic baggy pop vibe with excellent Echo and the Bunnymen/Psychedellic Furs like moments amongst the Stone Roses type tunes…
MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK- Onstage 10pm
A big, big gushingly filmic post rock happening…boy what a happening! Doves get on a heavy petting session with Mogwai in the back row as My Bloody Valentine play the Pearl and Dean theme….
MENDOZA-Onstage 9.15pm
Heavy assed neo Mogwai mostly instrumentalist vibes thru a little neo twang – as if Duane Eddy had been co-opted into Dead Can Dance…..
THE SEA – Onstage 8.30pm Arrive Early!
Ah, The Sea- a lot happening with this superb rock duo now, and we don't like to say we told you so but we told you so. The White Who? Like Led Zep crystalised into a handy package of bliss….
SUNDAY 23 RD NOVEMEBER
THE 9.45 CLUB
Bring 9 45s along and spin em! Free to all clutching their Seven Inchers…… from 9.45 – geddit?!
THE 5.45 CLUB
A nice and easy matinee styled bill of bands including…
KNEVIL GENIUS- Onstage 8.45pm
Punky metal/rawk with plenty of attitude . Very enthusiastic and up for it and very well played too as it goes. Husker Du circa Metal Circus would be a good place to start….
THE EXTRACTORS- Onstage 8pm
Madness and The Specials are rapturously transposed with a smooth Hawaiian funky blues bizniz and it works a treat….should be contenders these fellaers…
Also this evening ROWSTER and FRIGHTENING FOR YOU
The Hope & Anchor
207 Upper Street, Islington N1. 0207-354-1312
Mon-Thurs: Doors: 8.30 £6/£4.50
Fri-Sat: Doors: 8.30pm £6/£5
HIGHBURY AND ISLINGTON TUBE/OVERGROUND
BUSES: 30, 43, 217, 277, 383, 4, 19 etc etc
FOR FULL HOPE & ANCHOR LISTINGS GO TO http://www.bugbearbookings.com/pages/halist.htm
TUESDAY 18 TH NOVEMBER HOPE N ANCHOR TRIFFIC TUESDAY
THE PLAN – Onstage 10.45pm
Ponderous brooding dark, dark stuff…. What with the deep singing I think Joy Division is an inevitable place to start comparisons wise. 'Down tempo/punk rock ' is the myspace legend...not many!
THE WINTER KICKS – Onstage 10pm
The White Stripes meet The Libertines. Americana meets Camden. Gomez in there too. Solid and from Camden , where Amy Winehouse has her own sect of looky likey Guardian Angels , cleaning up the streets in a Charles Bronson stylee.
THE VALKARYS – Onstage 9.15pm
Pretty convincing swinging 60s beat group moves on a cool song such as 'To me you are the light' , recalling Them, The Who and some indie classique [Julian Cope, early Stone Roses]…this theme continues…tambourines are shaken Ian Brown wise and psychedelic 60s pop reigns supreme. Hailing from Edinburgh, where Franz Ferdinand have their own sect of Aesthetic Angels , who prowl the streets telling you which bands, films and books it's ok to like. The Valkarys should be included- a tune like 'Storyteller' is like essence of Stone Roses only with a Charlatans bass line…could be the baggy revival!
THE 45 REVS– Onstage 8.30pm
Modernist chic abounds – but here we be looking at mod-punk. 45 Revs music is like the Buzzcocks, the voice more akin to Paul Weller, and there's a bit of Stranglers in here to boot.
THURSDAY 20 TH NOVEMBER FECK OFF FRIDAYS PRESENTS
DEAD SPIES– Onstage 10.45pm
A fine blend of Killers, Depeche Mode and Roxy Music , with some cranium stretching erudition alongside some hip swinging boho beat …
THE VIVIANS – Onstage 10pm
The Vivians embrace the sound of The Killers but look and play with a sort of lo-slung New York attitude more akin to The Heartbreakers , and take on some high production values producing a bright and shiny indie pop with punk attitude.
THE WOW SIGNAL– Onstage 9.15pm
Storming guitars set to zzzzzzippp with a Bowie / Pete Murphy alike vocal in the quiet bits. They thrash it out most convincingly and go in for a fair bit of light and shade in the playing. London based glamerama….
ONE TWO FREAKS– Onstage 8.30pm
A gal[voice], a guy[guitar] and 'The Machine'.[everything else]...French art rockers- something of NYC New Wave, Snatch, The Waitresses, Richard Hell [gone female] ...nice slinky feel even if the songs are pretty straight ahead rnr on first hearing- great vocal delivery by the girl here , one Julie Lescraut....they're a bit like Fiery Furnaces go post punk too. Nice.
Tonite £3 only with valid Student ID…Pint of Carling £2, Bottle of Bulmers £2, Double Jack n Coke £3, Bottle of Bud £2
SATURDAY 22 ND NOVEMBER PUNK'S NOT DEAD BUT ME BUMFLAP'S A BIT SAGGY GIG OF DA WEEK
LONDON – Onstage 10pm
Yes , another original 76/77 punk band reform. London were really good though-I remember hearing them on Stuart Henry's punk show on Radio Luxembourg way, way back in the day and thinking they were great, and with the passing of time...they sound like The Vibrators assaulted by The Adverts whilst The Damned urinate in their beer. This is a good thing. Not clicheed yob punk, but cool wasted glam punk with some pop sensibilities. I think their cover of 'Friday on my mind' almost troubled the charts.
Vehemently supported by UK VOMIT and SHAG NASTY
MONDAY 24 TH NOVEMEBR EURO ACID TEST OF THE WEEK
BRAINDEAD – Onstage 10.45pm
Mental as ya like skate punk band who sweeten the thrash pill with some neo Cardiacs type whacked out frenetics and something akin to a post punk ska sound! Which all works brilliantly! Good Lord, they are biggish deal in Germany. Youtoob stuff demonstrates an incredibly exciting live band- would be ace in the H and A, and Bob's yer uncle here they be. Miss it not!!
ZIBABU – Onstage 10pm
These Amsterdamned dudes play weird Punk-Reggae-Experimental stuff, and are another really good band we are most proud to present unto you. Span the styles of freaky reggae, grunge and early cosmic rock a la Hawkwind ….
RAUCOUS JAYS – Onstage 9.15pm
Female fronted pop-punk rock, good stuff with strongrollocking tunes bit like a very RAWK! Primitives or Garbage without the techno interface, whilst the guitaring is direct from the Oasis school of big overdriven chordiology.
SABOTAGE LEFT – Onstage 8.30pm
At The Drive In/ Cable style Brit noize rock- they feature a big singalong chorus on 'Seventy five quid' that marks them out as something far better than a run of the mill Fugazi wannabe band..an intense McClusky like sound is mainly what you get here. But the pop factor is ever present- something of Killers or whisper it early U2.... This is good- tons of talent.
