Straight outta Chemo with Eat the Evidence.

Friday night, Straight Outta Chemo with a bandage on my hand and a hospital bracelet on my wrist.

Well at least I did take my temperature before we went out and I was feeling OK........really I was.

Robyn and me, the last time we saw this band was over a year ago at the last night of The Hob in Staines. We'd promised ourselves we'd catch them again but I was either ill or they were too far away.

And these day's they've long since shaken off the dust of Staines for the bright lights of London.

This time they were back in Harrow at The Trinity Bar:

This was a fairly riotous party - most of the band originally came from round here - the upstairs bar was full of their skateboard punk rocker friends.

Now I was a punk and a skateboarder but that was about a hundred years ago.

This is from another time;

Eat the Evidence are huge fun, mixing high energy Ska, Reggae and a hint of Punk played on a series of increasingly inappropriate instruments.

Oh and they offer some insightful and helpful legal advice too.

They are Jack Lattimer, Tom Lattimer, Ric Lygo, Joe Bartlett, Michael Saminaden.

This is a ukele - not my favourite instrument at all;

Luckily they didn't let us miss a note;

And the mighty accordion. of course;

I'm dreading that they take up the trombone, my least favourite instrument of all time.

Where else would you go to hear philosophical questions;

"This is the question that's worrying the human race
Which came first, the drum or the bass?"

Of course the real highlight was singing along to that great hit of yesteryear "Tories go to Waitrose", which now has a new section entirely devoted to "Lloyd Grossman".

I was very pleased that 'Eat The Evidence' were on the line up at the festival organised by the Labour Movement in Manchester to protest against the Tory conference last autumn.
  

And we were presented with the band's 'difficult second album' titled "The sequel to a CD you never had".

Which is true.

Robyn and me have been arguing about the title and lyrics of 'The Van Song' for over a year now. Robyn insists that it's really called 'The Band Song'.

 

"I really like your van, it reminds me of the van I used to be in when I used to be in bands.

 

I really like your van, it's the kind of van I'm going to buy when I stop being in bands"

Thanks to the CD, I now realise that it's actually called 'Delusions of Grunger' and now we've got nothing left to talk about any more.

Grggggggh!

And of course you also get a new version of "You only say you love me when you're high".

This is a funny, witty, exciting band that writes all it's own material and mixes politics with great dancehall music.

Who else would ever play a song about 'Colonialism?

Who knows, we may have to venture out on the Underground one night to catch them up in the big, big city.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)

Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Back at the Hob! Who'd have thought that would ever happen?

Saturday night when I realised I'd spent three solid weeks being ill and had only occasionally gone out to see a Doctor or go to Hospital there was no choice; we had to go to The Hobgoblin.

It probably wasn't that clever but we were stir crazy. Besides I wasn't going to pay for it till Sunday.

This is 'Tree House Fire', playing their own brand of reggae but they were desperately missing their regular bass player.

Tonight the lead singer was covering bass guitar, this is the lead guitar;

I really like Mocara ('my friend') and of course I'm a sucker for a badge;

They play an eclectic fusion of reggae, punk, ska and rock and roll. Then just to confuse an old buffer like me they always throw something else into the mix.

They played 'Beg, Steal or Borrow', which was their excellent single in the summer. If you Facebook them you can check out their downloads.

They were playing great and really benefited from the great sound at The Hob.

I still find it hard to cope with the fusion of so many genre's but that's just an age thing - Robyn was fine with it because she's a generation younger and grew up fusing music that my age group always kept separate. I'll have to learn to live with that.

What could follow that?

We love 'Eat The Evidence' and if nothing else, the band name does provide some fine and free legal advice.

We got some new songs but we were very happy to hear three old favourites;

There was serious political analysis with 'Tories go to Waitrose'.

 

There was some helpful insight into the complexities of human relationships; "How come you only ever want to F&#K me when you're drunk?"; 

 

 

 

 

But no Eat The Evidence show could ever be complete without 'The Van Song'. I thought the least I could do to improve the lot of humanity would be to post the chorus;

 

"I really like your van, it reminds me of the van I used to be in when I used to be in bands.

 

I really like your van, it's the kind of van I'm going to buy when I stop being in bands"

 

Which pretty much sums it all up really.

 

We love Eat The Evidence; they are witty, clever and fun. Check them out live and see why.They play from here to Central London so there's really no excuse.

