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Thursday March 26th 2009
Oh yes, and it came to pass on the 23rd day of March, in the year of our
Rock 2009, the Embassy did rocketh like a bastard!!!!
What a brilliant night! Brilliant turn out, brilliant bands, brilliant
guest DJ and brilliant pant shaking on the dance floor!!!
The night kicked off with me quaffing Devil's Piss with Pighorn guitarist
Stupid Foookin’ Kaaaant in the public hostelry opposite Savile Row nick.
We discussed the set list for the much anticipated return of the ‘Horn at
the klub on the April 13th, along with the Empiric Uncle Rotter, for my
official birthday bash.
It has almost been forgotten where and when the ’Horn last played in
public, but it is certainly a fact that the plugs were pulled on them!
Otherwise, the audience would have spontaneously combusted with the power
of ‘Pighorn Crock’ that was spewing forth from the speakers!!!
It was another rock disaster saved by the hand of some whhhankpit! Whoever
you were, may your trousers always stick to your legs!!!!
Right back to the klub!
First up on the death decks was Andy Evil Eye, who had a set list that
would have toppled half of Mayfair. However, I got him to compromise and
only a quarter of Mayfair fell!!! Haaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!!!
Actually, Evil Eye delivered a magnificent set and got the night rockin’
the way it should do! For that sir, I salute you, and look forward to your
return soon!!! How does NEXT Monday suit ya?
So on to the first band of the night, LAMF.
As soon as I heard the name I knew we were going into Johnny Thunders'
country Like A MotherFucker, and if you don’t know who Johnny Thunders is,
you’re reading the wrong blog!
I met the man a few times - arrogant, selfish, great guitar player, take
anything you’ve got to offer and most certainly wouldn’t give up anything
in return - a true rock ‘n’ roll PUNK barrrrstard of the finest order!!!
I used to go down the Speakeasy in the ’70s to watch the Johnny Thunders
All Stars and remember having to step over Sid Vicious by the pay box, who
was being refused entry, but was supposed to be playing with the band. As
I paid my hard earned bits of crinkly paper over, he looked into my eyes
and said, “You couldn’t be a darling and get me a pint of lager!” and then
slumped into Nancy’s lap!!
The pong of mong must have been strong as he resurfaced and actually got
himself in and played like a member of Pighorn… atrociously! Sid and
Johnny R.I.P. you fooooooking LEGENDS!!!
With tunes like Chinese Rocks and Too Much Junkie Business, I think you
get the idea of what LAMF were laying down.
Then I took over the death decks and messed my pants!
Next up on the stage was the mighty Raw Glory and I know I’ve said it
before, but I’ll say it again, this is a band who are comprised of
HISTORY, having played with THE greats as far as roots bloody roots are
concerned.
This includes Gene Vincent, The Outlaws, The Herd, Episode Six, Quatermass
(whose one and only self-titled album has become one of the most
collectible albums of its genus), Heavy Metal Kids, Paul Rodgers, Gillan,
Thin Lizzy and Elvis’s legendary backing band The Jordinaires.
Refoooooookinspect gentlemen!!!!!
And what a set they delivered! 60 minutes of PERFECT entertainment of the
most rocking kind!
They kicked off with a classic Montrose/Sammy Hagar pant buster Rock Candy
before delivering one of their own in the form of City Life, as well as
Bad Girl, White Lies, Down So Long and Only The Night.
With the volume turned to 11½ and an audience understanding the power of
the rock, the night continued with outstanding interpretations of Rock ‘n’
Roll Hoochie Koo, Don’t Believe A Word, Hanging On and A Whole Lotta Love.
If you don’t know who did these tracks originally, I really don’t know
where you’ve been!!!
But highlight of the night for me was the band’s cover of James Brown’s
It's A Man’s World when Terry Marshall, son of the Mr. Jim Marshall (whose
name is on every REAL rock ‘n’ roll stage, every night, in every place in
the world, for everyone’s enjoyment), who graced the song with his superb
sax playing!
Sir I cannot thank you enough for making a special night truly magical. Oh
and not forgetting Mick Underwood’s drum solo - it has been a long time
since I remembered the magnificence of a GOOD drum solo!! And the band
played on with encores of Rock ‘N’ Roll and All Right Now!!
And then I cleared the dance floor in my inimitable style.
Next week, Monday 30th March, we have A.W.E., who consist of guitarist
Laurence Archer, who has played with the likes of UFO, Phil Lynott’s Grand
Slam and Stampede. Other band members are bass player Paul Williams, who
has played with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, and drummer Clive Edwards who
has played with Pat Travers and also UFO.
