Promotion

While I rattle on like a demented budgie on here I'm actually a bit crap at promoting the blog.
I sort of half apologetically push it, and while I completely understand that the reason for doing the blog is that I want to promote the music I am listening to, and share the experience of it with others, I will also readily admit that I sort of just hang it out there.
I'm not very proactive about it all.
I've spoke to people at gigs in bands who I have liked and often not mentioned the blog at all.
The blog itself is like the stranger at a party who is standing on the fringes wondering when they should make an effort to join in, and just when they have worked up the courage to do so the party ends.
I've been criticized for not pushing it often.
I was going to get some stickers done, but I didn't.
There was a half hearted idea about some t-shirts that I allowed to quietly slip from peoples memories.
Badges and keyrings was another idea that I shied away from to.
Now I've decided to grab the bull by the horns and I ordered business cards.
I even ordered a rubber stamp.
I should have them in about twenty days.
Then I suspect I will head out to gigs and more often than not forget them.
Subconsciously maybe I actually want to sabotage myself.
Anyway. Here's what the business (fnaar fnaar. He said business.) card will look like, and if anyone wants to download it and then spread it about a bit then I'll be fine with that.
Something to think about though.
99% of people will look at the image on it and see a severed arm holding a microphone.
1% of us will see a midget reaching up to wank someone off.
I am proud to be part of the 1% (and that's not an occupy movement reference).

Ayrshire Calling.

Recently a young student in Ayrshire created a short documentary about what we could very loosely call the 'local scene'.

The scene in question is really just a wide ranging amount of people doing things in the same time frame.

There's no specific sound to what is going on.

It's not a movement with a common aim, and it certainly has very little that could be nailed down and promoted as something that would be recognizable as a scene.

The only real common ground is the geographical location.

Apart from that all bets are off as to what you will get.

The reality is that we are simply going through a healthy period of artistic expression, and when people comment on a 'scene' it is really just in an effort to bundle everything going on together.

In this short documentary the angle that people only get the scenes they deserve was put forward, and it closed with a request to support local artists.

All very laudable, and it served as a welcomed catalyst to further discussion.

Much discussion.

As usual everyone has an opinion. Including myself.

Within the content of the documentary it was said that there are issues surrounding a lack of venues and promoters.

Neither ring true to me, but I am happy to accept that this is the case in the locale of the young man who made it.

It is his reality, and who am I to say that he is wrong?

So the main problem that people had about it not representing Ayrshire as a whole is rooted in fact, but by focussing on it those expressing it loudly and strongly are probably giving too much attention to the small potatoes, and missing the big picture message that was being addressed.

So what was the big picture?

Well my understanding of it is that unless there's a solid infrastructure in place to support local artists then we will lose the momentum of the enthusiasm that is being shown at the moment.

In that sense I totally agree.

I can get on board with that.

It's only at this point that myself, and others, then shoot off on tangents and express different issues that we consider to be the main problems.

The documentary maker wants more venues and ethical promoters.

Some claim we need more interesting artists.

Some want more local acts on bills and less touring bands.

Some want touring bands to play and less local acts.

Others don't consider that the towns in Ayrshire have enough people to support an ongoing circuit of bands playing.

Some claim that the low turn out at gigs is down to poor promotion.

There is probably an element of truth in everything that everyone is saying.

Even the conflicting points of who should play as it's all subjective.

I don't consider that anyone is wrong or right.

For myself I think we need a less apathetic attitude to what is going on.

People have strongly disagreed with my assertion that in general people are lazy, and they are well within their rights to do so.

Yet I still think this as I have no evidence to prove otherwise, and plenty to substantiate it..

Yesterday, under a poster promoting Kilmarnocks forthcoming Dirty Weekender festival - an event that will feature over forty bands in two venues across the course of a weekend - a comment was left.

The comment was along the lines of 'Is this in Kilmarnock?'.

It says it's in Kilmarnock, the venues mentioned are in Kilmarnock.

