Sunday, March 30, 2008
Messing With The Kid
The Rollin Stoned have been doing amazing business in recent weeks. Maybe it's something to do with all the publicity surrounding the release of the Stones/Scorsese movie Shine A Light. Maybe it's just cause they continue to pull off such an amazingly authentic and affectionate tribute to the greatest rock'n'roll band in the world. Whatever the explanation, Pete Feenstra, the Boom Boom promoter, told me he could've sold 500 tickets for this show, and was turning people away. So the place was rammed even when we were playing. Jackie took it all in his stride and played a blinder. And even when Feenstra leapt on stage near the end and told us to play two more songs it didn't phase him in the slightest. We wound things up with an unscheduled version of Sharks followed by an epic London Dust. Knockout!
I was embarrassed earlier in the week to see that Time Out had mistakenly listed us as the headlining act at this show. Oops! I appreciate the vote of confidence, but I mean, c'mon guys... As already noted, the Rollin Stoned do some serious business on this circuit. We are getting there, but the day when we can headline the Boom Boom is still a little way off - let alone the day we could invite the Rollin Stoned to support us. But as everyone knows, you shouldn't always believe what you read in the press!
Drew has since reported back for duty, and we've been working up some new songs, including a belter called Living Like a Yo-Yo, which pretty much sums up the story so far. And we have now got a new video of London Dust up on YouTube and also on the MySpace page (click on View My: Videos). It was shot and edited by Jon Slade, who has done a sensational job. Check it out.
Next up we are back at the 100 Club on April 17 and then we are playing the Robin Hood in Guildford on April 25 with writer and bluesman-about-town Pete Sargeant's Band of Sceptics and singer-songwriter Torin Brown. And we have just confirmed a date with the sensational gothic Americana troubador Johnny Dowd at Dingwall's on May 8. What a night that's gonna be. Get your diaries out, now!
¶ 8:22 pm 
There was drama at our latest gig at the Boom Boom Club with the Rollin Stoned. Drew phoned in sick at lunchtime on the day - which was kinda short notice to get a replacement drummer. Luckily, my son Jack was around, and up for doing the gig. So George and I hauled him out to a rehearsal room in Kingston and spent the afternoon figuring out a set. Jackie knows the songs pretty well and he has an amazing musical brain. He is studying music tech A level and is planning to carry on with it at university. But even so, talk about throwing a kid in at the deep end...
The Rollin Stoned have been doing amazing business in recent weeks. Maybe it's something to do with all the publicity surrounding the release of the Stones/Scorsese movie Shine A Light. Maybe it's just cause they continue to pull off such an amazingly authentic and affectionate tribute to the greatest rock'n'roll band in the world. Whatever the explanation, Pete Feenstra, the Boom Boom promoter, told me he could've sold 500 tickets for this show, and was turning people away. So the place was rammed even when we were playing. Jackie took it all in his stride and played a blinder. And even when Feenstra leapt on stage near the end and told us to play two more songs it didn't phase him in the slightest. We wound things up with an unscheduled version of Sharks followed by an epic London Dust. Knockout!
I was embarrassed earlier in the week to see that Time Out had mistakenly listed us as the headlining act at this show. Oops! I appreciate the vote of confidence, but I mean, c'mon guys... As already noted, the Rollin Stoned do some serious business on this circuit. We are getting there, but the day when we can headline the Boom Boom is still a little way off - let alone the day we could invite the Rollin Stoned to support us. But as everyone knows, you shouldn't always believe what you read in the press!
Drew has since reported back for duty, and we've been working up some new songs, including a belter called Living Like a Yo-Yo, which pretty much sums up the story so far. And we have now got a new video of London Dust up on YouTube and also on the MySpace page (click on View My: Videos). It was shot and edited by Jon Slade, who has done a sensational job. Check it out.
Next up we are back at the 100 Club on April 17 and then we are playing the Robin Hood in Guildford on April 25 with writer and bluesman-about-town Pete Sargeant's Band of Sceptics and singer-songwriter Torin Brown. And we have just confirmed a date with the sensational gothic Americana troubador Johnny Dowd at Dingwall's on May 8. What a night that's gonna be. Get your diaries out, now!