If you like your blues rock roots, this is the place to be!! In the
meantime if I could thank everyone who turned up last Monday, I
luuuuuuuuurve you!!!
And I hope to see a good few of you down this coming Monday! May the farce
of the arsechicken always be with you!! ROCK HARD! ROCK HEAVY!! ROCK
ANIMAAAAAAAAAL!!!
Krusher
Friday March 20th 2009
Third week and things are rockin' along ticketyfuckinboo!
Decent turnout, including former members of Rock Goddess, Di'Anno and
Killers, as well as current members of Cavala and Pighorn. Copious
quantities of Satan's urine were thrown down throats and a great shaking
of rock pants took place on the dance floor! Happy, happy, joy, joy!
It almost made me feel like a youthful 15 year old again, but of course
that's a prison sentence!! Thou shall not go there, EVER!!!
And talking about yoof, I often get asked how and when I decided to get
involved with the rock industry and the answer is that it all started when
I was four and fell off a wall banging the back of my head on a rock!!
Harrrrrrrrrgh! Harrrrrrrrgh!!!! Only jesting. No, it all started when I
was in my early teens.
I was a young country boy with the fresh smell of cow udders on my hands,
living in a house in the middle of fuckin' nowhere with the nearest
neighbour a good half a mile away in each direction!
And hand on my naughty bits, this was the same house that legendary
Sabbath drummer Bill Ward would own some years after my parents sold it.
It is also where Ozzy shot the hens!!!
Back to the plot. The only rock music I heard was on the radio and that
was very limited.
I specifically remember hearing a speed crazed guitar based track called
Sabre Dance (a reworking of Khachaturian's classical piece) by Love
Sculpture which had become a hit after the enthusiastic attention of the
much missed John Peel. The band was the brain child of Welsh rock legend
Dave Edmunds.
Other sources of interest came from my mum blasting out her Stones and
Yardbirds on my dad's outrageous Quad stereo with electrostatic
loudspeakers which were the size of central heating radiators!
Also, there was always talk of bands on the school bus and occasionally a
copy of Melody Maker would be shared around and musical arguments would
follow.
But if I wanted to actually go and see live music, I had to travel!
My nearest venue was Malvern Winter Gardens and after persuading my
parents to let me go, I religiously made my way there once a month (I used
to hitchhike there and get picked up by me dad after the show).
In two years I saw the likes of King Crimson, Savoy Brown Blues Band, Eric
Clapton, Yes, Caravan, Jack Bruce, Atomic Rooster, Hawkwind, Bonzo Dog Doo
Dah Band, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Jethro Tull, The Nice, Emerson Lake & Palmer
and The Keef Hartley Band to name some of the legends.
But there were two shows that really did change my life!!! And I've still
got the posters and ticket stubs to prove it!!
The first was Saturday, 20th September 1969 with Taste and Deep Purple.
Taste just showed me the beauty, simplicity and POWER of a three piece
band who were masters of their trade.
Purple showed me a wall of Marshall speakers, strobe lights, hair with men
down to their knees, the art of swinging the guitar round your head and
songs that made me fall to the floor weeping tears of ecstasy!
The second was Saturday, May 30th 1970 with Black Sabbath. And to be
honest, this was the show that really turned me.
Many years later, I asked Ozzy if he remembered doing that show and he
quite categorically told me he did as that was the first time he dropped
acid before going on stage!!! Happy, happy daze!!!
Both nights were mind blowing for a mere 15/16 year old (fuck knows what
it did to Ozzy).
I remember sitting in my dad's car being driven home thinking I don't know
how, I don't know when and I definitely don't know if I want to be in a
band, be a roadie, design album sleeves or be one of those people who just
swishes in and out of the backstage area looking important, BUT ONE DAY I
will work in the rock industry!!
And you know, almost 29 years after thinking that, I found myself walking
out on stage in front of 20,000 headbangers at the Coral Sky Amphitheater,
West Palm Beach, Florida as the MC/DJ of the 1999 Ozzfest. And who was the
headlining band? Black Sabbath!!
And not only that, but I'd been in a band, I'd been a roadie, I'd designed
album sleeves and I'd been one of those smug bastards that swishes in and
out of the backstage area!!!
As Ozzy once told me, "Never stop believing in your dreams because one day
they will come true!!"
And I'd like to add, never forget what it felt like when you went to your
first gig; the excitement, the atmosphere, the companionship of your
fellow rockers and most of all the music, because if you do forget, that's
when the rockin' STOPS!!!
Another band that I saw back at Malvern Winter Gardens were The Heavy
Metal Kids, which brings me nicely back to the rock night at the Embassy.