It's had column inches in the national press and STV have even gave it a shout out.

All the info anyone could need is there on the poster, or out there in the wider world, but still someone was struggling to get to grips with what is happening.

Why?

Could it be possible that they haven't actually bothered to read it?

That unless someone sits down and explains it all to them personally that the subtle hints of an ad campaign that blatantly provide all the information required will by pass them?

I couldn't honestly say, but I know what I think.

Okay. That's one individual.

I accept that.

However in discussions it was stated that promoters need to accept that maybe a low turn out to a local show might be down to no one actually wanting to see the bands playing, and has nothing to do with laziness.

Of course a promoter would have to take that on board, but equally I think it has to be considered how many people see a poster for an event, read about it in the local newspaper, push a flyer away from them in a bar, and never for one second consider that it might be worthwhile to go online and check out what the bands/artist sound like.

If anyone claims themselves to be a music fan then that's a lazy attitude, and one that does have an impact on the quality and breadth of entertainment that we all get.

To put it bluntly it's hard to take it seriously when it is claimed no one likes what they haven't heard.

Yes. We need good quality venues.

Yes. We need interesting and vibrant acts. (Although I would say we are already rich in that respect)

Yes. We need ethical promoters who will promote and not think that one singular facebook invite page is all that is required to pull a crowd.

Of course we need all these things, and more, but we also need an audience to support what is going on.

We need individuals to make more of an effort.

No one is asking anyone to go to a show and stand through four acts that they loathe, but I am asking that people be a bit more open minded and make more of an effort.

I've lost count of the times I have found a new band that I love purely by throwing caution to the wind and going out for an inexpensive night of live music.

Others could to.

Every artist has to start somewhere and I think that people need to get to grips with that, and at the forefront of their mind consider that the band that they will go and see in the corner of a pub on a wet and windy Friday night could be this generations Rolling Stones taking their first tentative steps into the light.

There are genuinely people I speak to who claim to love music and when I ask them who they have went to see recently they admit that they haven't went to a gig in years.

Usually they add on that it's because it's all rubbish out there now.

That's blatantly untrue.

They have just became disengaged and aren't making the effort to see what is in fact right there under their noses.

The same could be said for many of the younger crowd.

Unless it is laid out on a plate for them then it would appear that they have very little interest in seeking something out.

If Brown Bear and the Bandits were on the cover of Chat and Take a Break talking about their latest diet that allowed them to have a body fit for the beach this summer, then I suspect they could sell out the Grand Hall to perma-tanned extras from the Only way is Onthank.

No one will have bothered listening to them, but they would shell out the cash to see them.

Is that harsh?

Quite possibly, but is there a nugget of truth in it to?

So to come full circle. Have a watch of the documentary and comment on it on youtube or here about what I have said..

I'm not saying that I am 100% correct, and I doubt that the documentary maker is either, but I do consider I have a relevant point to make, and so does he.

Others are more than welcome to make theirs to.

Check out the Dirty Weekender here.

and keep an eye out on what is going on in Su Casa in Ayr on a weekly basis here.
and if The Dirty Weekender isn't enough for Ayrshire there's also this on the same weekend.

Fire Exit - United and Strong

While punk rock is currently an amorphous entity that pervades every nook and cranny of modern culture on a global scale there was once a time when it hadn't been absorbed into everyday life.

Hard to believe huh?

Yet back in the day it was deemed a dangerous and perverse twist on rock and roll that would corrupt the youth of our not so great nation.

Teenage rebellion had rarely been as nihilistic, or as seductive to the disenfranchised.

It was around then, in the cauldron of punks difficult birth, that Fire Exit were formed.

They were one of the very first punk bands to form in Scotland, and are one of the very few remaining from that time who are still flying the safety pinned flag.

That's not to say that they have been there since day one and managed to avoid the trials and tribulations that any band with that length of history would have to face.

There's been lean years, empty years, line up changes and more, but here they are, still kicking against the pricks with Gerry Attrick at the helm in 2012, and that's pretty impressive when you think about it.

