Lux Lives At The Black Bull

...well to be more accurate The Doll at The Black Bull in Gateshead. There have been quite a few of these excellent afternoon gigs both here and The Cluny 2 where lots of local musicians form band sor the day to remember various great garage bands from the sixties and the seventies.

Today was (again) The Cramps with Lux Interior and Poison Ivy and while anyone brought up on a diet of X-Factor, Commercial Local Radio and the last twenty years of Radio One would not appreciate the excellent agressive raw coolness on display at these gigs.

Like The Stooges, Iggy Pop and Link Wray the sound is both challenging and fun with raw psychobilly rhythms fueled by whatever fills your particular glass.

This was four hours of sound, half a dozen bands for a mere five pounds and to be quite honest, and one of the sets was worth that. I'm dovetailing this post with the Forbidden Dicks take on "Human Fly" and Poison IVs interpretation of "She Like Heroin To Me" . There's also so instagram videos here. as well as details of the rest of the bands and upcomping Trash Shack dates.

Trash Shack has been resurrected so make a date for future gigs in the piece of toilet roll you call your diary, next one up on 23rd March.

How Much Pop Can You Have?

It's Iggy Pop's 71st birthday and my friend Brian along with three other people hosted an "Iggy and the Stooges, Shambolic KO Tribute Afternoon"and truly wonderful it was. The revers running order for the afternoon was:

16.25 IGGY AND THE RAW POWERS
16.00 IZZY POPPED'S FUN HOUSE
15.30 RUBY AND THE SHAKIN' STOOGES
15.10 THE IGGYOTS
14.30 FIVE FOOT JUAN AND HIS GO GO MIDGETS
13.45 MOTOR CITY MYSTERYS
13.10 THEE RAVAGED IGUANAS
12.45 ZIGGY AND THE GERMANS

..and every band was absolutely brilliant. I managed to have quick chats and hugs with Lynn and Dave, Sheila , Barbara, Jonathan, Sarah, and met a wonderful singer called Stephanie and though we have been Facebook friends for yeans for the very first time spoke to Caroline.

So this was a great afternoon for catching up with friends, although when I got there the door was locked, though that was soon rectified.

I was surprised to see quite a few family groups there and the kids loved the bands and were active in the mosh pit.

Each band played three songs and was surprised to see Ziggy and The Germans using pedal steel as the guitar part of the band.

Although everything was excellent I loved Ruby and The Shakin' Stooges take on "No Fun" and Ziggy and The Germans take on "Funtime" so they are the ones I'll include here but you can see all my Youtube posts from today here and my Instagram posts here. I must apologise for the sound quality, I think it was a bit loud for my my Wilefox phone to deal with but you get  the idea.

Looking forward to the next afternoon gig, it was awesome. 

I've Got A Wristband And I'm Gonna Use It - Evolution 2011

Creat A Queue

Spillers Wharf

Finally succumbed to the line up for Evolution and bought a weekend ticket. The organisation is attrocious , designed to make it as difficult as possible for the customer. Once you have your ticket you thatne have to get to the Newcastle side and enter the queue making bit to get your wristband. Once past that the stages are a long way apart (Baltic Square over the Millenium Bridge , Spillers Wharf and UMT Stage way down the North Side of the river , and Ballast Hills , location odf the Jumpin Hot Stage up past the Tyne pub , but at least sited on grass and very civilised.

Some amazing artists such as Iggy Pop , Billy Bragg , Plan B , Tinie Tempah and the food and stalls not too bad . It's just the lack of organisation , the bad siting of stages  that put a downer on the thing , but the music has been superb . You can see all the pictures here.