May 25th 2009
Hey there, it's us again! We've done our first gig "back on the road", and have a few more lined up, so read on for all the news, views, reviews and general abuse...Please feel free to forward this to anyone you think may be interested in our style of rockabilly music, and encourage them to surf by the web site (details at the bottom of the page). If you received this by email and the formatting is not working, you can view on-line by clicking here (or if this link doesn't work, follow the link to "Newsletter" from on the "Contact Us" page of our web site).
Band Injury List
In spite of all the help that our beloved NHS was able to provide, Bobby's hand is holding up. "Good as new" would be too strong a claim, but he made it through his first gig with limited pain (and plenty of liquid pain killers!), so things are looking up...Oh, you want to hear about the gig? Well, read on, gentle listener. No, the gentle listener thing doesn't really work, does it. More Rudyard Kipling than rockabilly. Still, wait 'til we get our hands on his cherry bakewells...
Gig Review
- Sunday 29th March 2009 -
Valley Road Rock'n'Roll Club, Erith WMC, 1 Valley Road, Erith, Kent, DA8 1BT.
Benefit gig organised by the (in)famous Kav Kavanagh, DJ Suzy Q and the good people at Erith's Valley Road Rock'n'Roll Club, also featuring the Intruders and the Rhythm Aces. Those were the basic facts - here's the slightly fuller story:Erith. What kind of a name is that, anyway? It's like Edith, but spelled wrongly. Is the "e" pronounced "e" as in "edge", or "ee" as in...err..."Edith"? Who knows? Being close to the Thames estuary, maybe it was named by a foreign sailor looking for his long-lost love Edith, but he couldn't quite pronounce her name properly. Maybe not.
However it's pronounced (and whatever the reasons behind it), we arrived earlier than planned to find the other two bands, Kav and Suzy already present and setting up. The WMC (Women Make Cakes) is a decent sized venue - stage perhaps a little on the small size for five of us ad all the various bands' equipment, but as one of the five is Bobby it's not really an issue. Confusion-aplenty with a Kev and a Kav both setting up on stage at the same time. Customary gags about mic leads (275 and 285). Top, top, top marks to Pete of the Rhythm Aces for all his help, letting us use their PA to save time and space setting up our own. Before you knew it we were set up, sound checked and off in search of some fast food establishments. Details of this part of the evening are best covered by Phyllis the Phishwife (see below). In fact, most things to do with Phyllis are best covered...In the end we were, as expected, first band on, playing one set of about 45 minutes. So in some ways, a gentle re-introduction to playing live. Kev's amp inexplicably packed up one minute into the first song, but the band continued as a four-piece until Kev rejoined us towards the end of the number. Being first on, the audience was still arriving as we played, but by the end of the set they were up and jiving, nicely warmed up for the following two bands. We were joined on stage by a member of the audience ("Delvis"?) for a good version of "Twenty Flight Rock", which went down well. Promised Suzy Q we'd play her some Dale Hawkins - don't think she was expecting "Little Pig"! Good to be back, and indeed asked back for an encore. Kav must have agreed (as long as we don't play "There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis" - you had to be there!) - he's booked us to play at one of his other clubs in the not too distant future (see below). All in all a great evening for a great cause, and fantastic to be back in front of a crowd again.
Gig Dates for Your Diary
- Saturday 6th June 2009 - Higham Rock'n'Roll Club
Higham Village Club, Hermitage Road, Higham, Nr Rochester, Kent ME3 7DD
8pm - 11.45pm. £7 Admission. For further details visit the club's web site. - Saturday 27th June 2009
Possible private party. If that doesn't happen, we'll all be piling down to Crondall to see our good friends the Rhythm Aces tearing it up down there... - Friday 25th September - Basingstoke Rock'n'Roll Club
Westside Community Association, Paddock Road, South Ham, Basingstoke, RG22 6QB - more details to follow - Further gigs are awaiting confirmation - keep an eye on the web site...
Web Site Update
As we mentioned last time, we now have a video of part of our performance at Crondall, kindly provided by Janie. We've got her permission to put selected highlights on the web somewhere - watch this space (or indeed, MySpace). Now we just need to get a move on and do the necessary editing and techie stuff (don't ask me - I don't do technical!).Phyllis the Phishwife
As reported previously, we have (for no obvious reason) secured the services of one "Phyllis the Phishwife", band mascot, fast food expert and resident insane person. She now has her own page on the web site, dedicated to "phast phood establishments" we have come across whilst playing gigs, and phrom now on - iph you'll excuse the smell of chip phat - she will be writing her own column in this newsletter. Those of you who are phamiliar with Phyllis's ramblings will be hoping that there's lots of really important serious news to report on, so there's little space lepht for her "column"...This time she shares her (mercifully short) thoughts on the Kentish town of Erith, following the band's recent visit...
- Q: So, Erith. What's that all about then?
- Phyllis: Well, I've got absolutely no idea. Looks like I probably did the spelling, but I can't remember actually doing it. Possibly overdid the vodka and kebab diet a bit, causing a temporary loss of memory.
- Q: So what were your first impressions on arriving in Erith?
- Phyllis: Well, phirst impressions were exceedingly positive, as it happens, but these turned out to be totally misleading.
- Q: In what sense?
- Phyllis: Well, as you drive into the town, there's a roundabout with a huge statue of a phish on it. I took this to be an indication of the town's involvement in the good old phish-phrying trade, and set out phorthwith to phind some local purveyors of phast phishy phood.
- Q: And that's when it all went wrong?
- Phyllis: Exactly Jean-Paul (Georges et Ringo). Not a phish and chip shop or even a deep phat phryer to be phound. All we could phind in phact was a rather dodgy McDonalds where none of the staph spoke any English.
- Q: Did you at least manage to get some photos (no, that one IS the correct spelling!) for your page on the web site?
- Phyllis: Well, I got a shot of the boys outside the McDonalds. I tried to get a photo of said phishy roundabout, but it was sadly eclipsed by Rob's nose at the time...
Random Thoughts
Mucking about at band practice the other week (hard to imagine us mucking about I know, but it's true), we stumbled upon a whole new art form. This one would resolve the Charleston stroll argument once and for all. How much fun would it be (just picture the scene in your mind) to start off a suitable song at a gig, invite the strollers up onto the dance floor, and then, just as they were getting into it, suddenly change the time to 5/4?! Can you imagine the chaos it could cause?! Watching them trying to work out what to do with the extra beat in each bar? It is SO tempting to do it just once... but then again, it's probably a guaranteed way to ensure we never get any repeat bookings, so maybe best not to. But it would be fun!Watch the web site or the next newsletter for an update on the plans for the next recording and future gigs.
Cheers
The Predators
Contact Details
Tel: +44 (0)118 978 9852
Web site: www.thepredators.co.uk
To subscribe to - or unsubscribe from - this newsletter, click here (or if this link doesn't work, complete the on-line contact form on the "Contact Us" page of our web site).
Privacy Policy - while we need to keep your contact details on file in order to be able to send you this newsletter, we will never disclose your details to any third party without your permission. Even if they offer us loads of money!