Thankfully the current Fire Exit aren't stuck in the past though.

It would be a blatant lie to claim that they don't have one foot firmly occupying some of the ground of yesteryear, and there would be no point in pretending otherwise, but the other one is most definitely heavily placed in the here and now.

With the addition of some of the most talented young guns in Scotland....well young compared to Gerry....the band are a solid unit of contained fury that would have any self respecting punk drooling in anticipation prior to hearing them strike a single chord.

I could argue that huge chunks of 'United and Strong' could easily be mistaken for twenty-somethings tearing it up, while the rest is rooted in experience, and the rich history of rock and roll.

From Chuck Berry to the unmistakeably ghost of Alex Harvey making his presence known there is a large melting pot being stirred here.

From fifty-something pot bellied and bald punks, to teenage mohicaned renegades, the punk faithful will rejoice when they hear this album.

If you want it then Fire Exit have got it.

You don't have to take my word for it though. For a fiver you can check it out yourself.

Contact Fire Exit here for the album, merch and tour dates

(Here at itsaxxxxthing we extend our best wishes to Gerry who is currently a little unwell. Rest up Gerry. Rebellion needs you.)

Murnie - Sundaymouth

Way back in 1982 Europop was storming the charts as FR David sang 'words don't come easy'.

As chart fluff goes it wasn't too bad.

Certainly it's a better song than most of the auto tuned dirges that are common place now.

So what has that got to do with the latest ep released by Murnie?

Well words aren't coming easy to me either as I sit here and try and say something about it.

Although I could say that it is certainly better than most of the auto tuned dirges that are common place now.

See what I did there?

I linked all that together and I've still not said anything about Murnie really.

Is it a clever thing, or just me flaying about randomly and talking crap.

I'll give you a clue. It's not the first one.

Right. Concentrate. (I'm talking to myself now.)

Do you like the song writing of the Finn brothers in Crowded House? (I'm talking to you now.)

Maybe a bit of Squeeze?

Well there's some of that quality there, but not necessarily the sound.

There's some jazzy sounding bits on the piano, and on Soft Brown Voice there's the ghost of David Bowie doing a show tune.

The whole ep has an easy veneer to it, and it can sound a bit minimalistic, but there's far more going on than what is on the surface.

The melodies are tight and everything fits well in the context of the four songs.

My problem in describing Murnie isn't rooted in any apathy at what I'm hearing.

Rather I'm struggling to express why I like it, and that's a failing on my part as I can't just say it's good and leave it at that.

So what else?

The lyrics. We can talk about them as quite frankly they are a good few steps ahead of the pack.

Read them separately from the music and try and imagine what sort of sound would accompany them and you will be wrong.

Listen to the music without the lyrics and try and imagine what words would be layered over what you can hear and I suspect you would be equally as wrong and maybe that's where my problem, and the magic, lies.

There's two conflicting things going on in harmony.

It's a bit mind boggling how that can work, but it does.

It's a damn lovely wee ep and you should buy it.  

http://murnie.bandcamp.com/

The Levellers - Static on the Airwaves

Time to crack open a celebratory drink as perennial agit-punk folk rockers The Levellers are back with a new album.

The release of Static on the Airwaves is imminent, and while it may seem like only yesterday that the critically acclaimed 'Letters from the Underground' was unleashed on the public - and gave some of us ageing and jaded protester a clutch of new anthems to rally around - it was actually four years ago.

It's entirely possible that I didn't realize the passing of time as the Levellers themselves didn't rest on their laurels in the intervening years.

Instead there was the reissues of the first few albums with bonus tracks, and a spectacular tour to celebrate the anniversary of 'Levelling the Land'.

Obviously it's been busy, busy, busy in the world of The Levellers, but they haven't been that busy that they couldn't manage to find the time to write and record what is their tenth studio album.

It's undoubtedly something of an achievement to reach double figures in album releases for bands now.

