Tom Tom Club at Shepherds Bush

O yes, it's time to bounce. Island Records is celebrating its 50th anniversary this week with a series of triple bills at Shepherds Bush Academy and last night was the turn of Tom Tom Club. I missed them last year when they played at the Royal Festival Hall so last night was a must-see.

First, it was the turn of Ladyhawke, someone I'd vaguely heard of but never heard. Supported by an 11-piece band (including a string section) on she came in a large sleeveless denim jacket and blond hair almost covering her face, performing song after song with no chat or engagement with the audience. I quite liked what I heard, lots of synths and power-chords but the drums should've been turned down and the vocals turned up - I couldn't hear what she was singing about. She seemed genuinely pleased by the applause which is always going to be a bit muted on multi-act bills with people attending to see different bands. Then the lights came up and time to change the stage set for the Tom Tom Club.

On came the TTC lads (minus Mystic Bowie but with Kid Ginseng) with Chris tripping as he jumped onto the riser with his drum kit (ouch) and then appeared two visions of loveliness in short cocktail frocks, Tina with her hair in pigtails and wearing the sparkliest black frock while Victoria was all blond in an ivory minifrock. As soon as Tina had slung her bass they were off and bouncing with 'Suboceana' and a "boom boom chi boom boom" to you too!

Lots of guitar and percussion and Tina's bouncing bass, the sound mix was much better with Tina and Victoria's voices easily floating at the top of the music. The lasses didn't stop moving, filling the space at the front of the stage, bouncing and pogoing, and Victoria couldn't stop smiling the whole time, they seemed to be so pleased to be there and part of the Island celebration. Their music is happy and infectious and the people around us that were clearly there to see another band started clapping more lustily after the first couple of songs had got them in the mood. Chris and Tina have been around long enough (Talking Heads anyone?) to know how to put on a good performance and they certainly gave their all last night and earned the sustained applause at the end, much more than a polite clapping, it was the sound of a crowd who'd enjoyed themselves.

Songs included 'L'Elephant', 'Who Feelin' It', 'Punk Lolita', 'Genius Of Love', 'Man With The Four-Way Hips' and 'Happiness Can't Buy Money' (which I was humming to myself while walking round Shepherds Bush Green on the way to the venue). Tina very kindly dedicated 'You Sexy Thing' to Ladyhawke who was sitting not far from us in the balcony. They closed with a fierce and energetic version of 'Wordy Rappinghood', played fast and hard and a stunning climax to their set.

I was smiling and singing along throughout the set, bouncing in my seat just as Tina and Victoria bounced around the stage looking lithe and hot (them not me). They create such a happy sound and are a great live band. The only disappointment (other than the set not being longer) is that Tina didn't throw her knickers at me like she did when I saw them at a CBGB night a few years ago (but that's another story). O well. Sorry, no time for nostalgia, I'm off to bounce some more ... Ok bye!

Britain's Got... Eh?

O poo! Why didn't the Dream Bears get through? They were fun, they took risks, they wore clothes that were too small and tight... what's the problem?

I haven't watched any of 'Britain's Got Talent', either this series or previous ones, but I've watched the semis this week and I'm astonished. This is talent? I didn't see any of the previous shows or performances, but I'd heard the hyperbole. Singers assisted by backing vocals to cover up karaoke voices. A guitarist that just copies a Robert Palmer video. A grandfather and grand-daughter double act that can't sing. Eh? What am I missing?

I'm bored by the show now. Click on over to watch the Bears have fun with 'It's Raining Men' and ignore the rest of the shows.

Maximo Park - 'Questing, Not Coasting'

Hot off the press: Maximo Park's second single from the new album will be 'Questing, Not Coasting' and it's due out on 13 July. 'That Beating Heart' (the song played at the start of the Maximos encore when I saw them at Brixton) will be one of the 'B' sides.'

You can pre-order the single bundle here.

Maximo Park at Brixton Academy

Last night we went to the long-awaited gig by Maximo Park at Brixton Academy. I haven't seen the lads play live in ever so long and I've been deliberately not over-listening to the new album, 'Quicken The Heart', so I can hear the songs afresh played live. So, the tried and tested war plan was to get through security, zoom to the merch stand, then the cafe to buy bottles of diet coke, up to the bar for beer and then into the upstairs (unreserved) seated area. We missed the first band, Stricken City, but saw The Noisettes who sounded a bit olde worlde rockabilly but had a great wam-bam-tish drummer.

The Maximos set out to confuse by changing their normal places on the stage, with Duncan on the right (looking at the stage) and Archis and Lukas on the left. Then the lights dimmed and there they were, music pumping and lights going wild, as one great song followed another, with Paul running and jumping all over the stage.

