Whilst I recover from an overnight flight and unpack my stinky clothes (love that sweet aroma of sun cream, insect repellant and sweat) here's a new video for an old Slo-Mo song. Strong language, so take care...
One of the things I like about Christmas time in the UK is that when you go shopping you still get the old classic Christmas hits blasting out as you browse; The Ronettes, Darlene Love, Slade, Greg Lake, Paul McCartney & Wings, Jona Lewie, Shakin' Stevens and Gary Glitter. They all bring back memories of Christmas past and Christmas presents. However, whilst recently spending a few days shopping in Philly and New York I felt like puking. Good grief, the songs played in the states these days are soooo sugary; Awful Christmas soul ballad pap with added Hall and Oates. Too much turkey already!
What could save the USA from this new seasonal banality? Marah's Xmas Extravaganza that's what. On Saturday 10th December at the TLA, Philadelphia, Adam & Dave's Bloodline, Matt Mays & El Torpedo, Slo-Mo w/Mic Wrecka, The Shalitas and Marah all came together to deck the halls with some sonic tinsel.
I'd done my back in the previous day trying to lift my luggage off the floor without bending at my knees - Call the Health and Safety police! Anyway, on Saturday I walked for miles up and down the streets of Philadelphia. By the evening, with a bad back and sore feet, I was bruised and battered and I couldn't tell what I felt. When I went into the TLA at about 8:45pm there must have been just five people in there! Nursing a beer, I spotted another frequent Marah groupie from the UK (the one who is not Wally) and then a few more people came in from the cold to catch the start of Adam & Dave's set. Mat Mays & El Torpedo followed and were great. Mays came across as a kind of an amalgamation of a 70's Springsteen and early Wilco, i.e. Bruce Tweedy. The band were very polished and the perhaps the best I've ever seen from Nova Scotia.
Slo-Mo was up next with just a short 3 song set, ably assisted by Mic Wrecka and bongo playing Sergei from Eastern Europe... Cuidado!
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The Marah boys came on stage at about 11:45pm. Enhanced with a four piece horn section, they played a stonking set that lasted a couple of hours. The old favourites like Christian Street, Freedom Park and My Heart Is The Bums On The Street where sprinkled with Christmas tunes from last year's A Christmas Kind Of Town album.
Despite having some back pain and not enough alcohol (both of which meant I couldn't dance) I really enjoyed the show. It was a fun night with everyone going home feeling good and full of Christmas cheer. A perfect antidote to Hall and Oates disease.I've just made it home to Blighty after a week in New York City. Last Saturday night Musty MC and I took the L train across to Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We sampled a few happy hour Stellas in a nice bar on Bedford Avenue and then went along to the NorthSix music venue. Marah headlined and were fantastic as usual. What made the gig really great though was the strong support from PHIdelity Records label mates Christine Smith, Adam & Dave's Bloodline, The Shalitas and Slo-Mo. Here are a few photos from the night. They are a bit blurry - which is appropriate as that's how I felt when the show finished sometime after 2AM.
Musty MC and I will going along to ogle Slo-Mo and The Shalitas respectively. What else? Oh yes, Marah will be playing as well! Here's the brilliant Soul (mp3).
Last night started by meeting up with Musty MC in a Holborn pub.
The white middle-aged Hip Hop scene is a growing phenomenon north of the Thames and we often like to discuss the strong influence of pedal steel dancemaster Slo-Mo Brenner.
(Slo-Mo's CD My Buzz Comes Back is one of the best funky hip hop/slide hybrid releases in recent memory)
After leaving the warmth of the pub we headed into the cold wet night to search for Eugene Cheese's Chuckle Club...
We got there just in time to secure a seat before Eugene came on to perform an acapella version of the Chuckle Club Song. This really had to have been heard to be believed. A surreal Minnie the Moocher followed and Eugene introduced the first of the club's acts, the very funny Nick Wilty. Then came Nick Revell (an acquired taste), Rob Deering (whose portrayal of the Queen Mum was hilarious), Hattie Hayridge, an impressive Stewart Lee, Arnold Brown (acquired taste number 2), the daft Otis Cannelloni and to round things up a super rare special appearance by John Hegley and The Popticians.