This Monday, 23rd March, Raw Glory will be playing and they include
guitarist Cosmo, who played with The Heavy Metal Kids and Gillan drumming
powerhouse Mick Underwood.
We have support from LAMF and all in all I think it's going to be a VERY
FINE NIGHT OF ROCKIN'!!!!!
Once again many thanks to those of you who turned up and showed their
support, especially Charlie, Steve and Andy, RESPECT!!
Hope to see you there and if you can't make it, I hope you have a nice
evening wherever you may be!!!
Rock Hard! Rock Heavy!! Rock ANIMAAAAAAAAAL!!!!
Krusher
Thursday March 12th 2009
So after the bloody magnificent success of the first week, we come to the
more difficult second week.
This is the one where everybody on the guest list (and believe me,
everybody was) for the first week who promised they’d be down again this
week to show their support actually stayed indoors watching Coronation
Street! Death to false arsechickens!!!!
It kind of reminds me of the band that makes a killer first album and then
has to follow it up with an even more successful one.
Well, I’ll be totally honest and say that it wasn’t as successful as the
first week when it came to people through the front doors, but I think I
can honestly put my hand on my throbbing bits and say that everyone who
did turn up had a rockin’ night of the finest order!
And a very big thank you to everybody who did show up to see live sets
from Xphere and Gripshift, both female fronted and both bloody
marvellous!!! And as a special thanks for your support, I’d like to invite
you all back to my place for Christmas Dinner. But I can’t as Ma Krusher
has told me not to be so fooooookin’ ridiculous!!! Well I tried droogies!
Back to the night and the mighty Rev kick-started the evening with a truly
genital bursting set of classic rock with the odd curveball thrown in just
to make sure that everybody was paying attention.
First band to take to the stage was London based Xphere (pronounced
Sphere), who smacked us between the ears with their grinding, hard
hitting, alternative metal. Heavy but with a groove.
Xphere is the brainchild of singer, composer and keyboard programmer
Billie Sylvain. To re-create their sound live, Billie is joined on stage
by a live guitarist Andy, bassist Mark and drummer Tim. They deliver a
perfect 30 minute set ending with the stirring Intellectual Savage. Check
them out at www.myspace.com/xphere.
The second set of the night was like a 40lb sledgehammer straight to the
naughty bits. It came from Bristol based (and oh how I want to make the
obvious female Bristol style comment, but sadly PC Boring has stopped me
ever saying any of those classic double entendres ever again) Gripshift
who mixed their own songs such as Settle The Score, The Ties That Bound
and Scratch The Skin with some mighty impressive covers including Dio’s
Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll, Priest’s Night Crawler and a buttock blistering
version of Sabbath’s Heaven And Hell.
Singer Lucy Thomas has a magnificent set of lungs and knows how to use
them, cough! Again please check them out at www.gripshiftband.com.
After Gripshift, I dribbled over the death-decks until I was ankle deep in
spittle and all in all I had another great night rockin’ hard, heavy and
animal!!!
Sadly, I have to inform you that Classic Rock Powerage signing Lethargy
won’t be playing next week, but I hope to get them down later in the year
along with the uncompromising Viking Skull.
On March 23rd, Raw Glory will be playing, featuring former Heavy Metal Kid
guitarist Cosmo and former Gillan drumming powerhouse Mick Underwood. Also
appearing will be bassist Ronnie Garrity and vocalist Paul Manzi, who
Cosmo describes as "a mixture of Plant, Gillan and Paul Rodgers all rolled
into one." ’Nuff said!
On March 30th, we have A.W.E., which is former UFO guitarist Laurence
Archer. We also have Phil Lynott’s Grand Slam and the soon to be reformed
Stampede. Not only that, but we will be joined by bassist Paul Williams,
who has played with blues legend John Mayall, as well as former Pat
Travers and UFO drummer Clive Edwards.
Till next time may the stealth of the nippledonkey always be with you!
Krusher
Thursday March 5th 2009
So it was Monday 2nd March and apparently I had a night of ROOOOOOOOOCK ahead of me!!
This was confirmed when the phone rang at 10.00am and it was Soraya, the
Embassy boss' PA ringing to tell me that we needed sound engineers and
stuff to make the bands loud, way too much technical talk for that time of
the day, but with a little help, encouragement and a handful of
tranquilisers she arranged for it ALL to happen.
Salutations Soraya!
I had my mates Danny and Andrea staying with me. They'd travelled down
from way up north to be at the opening night and they had the pleasure of
watching me trying to hold myself together as I tried to prepare the
guestlist, which along with the Quireboys' and Imperial Vipers' guestlists, along with
a couple of others thrown in just for the hell of it, totalled around 450.
