Post by markwj on Jul 10, 2007 11:35:58 GMT
Smoke Like A Fish, The Big
The Castle, Llanfairfechan
7/7/07
The other week I was considering Hendre Hall my virtual “local” now, to the extent that I was contemplating going on my recently refurbished push-bike to gigs there to enable proper lubrication of my critical facilities (better for the bands, honestly). However, it was a pleasant surprise (tipped off by Dave Cox a few weeks back, one or more of the bands having being involved in the Dirty Weekend) to find something actually on in my home village that seemed interesting and even more local for local people. Home in the sense of lived here a year, having escaped in a very circuitous route round the country from my long term home of Penmaenmawr, now planting a f-off Great Stone Head between me and the past that no amount of quarrying since the Stone Age has substantially reduced. Naturally, since being in Llanfair I have acquainted myself with the local drinking establishments and their customs (they sell pints, you drink them), but I missed The Castle out of this new tour as it was the one place I’d been previously. As an 18year old we temporarily escaped the Pen tractor beam (Massey Ferguson probably) to do a gig there with Blacklisted, part or our intermittent 2 year North Wales tour, vaguely recall it being enjoyable. It did however mean that it’s pushing two decades since I had been there so it was flashback city to see the back room unchanged from what I recall.
Anyway, the evening was a continuation of the day’s partying as it was Carnival. The wind had blown the early clouds and cobwebs away, leaving the afternoon for sunburn and cider. With the kids baby sat I turned up with good timing to find the organiser ushering people spilled out onto the streets (the local café has installed a smoking bench) towards the imminent bands. There was a good contingent of the Pigtown Posse over, apparently camping up in the hills like the billys they are, plus some old friends over from Pen, wonders never cease. The place was fair packed out, and as soon as the band started up, literally bouncing. The wobbly floor took me back to one of 4Q’s regular Pioneer appearances, this time the outrage on their part as Mr Alan Pants bemoaned being banned from a venue due to doubts over its structural safety. I made sure I was close to a wall just in case it went. The Big were responsible for this testing of the building integrity, the infectious nature of their skanking immediately apparent and enjoyed by the big cross section of folks (some with big cross sections, a couple cross, a few borderline sectioned) squashing into the steamy room. Perhaps partly named after their man-mountain frontman, especially in relation to the diminutive girl sax player alongside him, they certainly go through a lot of rapidly changing variations (even giving verbal warnings of “get ready to change gear!”) on the ska theme and are all the more interesting for it. There’s some unusual vibes in the mix from the keyboardist at times and the bass almost gets up to a pummelling punk metal feel at times, others there’s almost a folk-y element maybe from their West Cuntry roots. Added to this their humorous/serious lyrics to numbers like “I love trains” (t-shirt available) and “independent boozer” (railing against chain pubs that we all endure), and they are great entertainment. The single time I think they are getting boring they acknowledge “That was the pub rock song ending”, heading off my criticism at the (Sychnant) pass.
Continuing our independent boozer theme, it was pointed out by the organisers they paid out of their own pockets to get the bands in which was probably the same when we played here. There’s a collection bucket that goes round that people happily throw coins and notes in to help them recoup. Between the bands is also the bonus of free food that is made available, having been contributed by others in the town earlier on, all adding to the great community party atmosphere that is a pleasure to experience. It almost brings a lump to your throat. Actually that was the hiccoughs that I had to go outside for a bit to concentrate on getting rid off. I find mental willpower is the only successful way, just sometime have problems summoning it up.
The bands are apparently firm friends and mutual fans, no doubt doing a lot of genre gigs together, so tonight’s running order had been decided on the toss of a coin. So Newtown, Mid Wales’ Smoke Like A Fish provided the entertainment into the witching hour. More members, two lady saxes now, a front man who also gave us trumpet blasts, they had a more powerful and relentless overall sound but at the same time there was less noticeable variety in their tunes. Still, good stuff, taking me back to my own limited experience of ska done well and not just to meet genre standards, by the likes of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones at the Tiv. Jeez, that’ll be a good 15 years ago too. Like their predecessors they succeed in getting some wry social comment in with choruses that people can pick up on, all very worth while in my humble opinion. Everyone’s still bouncing along but I call it a night so as not to abuse my babysitters service. Though I think I have seen a series of films about that once… Things are 28 Days Later quiet in town the next day so I take it the party continued to be a success, neither did I spot any punks on a raft of cans floating down the river at the back of my house, so hopefully they got home safe too.
