Phase Transition

For too long, I've been toiling away at a shitty job with the Department of Health.  Yesterday was my last day.  Wahey! And so on to vistas new, but first let me 'review' my own leaving do, because I loved it.  We played at the Alleycat, under Regent Studios in Denmark Street - the original Tin Pan Alley, where the Rolling Stones cut their first album and where the Kinks recorded, You Really Got Me.

Because I'd hired the venue not for a commercial gig but for a private party (although I kept the doors open for anyone who wished to come in) the barman/soundman did not know what to expect.  I told him to expect punk.  "Ah but what kind of punk?" he asked so of course, I told him.  New York Punk.  I'm gratified that he instantly came back with "Like Richard Hell and the Void-Oids".  Yeah, a lot like that I hope.

I had planned originally to begin with Edelweiss Pirates UK but with Sho and Chris on their own tour in India, John Giltrow and I played the shortstaffed version.  In the past, John and I have played as the shortstaffed version of e-Cog Zero so last night, we decided instead to be, just for one night, "Weaponised Kafka" (since John has been a vaping activist since he stopped smoking two years ago).

There's no recording of us as yet, but much of what we did was covers, beginning with Bella Ciao and ending with Edelweiss.  I messed up several times, forgetting words and once or twice getting lost.  Didn't matter cause we played it for laughs and even had one song (Effervescing Elephant) where I did nothing.

Next came Spirit of the Age, despite the name, they cover Hawkwind but they're not a tribute band, they're more punkadelic than psychedelic. Imagine if you will, Hawkwind played by Devo.  The acoustics in the Alleycat is such that I could hear every word Paul Maybin spoke or sang.

Next came e-Cog Zero and this time, I made no mistakes.  We sang eight of the nine songs we'll be recording on our forthcoming album, which we will be recording in March.  We're still working on number nine, Lipgloss, but in its place we played our beloved Cherry Bomb and then for an encore, Sympathy for Lilith.

Finally along came Guttfull, womonfully stepping into the breach due to the non availability of the Wimmin's Institute, who split up this month.

Guttful were marvellous.  I've seen a review suggesting singer, Moe sounds like Kathleen Hanna, and the band does have some resemblance to Bikini Kill, but in my head, the resemblance is more to Honey Bane and the Fatal Microbes.  Regardless of who they sounded like, they were awesome.

So a great evening was had by all and as my bass player said, We'll have to get Guttfull to play at Tottenham Chances because they are brilliant and will soon be big... and we've got to get Spirit of the Age to play there because it would be awesome to have them play with Captain Rizz.

Watch this space.