Oh yes I was also trying to tidy the kitchen as I had every intention of
inviting a few of the chosen ones back to Terror Tower for a few
cocktails (cough) after the Klub had closed it's doors and it was time
to go home.
Amazingly I managed to do both tasks. I then threw myself into a bowl of
soapy water and cleansed my naughty bits, slipped on a few items of
clothing, packed me CD's, headphones and guestlist and headed out to Old
Burlington Street on the tube.
Bond Street is the nearest Tube station, so that's where I headed and
rubbed shoulders with people with money and hideous good looks as I walked
to the Klub!
I arrived at the Embassy at just gone 5.30pm and who should already be there
but me old rock 'n' roll mucker Simon, best friend of the stars, and
all round damn fine chap!!
He had being hoping to bring his very good friend Lemmy down to the Klub
after he had got up and played an encore with Metallica at their O2 show
that very night. Sadly Lemmy didn't make either because of some
nasty bug that he'd caught that laid him low and he was under doctors
orders to rest, especially if he wanted to play in Dubai in a few days
time.
Good God almighty, Dubai puts you behind bars even if they find
traces of illegal chemicals in your blood so I dread to think what they'll
do to Motorhead and their crew!!!
I checked downstairs where two sound engineers were putting together the
in-house Peavey backline, but there seemed to be parts missing and my
technoparanoia starts to kick in so I headed back upstairs to talk to
Simon.
At just gone 6pm the Imperial Vipers arrive and load their gear in. It is the first
time that I've met them and they seemed like very nice people indeed.
I got a call from Spike from the Quireboys telling me that they were about
half a mile away.
Back downstairs I took one look at all the cables, boxes and cases and
headed straight back upstairs just in time to see Spike and the rest of the
band coming through the front doors.
Spike immediately heads off for the nearest pub, purely for medicinal
purposes, and I helped load their gear downstairs where everything still
looked like bloody chaos. Again, I made a hasty retreat upstairs.
People who had travelled from great distances started to arrive, but as the
Embassy bar is shut until 9.00pm I had to point them in the direction of the local
boozer and tell them to return when we were open.
Shortly before opening I headed downstairs, once again, to see that
everything was in place, all the boxes and mess had been cleared away, and
we had a Klub that wass ready to rock!!!!
With minutes to go, my good lady Lolli turned up with her brother Noel and
her mum Kathy.
Lolli performed guestlist duties, gawd help her!!
Security in place, bar staff in position and the Rev ready to rock the
death-decks, the doors opened and by twenty past nine any fears that no one
would turn up had well and truly been squashed as the place started to
heave.
9.45 and I introduced the Imperial Vipers and live music kicked in between
people's naked steaming thighs and ears. The band played a blinder and kept
us entertained for 40 minutes, then it was time for me to DJ and show how
to clear a dance floor in 26 seconds, muuuuuuuuuhahahahahhaah!
11.15 and I was standing on the stage with the Quireboys waiting to
introduce them, but we seemed to have lost Spike. Suddenly I spotted him
grinning from ear to ear in the audience and I gave them the splendid
introduction they deserved. Spike took to the stage the band shifted gear and suddenly the Embassy Klub was rocking like a bastard.
Fast Eddie Clarke, Bucket from Bad Company, Eddie Kidd, former Heavy Metal Kids guitarist Cosmo (whose new band Raw Glory will be playing for us on March 23rd), Jody Turner from the much missed Rock Goddess, Dave (the guy who designed this excellent website) and in fact everybody I could see was having a good old fashioned rock 'n' roll knees up.
The band played a killer set and finish with a most splendid sing your heart
out version of '7 O'Clock'.
Lags from Gallows took over on the death-decks providing an excellent
selection of classic rockin' tunes for the next hour and I took over DJ
duties to end the night.
All in all, a fooooooooookin' splendid night. The boss is happy, I'm
happy, the bands are happy and most importantly the audience is happy and
I salute and thank you all.
And unbelievably all of this happened without a drop of alcohol touching
my lips, a truly modern miracle!!!
I then grabbed my manager Steve and his good lady Amber, Lolli, Noel, Kathy, Ripsaw,
Danny and Andrea and we head off to Terror Tower where I fully intend to
get ratfaced drunk, but that my friends is a whole other story.
Keep it rockin'
Krusher
ARCHIVE
If you missed Krushers' previous blogs you can find them here. Or if you have already read them and they tickled you so much you would like to read them again, then this is the place.
Click here for the archive
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