It seems that the days of artists having a large back catalogue of material has been left behind with a relentless boom and bust of bands now being the norm.

Yet here are the Levellers bucking yet another trend, and doing it in style.

Admittedly while it may not sound as immediately urgent as Letters from the Underground was, it's certainly no step backwards.

Far from it.

Consider 'Static on the Airwaves' as a more mature collection of songs.

The fire is still there, and it's apparent on every track, but the impression is that they don't feel the need to roar the message any more, and I like that.

It's another facet to them that fans can begin to wrap their heads around.

It feels like we are all growing in the same direction, and at a similar pace.

What we have on display is a more reasoned and incisive level of global commentary that cuts to the bone just as hard as it would if it was the rallying call to arms of old.

The soundtrack to a night of drunken revelry and politics has been dropped, and in its place a more coherent argument for seeking out an alternative to the status quo is advanced.

It's all rather clever in the way it worms its way in and acts as a catalyst to reconsidering your understanding of the world we live in.

So much of it will be considered as preaching to the already converted, but there's never any harm in being reminded that politically while we may feel lost and alone that none of us really are.

I has to be said that one of the albums many strengths is in how the band have used historical tales to mirror current situations in the world.

It's a timely reminder that there is nothing new under the sun and what we are seeing is the age old rise and fall of empires going on around us.

Maybe some young music lovers looking for something new will listen to the album and be able to read the writing on the wall as so many of us did when the Levellers first arrived on the scene all those many years ago.

I sincerely hope so.

In some way the truth still rings out from their albums and it really isn't that difficult to hear.

Place it as the aural backdrop to the wars that are still raging across the world, the ongoing implosion of economies, and how regardless of how bad things get that the continued resilience of the affluent is arrogantly apparent and as a body of work it all makes complete sense.

It's a refreshingly timely release.  

Bob Wayne - Till the wheels fall off

Country music - similar to pop music - has apparently been co-opted by big business.

No longer are the outlaws to be promoted to the world as the sound of country.

Your wife running off with a trailer park neighbour called Hank, who really only seduced her so he could steal your three legged diabetic dog, is no longer suitable as a subject matter for a country hit.

Instead prepubescent girls with big shiny white smiles who wear Stetsons and shit kicking boots sing songs about Marines who gave them their hearts before dying at the hands of dirty infidels in far of countries while protecting the American way of life.

No one questions that if the story was factual that the marine would be a paedophile as the singer is only thirteen.

That would be unpatriotic and the Christian right would kick your ass for even thinking it.

Thankfully existing in far flung corners are people like Bob Wayne who are keeping the real spirit of country alive.

Nashville incorporated will no doubt hate his greasy haired unshaven fuck you outlaw attitude, but we need people like Bob to stand up and be the yin to the lowest common denominator country yang that is being foisted on us.

For every song that is released that Hollywood can line dance to we need one like Lyza that's about an emancipated woman shooting cocksucking reprobates.

For every Blake Shelton hit we need someone singing a song about the Devil accompanied by a fiddle on fire as an antidote.

More palatable than Hank III for the ears of most people Bob could quite easily manage to keep the hillbilly punks happy with 'Till the wheels fall off', and at the same time attract more mainstream country fans to what he does.

Lets call him a gateway drug for the country music scene.

Even people who don't like country could well be beguiled by Bob.

The man is a honky tonk hero.

Less the last of a dying breed, but more so the return of the real deal.

Hitch your wagon to his train.

It's going to be a long and interesting journey.   


https://www.facebook.com/BobWayneOfficial/app_178091127385?ref=ts

Once a Guttersnipe...always a Guttersnipe.

Random memories are still being dredged up by Shug for his memoir and here's yet another.

All of this is unedited so when the book is completed expect it to arrive in a different form, and some of what is printed here may, or may not, appear.

There seems to be a bit of a theme beginning to emerge.

Shug gets drunk, Shug has the chance of a sexual encounter. Shug misses out on sexual encounter. Ha

Here you go mate, another wee snippet for you !You know I promised you all that I would write a book & you may remember me saying that the 1990s (yes, the whole decade) is a bit of a blur?

