Nightmares and Kings

The first Trash Shack of the 2019 resurrection featured two excellent bands, The Shakin' Nightmares and The Kings of Hong Kong. .

The Trash Shack Universe has it's own music and images. Surf, Link Wray, ReVerb , all the Billies from Rocka to Psycho , some Western Swing, Mariachi , Rock and Roll and Punk Energy an a very impressive Garage. It has a current home at The Doll at The Black Bull but can be found further afield at The Cluny and maybe Scotland, London and further west .

I must make a mention of the amazing Art Installation outside The Doll At The Black Bull featuring various punk icons which you can see here. I spoke to the artists who , apart from being very talented were engagingly pleasant.

Immaculate quiffs, Gibson Guitars, Masks and Tattoos are always not very far from what might be be seen as the Trash Shack core.

So here we go:

The Shaking Nightmares

Starting their set with the brooding instrumentation of "(I've Got) The Shakin' Nightmares" (effectively their signature song) before the vocals appeared , then following up immediately with "Unbelievin'" (you can see my Youtube take here). The sound improved as they went along they looked the part introducing many different styles.

Their penultimate song was a stunning version of Little Richard's "Keep A Knockin'" which I caught a minute of on my phone and you can see here.

If the night had finished there it would have been worth it but there was more to come......

The Kings of Hong Kong

The first full masked band I've seen since The Coyotemen (who are prime Trash Shack beef) ,  and the Kings of Hong Kong carry a huge stage presence,  and a double bass , tattoos , masks and a sound channeling Link Wray, Robert Gordon with mohicans, hats, menace and style. I caught a song called "Empire of Love" here but have been impressed by a lot of the videos on their Youtube Channel.

Soall in all an excellent Trash Shack night.

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.

Liquer .. Madame and Sirs?

Another review I wasn't intending to write, but tonight I attended an excellent gig by the cleverly named Liquer, and wonderful Cure tribute band. With the lead singer looking and sounding the Robert Smith part down to the lipstick and hair and an unfeasible array of guitars on a smallish stage for the amount of equipment that band played a storming set mixing hits and less obvious songs delighting the crowd.

Maz and Shev have turned the Doll at The Black Bull into an amazing venue and Shev's sound set up for the band was spot on. I got a video of the band playing "Head on The Door" but there is a lot of video online , but even better, go and see them live, and you will get a bit closer than the real Cure.

The gig was put on by Aly Smith to raise money for a Christmas Party for kids in Byker

Liquer's website is here so you can find more video and information on when they are playing.

An absolutely brilliant night, thanks Aly, Liquer, Maz and Shev for making this happen.

The Wigging Hour Approacheth

I really didn't expect tobe writing this and certainly wasn't going to be taking any pictures , but the Star Spangled Chestwigs had a Halloween Bash at The Doll at The Black Bull and the place was amazingly decorated , the crowd were fantastic and the band just cemented themselves as my favourite live band for a lot of reasons. I 've said all that needs to be said about them them, The play SHITE and their gigs and the greatest fun you can have without getting locked up.

Lots of favourites were played "Swords of A Thousand Men" , "Antmusic" , "Mama Mia" and lots
more. And the night just flew by.

Although tonight is Halloween , last night was a brilliant curtain raiser and if you get yourself back down there tonoght there will be more (Wigless) mayham.

Shev Takes Time Out For A Slash

A wonderful night was had by all , I got to see my brilliant mate Tom and discuss all sorts of intellectual stuff including the merits and robustness of COBOL (which I first used in 1980) as well as enjoying the brilliant set by the Chestwigs.

There's more video on my Youtube Channel here.

And there's more photos here.

The Fantastic Mr Old Fox

Shev's Fayre

Two of my great friends rescued The Old Fox in Felling from bing turned into flats. The location is fall off Felling Metro and then into the front door, it's probably almost more convenient for me than The Doll at The Black Bull, but anyway.....

Coming it it's a fantastic atmosphere, and everyone was really friendly and talkative, I'd gone with my friend Lynn so obviously she knows everyone in the world, but this isn't a pub review, however it's one of a group of three pubs plus Jaz's Fish Bar withing sight of each other. If the original singer with Marillion has a Jazz Club would it be Fish's Jazz Bar? Whatever.

Rigid Digits in Stage

Anyway the the icing on this cake was the excellent Rigid Digits , a Stiff Little Fingers tribute band with a brilliant front man who was extremely affable and friendly despite me mistaking him for the guy out of AKQ Stottin.

The venue is small but the sound was great and the band opened with "Roots ,Radicals,Rockers, Reggae" and their set makes you want to get out your SLF albums when you get home.

The between song banter is great with the odd swear word thrown in in the best possible taste. They are definitely another of my favourite live bands and you should catch them if you can. A brilliant gig , great attitude and great fun.

Part of a fantastic night at The Old Fox in Felling.

Stand and Deliver - The Chestwigs Come Again

Chestwigs Suitably Attired

Sheve Serenades Alan

Just a short post to say how excellent the Star Spangled Chestwigs were last night at The Doll at The Black Bull . All kitted out in winter attire in the middle of summer for a typical brilliant night.










Opening with Showaddywaddy's "Hey Rock and Roll" Shev press ganged me into singing the "Hey Hey Hey" response when the crowd weren't playing yet. I post a few pictures on Instagram and Twitter using the #SHITE hashtag if you want to check them out, though oddly the Chestwigs don't appear on that feed but it recommends you check out Ant and Dec and Fearne Cotton , so go figure that one.

Crowd Participation

Anyway the Bull was full and jumping , the crowd and band totally up for it and every song was brilliantly executed, and still find their take on "Rivers of Babylon" amazingly inspired.











The Doll at The Black Bull is now the North Easts number one Punk venue , I remember walking in when Maz and Shev took over, the place is unrecognisable and just a brilliant place to be, great staff , great crowd , great band and great everything and and a great setting for a great band. The Chestwigs always deliver and last night they did it again.

Fantastic gig.

Smokin' Wigs and Star Trek Dresses

Last night the Star Spangled Chestwigs had a Bar-B-Q at The Doll at The Black Bull , and it was scorching . The band were on top form and the crowd entered into the summer feel though is was red hot in there. Shev , Adas , Bill & Paul gave two storming sets - with great reaction to "Rivers of Babylon" and "Take Me Home Country Roads" by people who had forgotten or not heard the Chestwigs take on them.

Drinking on the Ceiling

Thanks to Maz and Shev the place is a fantastic venue , and was impressed by the table and chaires on the ceiling and the great selection of drinks and remarkably efficient , friendly and tattooed bar staff.

Lot's of great T-Shirts , hair cuts and tattoos on show as well and the crowd were brilliant





 

Shev is out of his tree!

The gig went by like a blur some great dancing , running about , plastic palm trees , Shev's Kilt celebrating his love of all thing celtic !! There was also a young lady with an excellent cock-a-too hair style and Dead Kennedy's jacket on who delivered a heartfelt thank you to all the hard work Maz and Shev have put into the the place

Dixie in her Star Trek Dress

 Special mention has to go to my friend Dixie Foster's Star Trek dress and handbag (the dress all her own work) which had lot's of people stopping to take photographs.



All in all another fantastic Chestwigs gig and looking forward to the next one !