The Old Neptune, Whitstable
The Old Neptune, Whitstable, 19th January 2003:
A bizarre one, this. I did my usual convulsions and also played some practised (if not necessarily remembered!) bass for some of IJ’s songs, though sadly not the trade-mark show-stopper “Ultra Violently In Love With You”. Fortunately there were a few more (good!) people to play this week: the inimitable Malcolm; my protégé (Well, I like to think so!), Adam Rothwell, who debuted a new song or two; Jenny (who was/is one half of Lucky And The Dead); and Rosie (I think that was her name, I must remember to write these things down) who brought some much needed variety (it’s been quiet of late!) as well as, according to one on-looker, a “Celtic lilt”. I’m not sure what this means but I think it was intended as complimentary!
However, the climax to the evening was the arrival of the man known only as “Andy” with a Steinberger bass, Zoom FX unit, Stormtroopers Of Death T- shirt (Japanese Thrash band, fact fans). He proceeded to play Death Metal, on a Sunday Afternoon, to approximately 10 people… ON HIS OWN… pause to take this in, ladies and gentlemen… RESPECT!!! I somehow got inveigled into playing “lead” on (ahem) acoustic guitar and singing (in appropriately guttural tones) the least Death Metal lyrics I could think of: “Close To You” by The Carpenters and “Khum-By-Ya” (is that how you spell it? primary school hymn practise seems like a long time ago). All-in-all, a truly vintage evening and, as Adam so rightly pointed out, “pure League Of Gentlemen“. Thanks, y’all, please call again! But anyway, I’ll meet you at London Station, at tea time…