VIOLENT FEMMES : London 26/2/06

The Lovely Venue....Shame About The Staff....!

There aren't many bands that I would travel to see on an overnight bus for nine hours, surrounded by farting drunks, maddies and psychos......But its different when its THE FEMMES.

You may think you don't know them, but you will have heard

BLISTER IN THE SUN...

(Dum Dum Dum Dum. Dum Dum De Dum Dum)

I can't believe that it's nearly 6 years since I last saw them live (Glasgow Garage 7 April 2000)...With Guy Hoffman on drums...But now, at Shepherd's Bush, I was going to see BONKERS, BRILLIANT Victor DeLorenzo ! and the classic VIOLENT FEMMES Line-Up....I couldn't wait ! (That is to say, Ara, Siani and I chose to get a few more beers in, and miss most of MILK KAN's support set...Didn't like them...sorry, they could play, but couldn't convince me that their rootsy/cockney folkpunk was from the heart)

From the moment THE FEMMES walked on stage, I was grinning, and singing along, and so, it seemed were at least 90% of the other punters in this splendid venue.......That is until the Empire security staff decided to be a complete bunch of nasty, jobsworthy killjoys ...!

The Greek girl next to me was reduced to tears when her camera was confiscated, Smokers were barked at, and bouncers with torches waded in to the playful moshpit below me.

I decided that any pictures I took would have to be covert jobs, with my shitty, flashless mobile phone....

the pics suck as you can see !

Enough of the rant....THE FEMMES WERE ABSOLUTELY PERFECT !

Considering that they have now been together for at least 24 years, (Chrissie Hynde gave them their break after she saw them busking), they still sound and look like a trio of buskers; admittedly, the greatest buskers you are ever likely to see, who have just been joined by the Zappa-esque guitar genius of Eugene Chadbourne, and the magnificent Horns of Dilemma, (performing mandolin and bass duties as required, in tandem with some of the greatest avant-garde horn skwonking I have ever heard)

I have to admit I have forgotten the names of these guys, and that of the session percussionist, but they all shone throughout the show.

But the HEROES OF THE NIGHT were the incredible BRIAN RICHIE who played acoustic bass in a way I NEVER WILL ACHIEVE IN A BILLION YEARS ! ! and PERFORMANCE ART-DRUM GOD DeLorenzo!....He stands, eyes shut, at his single snare, cymbal and tranceaphone, and metamorphoses into a percussion cartoon character !

I worship Ritchie, who tackled upright bass (busker style), a midi-stick thang, a japanese flute, xylophone and CONCH SHELL in the course of the night, but I have to say that VICTOR DELORENZO's performance was the one that made me smile and applaud the most.

WHY DO WE NOT SEE OTHER DRUMMERS THIS TALENTED AND ENTERTAINING ?

The seated blob (below) is the legendary Eugene Chadbourne, an avant-garde maverick who has worked with such JT Hat faves as CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN and drummer JIMMY CARL BLACK. At The Empire, Eugene's greatest moment was THE ELECTRIC SPIDER !

I was struck by the feeling that lead singer and guitarist, Gordon Gano, is not the leader of THE VIOLENT FEMMES, despite his unquestionable songwriting skills...HE has to perform each night with THE GREATEST ACOUSTIC RHYTHM SECTION IN THE WORLD !

Gano has charisma though, and a unique, immediately identifiable vocal style, which can range from heartbreakingly tender to sneeringly sleazy in an instant, and he seemed to be loving every minute of the show. Highlights for me were a stomping "Country Death Song", an unexpected, but very welcome, "Children Of The Revolution" and an immaculate rendition of "Gone Daddy Gone" which was worth my bus torture many times over.

The Shepherd's Bush Crowd were true Stars too, in the face of security paranoia...

The dancers in the pit and us freaks on the balcony had a blast

I met a lot of lovely people and exchanged numbers with many of them...

...THEN CAME THE ICING ON THE CAKE...

Sometimes it pays to hang about outside a venue

Together with two Liverpudlians, who waited with us at the Stage Door

Ara, Siani and I met THE VIOLENT FEMMES ! ! !

Danny got his copy of "Blind Leading The Naked" signed (hope you get to see this mate d:oD)

AND WE ALL GOT PHOTYS AND AUTOGRAPHS ! !

I am still BUZZING & GRINNING !

CHEERS to ARA & DJmissPINK for looking after me !

GIG OF A LIFETIME ! ! !

and the tour manager shares my surname !

(he's a "thehat" too ! ... naw, If you want to know my last name, look it up!)