Neil wingeing again.

Sitting at home with a collapsed vertebrae or two is depressing enough but I've been depressing myself further about the state of the local music scene.

It's not the bands - there are plenty of them - it should be thriving.

The problem is the collapse of many of the best venues and with that the loss of a way of looking at things.

So, last weekend (according to 'London Stone's facebook page) someone turned up on a motor bike having driven all the way from Roumania hoping to spend the night at the legendary 'Hob'.

Sadly, all that's left of The Hobgoblin and it's music is the legend. The London Stone (too ill to visit them so far) has replaced it with a trendy, designer, clean, quiet and probably very nice home for the fashionable new crowd who are filling it out these days.

No more music. Just shiny happy people.

I'm not knocking it, it's just not me.

The Horns in Watford is different too - more safe tribute acts and less cutting edge stuff.

Locally, The Cave at Addlestone is increasingly taking the place of The Hob but it has noise problems and isn't so easy to get to.

Otherwise there are a dwindling collection of Pubs - all concerned to be as safe as possible and a small number of depressing working men's clubs; outdated and not really catering for the working men and women of today.

It's all got a bit dismal.

On the plus side Mick Moriarty is now on his third annual festival at Bisley; every September there is an amazing three days of Punk, Ska and Reggae. I can never plan on being well enough to get there but the acts range from big names to local groups  and it's a triumph to create a festival out of nothing, virtually single handed.

Otherwise? Everything is shrinking and getting too safe for words.

If there weren't any bands or no one turned up, I could understand it.

It's time something exciting happened.

Meanwhile in the election campaign, everything has gone very quiet about the NHS too.

This is the issue that matters most to people and the one that really worries them.

After five years of scandals, the party's plans for The NHS are something that everybody should be debating.

I will be! Again, it's time something happened.

Neil Harris

Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com

Contact me:  neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

The Rockgoblin at the Hobgoblin.

Saturday night - We could have been at Ronnie Scott's watching the amazing James Taylor Quartet but where were we?

The only place to be - The last ever all-day Rockgoblin (3pm to 3am) at the Hobgoblin, Staines.

We didn't make the start - when we got there one of the 8 (yes that's right, it was 8) bands were already playing.

I'm afraid I have no idea who they were but they were good and they deserve a picture;

The problem is it all got a bit hectic;

My photos got a bit fuzzy. Actually they were a bit blurry but I'm putting this one up anyway.....you get the idea?

By now I think you've guessed it was 'Fancy dress'. Here's Robyn as Arthur Dent from The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy;

I came as a Vogon Quantity Surveyor and I had with me about nine hours of Vogon poetry ready for a recital (Resistance is Futile).

I do love a selfie - this was taken by Robyn G. May.

There were some amazing costumes; Edward Scissorhands, countless Zombies and Vampires, someone behind the bar in a 17th Century Pompadore lit by LED's, a headless man, Jenson in a Trojan Helmet, Rambo....it was fun. A very fine way to say goodbye to something very special.

Last ever Rockgoblin.

Sigh!

I'll do the Band reviews over the next couple of days - we saw Cultural Other, Tapestry, The Wicked Venetians, The Lagan, and Eat The Evidence which wasn't bad going.

Eat the Evidence?
Good legal advice that!


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

Home:  helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com

Contact:  neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Shape of things to come; a taste of Boomboxlive 2014.

Saturday night and there was only one place to be - another special night down at the Hobgoblin-

boomboxLive

This was a taster night for the Boombox 2014 festival which explodes on the 21^st June 2014 at Brooklands College in Ashford. It was rammed.

 

These are the people behind it;

 http://www.thesoundhive.com/about

They support and help young bands in Spelthorne and here’s the Boombox festival site itself;

http://boomboxlive.co.uk

As ever Facebook is probably the best way to get to them – you can find that for yourself.

The Hob was heaving – lots of young people and not a few proud parents in the audience.

I was late so only caught the end of the two acoustic duos that started it all off but then you’re going to the festival anyway – you can catch them there?

This is ‘Chasing Cara’;

Playing their own thoughtful stuff (indie with teeth) and ending up with a lively song for Ian Curtis. I nearly used the word nice there – that wouldn’t do, not for Ian.

Here’s their lead.

I was watching them play and thinking back to the bleak, monochrome/beige world of Joy Division where nothing much ever happened…this really is a different time and place.

Helping me snap out of that thought was the shockwave coming from 'Room 4';

And yes, in real life they are all smaller than they look here.
Big sound though. 

A complete rocket powered, duel-exhaust, nitro-fuelled blast of heavy metal. Mainly their own stuff but ending up with Motorhead’s Ace of Spades.

Now those who know me know that metal is never going to be my thing (don't start me off about Lemmy) but if it’s your thing you’d better watch out for this lot.

What really frightens me is that they are going to grow.

Next, no stranger to The Hob are ‘Girl in The Garden’;

 

A sheer wall of sound and as it got louder you can see that I got pushed further and further back by the crowd.

Finally a real treat for me, although they’ve been around quite a while now;

 This is ‘According to You’ and they played a blinder;

 

 

All their own material, lots of energy;

 

Lots of beat and a crowd getting more excited by the minute

 

They are definitely on my list.

If you weren’t there you missed quite a night.

The secret?

It was all put together by people who give a #.

So if you’re teenage you should definitely be putting Boombox in your diary now – it’s going to be quite a day and you get to see bands who are going to be something in the years to come.

If you’re in a local band you need to be contacting the links I’ve posted here – these people can help you.

And the Hob donated the door takings to the festival, isn’t that a nice thing to do?

As I said, people who give a #

For a slideshow and better quality, click on any photo.

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact:  neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com