I’d intended to go time-travelling on Saturday (unless you
have a time travelling machine you’ll have to wait till Sunday), but by
accident my trip started on Friday night with the ‘One Chord Wonders’ playing
at The Two Rivers, Staines. In another life when it was ‘The Phoenix’ it was a
bit of a sweatbox, on Friday night it still was.
Also, while I’m grumbling, why is it that the bouncers always
seem to know that I’m the one who has a problem with authority? I got the evil
eye for about half an hour and then one pointedly stood next to me. Two grown
men, looking at each other out of the corner of their eyes. He’s looking at an
old man with a bad ankle and a bad knee or two, a walking stick and a supply of
cancer tablets in the car – just in case. I should be flattered.
The Boomtown Rats’ were never my thing although they did
them very well, ‘The Stranglers’ kept turning up – ‘Get a Grip’, ‘No More
heroes’ and ‘Nice and Sleazy’. Guildford is just down the road, so it's a
local thing.
I’d recommend they gave the Ska numbers a miss but then I’m biased
from a summer spent following ‘The SkaSouls’ around town –Staines finest, they
are playing again at the end of September.
I loved the Clash’s; ‘London’s Burning’, ‘Tommy Gun’ and of
course ‘White man in the Hammersmith Palais’, best song ever written. I was
that man in the Palais.
There was a lot of Blockheads stuff and a unique Segway of
‘Pump it up’ (Elvis Costello) morphing into ‘In the Midnight hour’. I really,
really enjoyed Eddie and the Hot Rods ‘Do anything you wanna do’. They always
did a really spirited rendition of ‘Get out of Denver’ which I would dearly love
to hear again, live;
You look just like a commie and you might just be a member,
Get out of Denver, Baby,
Get out of Denver, Baby,
Get out of Denver, Baby, Go, Go, Go.
The drummer gave everything a storming beat – and
this even turned ‘Joy Division’s’ austere and bleak ‘Love will tear us apart’
into a wild dance number. I enjoyed that.
‘The One Chord Wonders’ two hour gig seemed to be over in about
5 minutes, which says to me they were good – especially as it was standing room
only.
The name comes from the first single by ‘The Adverts’ (Gaye
Advert and T.V. Smith of Gary Gilmour’s Eyes fame). I saw ‘Sex Pistols’ and
‘Vibrators’ T-shirts in the audience, three or possibly four Mohican haircuts
and a lot of people of a certain age who had come out for a night of New Wave.
None of us were disappointed.
Now, where did I put the key to that time machine?
Neil Harris
(a don’t stop till you drop production)