Well I spoke to my old Guttersnipes bassist, Andy, last night to get him to jog my memory & it seems I got married to a German prostitute in 1998!

Hahahaha!

Now, wait a minute, before you all start jumping down my throat, and Carla, before you blow your top, I do actually recall that night.
We were touring Germany supported by Slovakian band, Zona A.

It happened that one of the dates was my Birthday, we were playing Cottbus that night, great gig, the place was jumping, people stage diving, great night.

After we'd played we hung around the bar talking to some German Skinheads, then a woman came up to me & started talking in German (she couldn't speak English) so one of the Skinheads was translating, she was enthusing about the band & telling me I was a great singer & she loved my voice.

I said thank you, glad you enjoyed the gig.

Then she took both my hands in hers, looked into my eyes & started making some kind of a speech, when she finished she looked at me for some kind of response, one of the Skins said "just say yes", so I smiled & nodded & said "Yes", she grabbed me & kissed me & the Skins all started laughing. I said "What ? What is it ? What did she say ?" and one of them said "You just got married !"
Anyway, we hung around drinking & chatting then the guy who ran the Club came running over & said "You have to leave !".

He'd just had a phone call tipping him off that a gang of Neo Nazis were heading to the club to get The Guttersnipes.

We had been, shall I say, uncomplimentary about Nazis in interviews we'd done & they were after our blood. Now we were supposed to be staying in rooms at the club but the guy said that was no longer possible so he phoned a hotel & booked rooms for us & phoned a taxi.

We were hurriedly exited out the back door & into a waiting taxi & I never saw my "wife" again!

Wonder how she is?

Hope she's alright !
What I didn't know until last night was that she was actually a prostitute hired by Zona A as a birthday present for me & the speech she made was actually an old German Folk Marriage Ceremony!

But you can relax Carla, I'm not a bigamist, the marriage wasn't legal, no registrar was present & nothing was signed, the marriage wasn't even consummated thanks to the bloody Nazis !!!
The things that happen to you eh?

I was just playing in a band!!!

Fear and Loathing in Shug O'Neills head.

Shug and Charlie

Currently Shug O'Neill, of The Snipes, and previously of Cocksparrer and the Guttersnipes, has been dredging his memory and writing bits and pieces that will hopefully see the light of day as a book at some point in the future.

Without a doubt it will be a debauched affair of excess and punk shenanigans.

So I am very proud to have a bit of it here, and hopefully every once in a while there will be more updates, but if you want it all you are going to have to wait for the book.

Here is a snippet from his Norwegian adventures with The Guttersnipes.

I used to love touring Norway with The Guttersnipes, it was always wild.

One year (sometime in that blurred decade the 90s) the promoter, Kjell E. Moberg, wanted to put a Belgian band called The Bad Preachers on with us, the other support bands would be local Norwegian bands from whatever City or Town we were playing, we said "cool" so he put us in touch with the Bad Preachers who sent us a CD, band info & a letter describing themselves as Hard Drinking Party Animals who were looking forward to meeting us for some parties & a drinking competition, hahahahaha, they obviously had no idea what they were up against!

The 1st gig was in Kristiansand, we arrived in the afternoon, unloaded the van, set up & sound checked, the Bad Preachers arrived shortly after.

We were then met by 2 Norwegian hippies who I can only describe as the Norwegian Cheech & Chong (thats exactly what they looked like), that were charged with looking after us. One of them took a shine to me instantly & said "you look like a man who likes a good smoke", I said "too right I do" & he said "you're in the right place, you're gonna love this".

They took us down the road to a record shop (their shop), in the basement was their living quarters, big living room, kitchen bedroom, all mod cons, but what we noticed was the crates of beer all stacked up in a corner. They said that's your beer, help yourself, so we did!

We settled down with Cheech & Chong & started smoking spliff & drinking beer & having a laugh, the Bad Preachers sat by themselves looking a bit shy strangely.

