Thursday 09 March 2023.

Thursday 09 March 2023...I went to two events tonight... 5.30pm to 7.45pm. MARUGAME UDON - launch party - 449 The Strand, London WC2. A great location near Trafalgar Square, and opposite the McDonalds in The Strand. Very popular value for money Japanese noodles and tempura restaurant open its 10th location. Starters - were various tempura , including chicken & veg.....I do love all tempura. Mains - A large Chicken Katsu Curry Bowl ( rrp £ 9.95 ) which was lovely and a generous portion. Dessert - Pull your own ice-cream and Mochi balls We had a couple of cocktails each , that come in cans, plus soft drinks. All guests got a goodie bag of Japanese several snacks and sweets. Very enjoyable and tasty, and well worth a visit. then KILLING JOKE live at The 100 Club. Killing Joke play an intimate warm-up club show for their Royal Albert Show three days later. One of a few club shows that they are playing around the UK , before the big RAH show. Needless to say, this 350 capacity show sold out pronto...even though tickets cost £50 plus booking fee. Killing Joke is very much music as ritual – raw, uncompromising and precisely-targeted lyrically; proof that Jaz Coleman, Geordie, Youth & Big Paul, the original Killing Joke personnel, are currently delivering. I have seen them several times over the past 40 odd years , including their most recent London show when they supported Billy Idol at Wembley Arena in 2022. My first two times seeing them was back in 1980 when they supported JOY DIVISION. 20 Feb 1980 - Town Hall , High Wycombe. 29 Feb 1980 - Lyceum Theatre, London. ------------------ Another gig where there are lots of people here i know. Great to see my old mucker Darrin , who has recently moved from up from Portsmouth to West Drayton. KILLING JOKE arrived on stage at 8.30pm and played for 1 hour 40 mins. Lots of equipment squeezed on to the small stage. Famously, this bunch are a band of disparate influences and subgenres, so it makes perfect sense, when they march onstage, that they have a varied aesthetic as well. While Jaz arrives with a wide-eyed intensity, clad in face-paint and a black boiler suit, bassist Martin “Youth” Glover is all smiles in his denim jacket and light-up golf visor. Guitarist Geordie Walker and drummer Paul Ferguson, on the other hand, are far more casual, simply taking their spots in what’s probably their street clothes. Touring keyboardist Roi Robertson, meanwhile – donning an aptly ‘80s, goth-rock haircut – elicits the first cheer from the crammed-in crowd, his mechanised notes marking the start of Killing Joke opener ‘Requiem’. The opening two tracks 'Requiem' and 'Wardance', are fantastic. The band are focusing on tracks from their first two albums and singles and b-sides from them. A great show. Full Killing Joke setlist played tonight... Requiem Wardance Tomorrow's World Bloodsport The Wait Complications S.O.36 Primitive The Fall of Because Tension Unspeakable Butcher Follow the Leaders Madness Who Told You How? Exit Encore: Change Are You Receiving? Turn to Red Pssyche ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------ Wednesday 08 March 2023. FATHER JOHN MISTY (Joshua Tillman) live at Hammersmith Apollo. Former Fleet Foxes drummer (2008 to 2012) is promoting his recent album 'Chloe And The Next 20th Century'....This was another show that has been moved from Brixton Academy. He has played this venue before. He has completed the mainland Europe shows, and is now touring the UK. Hopefully he has not been hit by the bad weather, as the night before he performed in Paris. ------------------ It does not say sold out , but the circle is full and the stalls standing is certainly very rammed full. There is no support band tonight. FATHER JOHN MISTY arrived on stage at 8.50pm and played for 1 hour 55 mins. A nice big band , as nine musicians join the main man on stage including a three man brass section. They created a great overall sound...and the vocals were nice and clear. There’s a proper loved-up atmosphere to the whole gig. It might just be Tillman’s rugged good looks getting the females here hot under the collar. Some songs are folk-rock , and some up more uptempo , with some nifty guitar. The first encore was a cover of 'Oh, Pretty Woman' by Roy Orbison. An enjoyable show. ---------------------------------- ---------------------------------- Tuesday 07 March 2023...6.15pm to 9.30pm... DOG DAY AFTERNOON - press event - The 100 Club, London W1. THE BUZZCOCKS have been officially added to the bill. Around 100 Guests here at this iconic venue...50 seats have been put out for the talk. There are punk posters all around, and punk footage on the big screen before the talk on stage. Just after 7pm we the discussion for around 50 mins. The panel are introduced by legendary pr Alan Edwards who worked with The Stranglers and others during the punk heyday, and later with David Bowie and The Sex Pistols re-reunions. On stage we have The Sex Pistol's and current Blondie member Glen Matlock, Blondie’s Clem Burke, The Buzzcocks Steve Diggle ,Generation Sex Tony James and legendary promoter and live music booking agent John Giddings who were joined by host Claire Sturgess from Absolute Radio to talk about the big event on 01 July 2023 and punk history, UK vs US. It’s all to celebrate Dog Day Afternoon - July 1st at Crystal Palace Park - the South London festival headlined by Iggy Pop with Blondie and Generation Sex (= Generation X’s Billy Idol and Tony James, plus Steve and Paul from Sex Pistols). It’s probably the last time all these people will be on the same bill - godparents of punk from both sides of the Atlantic. The main three bands have already been announced a couple of months ago but today two more support bands have today been officially added to the bill - THE BUZZCOCKS and LAMBRINI GIRLS. Lots of people here that i know. Guests here included.... Dave Hogan (photographer for The Sun , so should be pictures in the paper Wed or Thurs). The following day www.nme.com used his picture of The Lambrini Girls with their review of the event. Julien Temple ( film maker and music video director including The Sex Pistols 'The Great Rock n Roll Swindle', 'The Filth and the Fury' and 'There'll Always Be An England' and many more. Dylan Jones (was editor of GQ UK men's magazine from 1999 to 2021). Andrew Czezowski and Susan Carrington ( they started the legendary Roxy Punk Club in 1976). Phil Alexander ( Kerrang and Mojo music magazines) . Barry Cain (music journalist for punk at Record Mirror in the 1970s). Eugene Butcher ( editor of Vive Le Rock punk magazine and singer in Desperate Measures). Lambrini Girls ( female garage/punk trio from Brighton who have been added to the 01 July 2023 bill). I took a few photos that will be on my Facebook page....and www.sex-pistols.net It was filmed...so hopefully that becomes easily available soon. Complimentary drinks for all the guests.

Posted 8th March 2023