The Castle, Llanfairfechan
7/7/07
The other week I was considering Hendre Hall my virtual “local” now, to the extent that I was contemplating going on my recently refurbished push-bike to gigs there to enable proper lubrication of my critical facilities (better for the bands, honestly). However, it was a pleasant surprise (tipped off by Dave Cox a few weeks back, one or more of the bands having being involved in the Dirty Weekend) to find something actually on in my home village that seemed interesting and even more local for local people. Home in the sense of lived here a year, having escaped in a very circuitous route round the country from my long term home of Penmaenmawr, now planting a f-off Great Stone Head between me and the past that no amount of quarrying since the Stone Age has substantially reduced. Naturally, since being in Llanfair I have acquainted myself with the local drinking establishments and their customs (they sell pints, you drink them), but I missed The Castle out of this new tour as it was the one place I’d been previously. As an 18year old we temporarily escaped the Pen tractor beam (Massey Ferguson probably) to do a gig there with Blacklisted, part or our intermittent 2 year North Wales tour, vaguely recall it being enjoyable. It did however mean that it’s pushing two decades since I had been there so it was flashback city to see the back room unchanged from what I recall.
Anyway, the evening was a continuation of the day’s partying as it was Carnival. The wind had blown the early clouds and cobwebs away, leaving the afternoon for sunburn and cider. With the kids baby sat I turned up with good timing to find the organiser ushering people spilled out onto the streets (the local café has installed a smoking bench) towards the imminent bands. There was a good contingent of the Pigtown Posse over, apparently camping up in the hills like the billys they are, plus some old friends over from Pen, wonders never cease. The place was fair packed out, and as soon as the band started up, literally bouncing. The wobbly floor took me back to one of 4Q’s regular Pioneer appearances, this time the outrage on their part as Mr Alan Pants bemoaned being banned from a venue due to doubts over its structural safety. I made sure I was close to a wall just in case it went. The Big were responsible for this testing of the building integrity, the infectious nature of their skanking immediately apparent and enjoyed by the big cross section of folks (some with big cross sections, a couple cross, a few borderline sectioned) squashing into the steamy room. Perhaps partly named after their man-mountain frontman, especially in relation to the diminutive girl sax player alongside him, they certainly go through a lot of rapidly changing variations (even giving verbal warnings of “get ready to change gear!”) on the ska theme and are all the more interesting for it. There’s some unusual vibes in the mix from the keyboardist at times and the bass almost gets up to a pummelling punk metal feel at times, others there’s almost a folk-y element maybe from their West Cuntry roots. Added to this their humorous/serious lyrics to numbers like “I love trains” (t-shirt available) and “independent boozer” (railing against chain pubs that we all endure), and they are great entertainment. The single time I think they are getting boring they acknowledge “That was the pub rock song ending”, heading off my criticism at the (Sychnant) pass.
Continuing our independent boozer theme, it was pointed out by the organisers they paid out of their own pockets to get the bands in which was probably the same when we played here. There’s a collection bucket that goes round that people happily throw coins and notes in to help them recoup. Between the bands is also the bonus of free food that is made available, having been contributed by others in the town earlier on, all adding to the great community party atmosphere that is a pleasure to experience. It almost brings a lump to your throat. Actually that was the hiccoughs that I had to go outside for a bit to concentrate on getting rid off. I find mental willpower is the only successful way, just sometime have problems summoning it up.
The bands are apparently firm friends and mutual fans, no doubt doing a lot of genre gigs together, so tonight’s running order had been decided on the toss of a coin. So Newtown, Mid Wales’ Smoke Like A Fish provided the entertainment into the witching hour. More members, two lady saxes now, a front man who also gave us trumpet blasts, they had a more powerful and relentless overall sound but at the same time there was less noticeable variety in their tunes. Still, good stuff, taking me back to my own limited experience of ska done well and not just to meet genre standards, by the likes of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones at the Tiv. Jeez, that’ll be a good 15 years ago too. Like their predecessors they succeed in getting some wry social comment in with choruses that people can pick up on, all very worth while in my humble opinion. Everyone’s still bouncing along but I call it a night so as not to abuse my babysitters service. Though I think I have seen a series of films about that once… Things are 28 Days Later quiet in town the next day so I take it the party continued to be a success, neither did I spot any punks on a raft of cans floating down the river at the back of my house, so hopefully they got home safe too.