Then our hosts decided to start cooking, after a while one of them came back to show me his collection of pipes, he had loads of them & insisted I try some, I was stoned out my fucking head!

Then he brought out his piece de resistance. Hhe went into the freezer and brought out a pipe made out of blue glass, there was steam coming off of it, it looked awesome!

He said "This'll be the coolest smoke you've ever had", it was fucking brilliant, I felt myself levitating.

At this point a worried looking Bad Preacher came up to me & said "what are you doing ? It's the afternoon, we have a gig to play tonight !" I said yeah, its o.k, we'll be fine.

After we'd eaten, we chilled out listening to Rock music with a bit more Spliff & Beer, Andy, our bassist said "it's great here innit, it's like a Heavy Metal Health Farm”.

hahahaha, brilliant quote!

Anyway, eventually, even reluctantly, we went to do the gig, which we did fine, maybe a wee bit slower than usual but good nonetheless.

At the gig a blonde called Karen was really into it & took a real shine to me, she told me she was puttin the Bad Preachers up whilst we were staying with Cheech & Chong but she wanted me to come home with her.

So me, The Bad Preachers, an old Icelandic Hippy guy & a young Norwegian Punk all went back to Karen's. We sat round her kitchen table smoking spliff & drinking beer & telling stories.

The Icelandic Hippy was really entertaining, the young Norwegian Punk was...well, just a daft young punk, the Bad Preachers were strangely normal!

The young punk had had his tongue pierced e few months earlier and kept sticking his tongue out looking for a reaction, eventually we asked him about it.

I said I understand outside piercings but why pierce something on the inside unless you walk about with your tongue out all the time?

His response, "the chicks love it" and started wiggling his tongue !

I said "fair enough now put it away".

Later however, the conversation got onto relationships and past girlfriends, the stupid cunt then said "I haven't had a woman for 2 years".

I was onto him straight away, I said in that case how do you know the chicks love your piercing?

Cue lots of laughter & one very embarrassed young Punk.

Anyway it was well into the small hours now and I was getting tired & just wanted to be left
alone with Karen.

Then a Bad Preacher spoke up and said "we have to travel to another gig tomorrow so we'd like to go to sleep if that's o.k", so Karen showed them to their room, the young Punk lived nearby so he went home, Karen made up a bed for the Icelandic Hippy on the sofa, & said "Shug, you're sleeping with me".

At last!!

The only reason I gave up a mental night at Cheech and Chong's!!

What I didn't know was that she had a kitten, a very jealous kitten!!

As soon as I got into bed with her it jumped on the bed, scrambled up the duvet and sat on my head!

Of course Karen thought this was hilarious, so I'm trying to get all amorous with her with a kitten on my head whilst she's howling laughing!!!

I lost my ardour, you know what it's like guys!

So I gave up and put my head on the pillow, only then did the kitten leave me but positioned itself on the pillow between our two faces.

I couldn't believe it, me, the wild Scottish, Punk Rock Party Animal thwarted by a bloody Norwegian kitten!

I'll never live it down.

Anyway that was just the 1st night of the tour, much more mayhem & merriment followed!

As for the Bad Preachers, they were just totally in awe of us, they'd never seen anyone put so much alcohol & drugs into themselves and still stay standing!

Needless to say the drinking competition never happened, they conceded defeat on the 1st day.

Great guys though, we got on well and became good friends, happy daze!

(To be continued.)


All rights belong to Shug O'Neil. 

Legendary Shack Shakers/The Jackhammers - King Tuts - 26/04/12 (Glasgow)

The Jackhammers

There's a bit of The Ramones, a bit of The Dead Boys and a whole lotta Jackhammers shaking their shambolic stuff on King Tuts stage tonight.

Pile driving (sic) into a set that leaves an audience equally perplexed, bemused and entertained the three piece garage rockers are a sublime example of how a band can exude an attitude of not giving a fuck while actually doing the business.