 

It was a pleasure to make it to a very special Hob night - we are all very worried about the redecoration and relaunch in January.

 

Then again it's hard to imagine Jenson Nightingale presenting Murph and the Magic Tones on a Saturday night.

 

You may have to Google that band to see what I mean!

 

Neil Harris

(a don't stop till you drop production)

 

Home:  helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com

 

Contact me:  neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

 



Cultural other, Eat the Evidence and The Lagan at The Hobgoblin Rockgoblin.

Here's 'Cultural Other' at the Rockgoblin;

 

We like them and they've got rockier since we last saw them.

 

Then I had a real treat - I was looking forward to 'Eat The Evidence' who combine a bit of Punk with a bit of Reggae (and on Facebook a few other inspirations too).

 

They are grrreat, playing bouncy, punky tunes and uniquely, just to make me uneasy, they also have a punk accordionist.

 

I'm gradually getting over it....there is therapy available and I'm not too proud to use it.

 



There was Skankin' and they get the prize for 'best ever' song (this month) and for making me laugh which isn't so easy at the moment with;

             'Tories shop at Waitrose'

Which is both true and very funny.

Last time I saw them they were more Hip-Hoppy, today a lot more Ska influences but maybe that was just today. You should check them out for yourself.

 

And then I lost the ability to take photographs of any quality whatsoever when 'The Lagan' started playing. Jenson Nightingale got picked up by the crowd and everything got a little hazy.

 

The Lagan play punky, folky, Irish music that owes a lot to the Pogues in full flight and party mood.

 

Those were the days.

 

But the only usable photo just has half the band in it.

 

Oh well, it was party time.   

 

  



It was a great, memorable night. Although I'm not sure how accurate those memories will be for many.

And the Hob made a real effort for one last time.

Aaaaaaaargh!

Deep Sigh!



Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)

Home:  helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com

Contact me:   neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Tree House Fire, Eat the Evidence and Critical Jac at the Hob.

 

After a hard old week of being ill, being messed about and generally overdoing it, grouchy Neil staggered into The Hobgoblin for an urgent blood transfusion on Friday; it had better work - next week will be worse.

Luckily, I already knew I wasn’t going to be battered by the music – this time I was going to get an easy ride.

That’s Critical Jac, the first of three bands playing Reggae 2014 style (which is not the Ska I love or the slow, slow classic reggae that Robyn likes). They were playing a definite reggae beat but there with some rock and a few other things chucked in there as well.

Then how about this?

                                             Cheers!

That’s disconcerting; I’m going to have to use the ‘A-word’, I’m going to have to break the final taboo. It’s actually quite difficult for me to get the word out – it’s a bit dirty, I feel a bit ashamed.

Yes it’s an accordion.

What do you mean; ‘Speak up?’.

I said, it’s an accordion.

Ok, it’s an accordion. Yeah, that’s folk music, busking beggars and the Paris metro in the summer.

The last person I knew who played one was someone none of us liked or trusted and in the end we decided he was a police spy.

This time it was being played up front by ‘Eat the Evidence’, who somehow managed to fuse reggae with Hip-Hop as well as a few other random styles as well.

What came out in the mix was a lot of fun – the accordian version of Public Enemy’s ‘Don’t believe the Hype’ was unmissable. Like being slapped in the face with a punky, reggae sponge pudding.

At this point I feel I should introduce a voice of reason;

H    [a|Solicitor|writes]

Given the recent amendments to The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, the cuts in legal aid, the inherent imbalance between the resources of the Police and the defence, the psychological disadvantage of being a defendant held in detention awaiting questioning, the class and racial bias of the legal system, Yadda Yadda Yadda, it would be reasonable to recommend to anyone under arrest to;

At any rate, perhaps I can now listen to an Accordion without being ill.

Top of the bill (third time I’ve seen them) were ‘Tree House Fire’, like the other two bands playing their own material and a couple of covers (Daft Punk, yeah really).

I like them more every time I see them and last night they were on top form. If you want to check them out, they have videos on YouTube, and a facebook page too.

It was a dancy, punky reggae night down at the Hob which gives next Saturday night a big challenge; ‘According to you’ and The Wicked Venetians’ are my favourites out of the 5 bands.

Mr Nightingale is celebrating his birthday while the rest of us are just glad that he’s going to leave The Hob alone.

It still works.

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)

Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com