The lads were promoting the new album so we were treated to a selection of new classics as well as earlier classics from the first two albums. The new songs work well live and stand up with the rest of the set, providing a change of mood and pace, more keyboards and more jumping round. Paul's voice is getting more expressive as he plays with words and goes for strange rhymes to twist his tongue around.

Favourite songs from 'Quicken The Heart' were 'In Another World (You'd Have Found Yourself By Now)', 'Roller Disco Dreams' (with it's line about watching fireworks over Brixton was mandatory for this gig), 'Overland, West Of Suez', 'Questing, Not Coasting', 'Wraithlike' and, of course, the first single, 'The Kids Are Sick Again'. Old favourites included, 'Going Missing', 'Our Velocity', 'Girls Who Play Guitars', 'Your Urge' and 'Limassol'. I was delighted to hear the crowd lustily singing along to 'Books From Boxes'. The encore started with a new song, 'That Beating Heart,' that I haven't heard before and assume will feature as a 'B' side - or maybe even a non-album single? - at some point. I liked it.

There were two downsides to the gig - no badges at the merch stand (so I bought a key ring) and having to squirm around in my seat to stand a chance of seeing Paul who spent most of his time down the front of the stage although I did see one scissor-kick - obscuring heads in front of me and the bar at the front of the balcony makes it difficult to see anything at the front of the stage. There was also a bit of overuse of the strobe-light-into-the-crowd thing, but other than that the lights were excellent. The lads were on top form, tight and loud and seemed to be having fun. Good on ya, lads!

And thanks to David Thousand Words for his pics that I nicked off Flickr - go and take a look!

Slade - 'Cum On Feel The Noize'

When was the last time you heard this classic song? Really? That was far too long ago so play it now and play it LOUD.

New Buffy Video

The whisper of a new video by Buffy Sainte-Marie is true - a video for 'No No Keshagesh' will be available 'soon' (I don't know what 'soon' means in this context). I assume it'll be public by the time the new album is released on 6 July. In the meantime, here's a still from it:

Doon Toon

As anyone who knows me can testify, I care little for football. It may be our national game but it's never done anything for me. But even I'm a little saddened to hear that Newcastle United is being relegated from the Premiership to the Championship League - division 2 in old money.

Believe it or not but I do have a relationship with the club. I saw one (or maybe two) matches there around 1970 when Bobby Moncur was captain and Frank (a defender, I think) Thingummy's grandma lived round the corner from mine. Moving rapidly into the new millennium and I've been into the new stadium for my little brother's wedding a few years ago when we had a guided tour round the dressing rooms and onto the pitch.

I feel sorry for Alan Shearer, brought in to try to save the club but he can only work with the tools he's given and yesterday's sad performance showed quite plainly that the tools aren't good enough for the job. I hope he stays on to try to turn the club round next season.

Now, I still don't care much for football but I want the Toon back in the Premiership. I won't start following their progress or anything but I like being able to say, in an off-hand way, that my 'home' club is better than yours and I can't say that if they're not.

BSM on Cooking Vinyl

I really must learn to pay attention. The good news is that Buffy Sainte-Marie has signed to Cooking Vinyl to release 'Running For The Drum' in Europe (other than France for which she's signed elsewhere). The album is out on 6 July. And there's a rumour of a video for 'No No Keshagesh'.

The album isn't listed on the Cooking Vinyl site yet but there's a press pack on there. So, naturally, I've signed up for their newsletter so I get all the news. And, if you look on iTunes, you'll see that most of Buffy's albums are available for download - for ages, only 'Coincidence' and 'Up Where We Belong' were available. Looks like it's a Buffy summer, what with the gigs at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and the Cambridge Folk Festival a few days later.

Buffy Sainte-Marie - 'He's An Indian Cowboy in the Rodeo'

I love this song, it's a a perfect description of a teenage crush and the first stirrings of love, the simple joy of seeing your loved one again. We all have an Indian Cowboy somewhere in our lives.

This is from Buffy's 'Up Where We Belong' DVD and the song ends with some powwow singing.

Shagadelic Trouserhood!

Cor! Look what I've found:

I *want*. I *need*.

Men's clothes are so un-colourful these days - well, they always have been I suppose unless you go back to Cavalier times (sorry, the so-called new romantics were a mistake but I did like my purple Robin Hood boots back in the day). I do, of course, own the Most Beautiful Shirt In The World but I need trousers to match. Loudmouth, here I come...

The question is: do I go for Shagadelic or Disco Balls?

First job is to lose a few inches around the waist and then invest in a more colourful world. London beware!