Sneering through a muscular set of aggressive garage punk songs that rarely, if at all, hit the two minute mark the guys expend the same amount of energy in a fleeting moment than a marathon runner does in an afternoon of slogging it out on the pavements of the major cities around the world.

The effort that they put into the performance is something that is appreciated by those who see that the ramshackle aspect is part of the act.

Are they the hardest working slackers on the punk rock circuit?

Quite possibly.

The icing on the cake was that they had some merch with the image of a sex dwarf on it.

Dang... this band just answered my dreams.

I've been looking for a sex dwarf t-shirt for years.

After the mach-speed fury that was The Jackhammers we got to the come down that was Dirty Old Red.

Accomplished musicians they may well be, but it was glaringly obvious that they were on the wrong bill.

Sandwiched between The Jackhammers and The Legendary Shack Shakers should be a band that have a hint of danger about them.

They should have their toes on the line of acceptable behaviour and threaten to step over it at every opportunity.

That's not Dirty Old Red.

It was like having JLS coming on stage after Anthrax and before Motorhead.

None of that is to say that they aren't a good band, just that their inclusion on the bill sort of boggles the mind.

The memory of them playing took a heavy hit when the Shack Shakers came on and shook the walls.

The stereotypical claim that a band owned the stage became a reality.

Last time I seen them I was quietly impressed but I wasn't blown away as others had claimed I would be.

This was a whole different ball game though.

Now I have been blown away.

JD Wilkes is a gurning maniac, a redemptive lunatic southern baptist preacher inviting us to join him in the St Vitus dance.

JD Wilkes

The sounds of punk, the blues and rockabilly are layered together and hammered into a shape that evokes the spirit of the revivalist tents.

Only in this tent the moonshine is flowing freely, Jerry Lee Lewis is the master of ceremonies and he's looking to start a fight.

God is in one corner, the Devil in the other, and the outcome is uncertain.

The band are tightly coiled and assuming the role of storm wranglers.

The guitarist, bassist and drummer are holding JD Wilkes between them and all his energies are being forced outwards into the crowd.

Thankfully the crowd are gleefully weathering the storm and letting the experience batter at them with smiles on their faces.

There's not many bands that can maintain a level of consistent energy throughout a show that would have the needle always in the red, but the Legendary Shack Shakers can.

This is a blood, sweat and tears performance, and while it is just that, a performance, you can't see where the line is drawn between it being an act and the real deal.

As a front-man Wilkes could very well be channelling something more through his wiry frame.

Is he he speaking in tongues? In the grip of angels or demons?

I doubt it, but he plays the man possessed to the hilt and I'd happily watch him wrestling with himself to convey that feeling every night if I could.

Jack White - Blunderbuss

Widely touted as a debut album it may be, but 'Blunderbuss' is really a debut in name only.

There's no great departure from what we have come to expect from Jack White as an artist, and instead Blunderbuss is really a continuation of what what he is known for, and what he is known for is mining the sounds of the past and dragging little nuggets of gold screaming and kicking into the present.

While some laud his magpie tendencies and dub them eclectic, that would seem to be a situation where the listener is so close to the subject matter that they can't see the big picture.

Take a step back and it becomes apparent that his love of reinventing the music from yesteryear is the common thread that he very rarely strays far from.

That is not a criticism though, as it would be blatantly unfair to describe Blunderbuss as a same shit different day release.

Like a shark Jack White is still relentlessly moving forward, and while his latest release may well be rooted in the blues, soul and the garage sound of the sixties and seventies - with a bit of country thrown in for good measure - it is also a body of work that sits comfortably in the here and now.

It's fresh sounding and there's a current running through it that will raise the hairs on your neck.

If each album he has released could be described as a signpost on the highway then he has certainly moved down the road a little way.

It seems obvious to me that regardless of what bands he has been involved in it has been his own vision that has led the way, and he has always stamped his authority over the music created.

The only difference this time is that he is has publicly stepped forth to take the credit for his work under his own name.