Best Ever Albums

Re: My Musical Musings by Johnnyo

Johnnyo — Mon, 8 Jun 2026 01:31:21 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 06/08/2026 05:31

A rather different gig yesterday.

The Staines Lammas Brass Band playing at the Walled Garden in Sunbury, just down the road from me. Lovely setting and a great way to while away a couple of hours.

Great musicians and a lovely afternoon

Re: My Musical Musings by Johnnyo

Johnnyo — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 04:29:40 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 06/04/2026 08:29

Saw a couple of great bands last night at Patchworks.

The Intransigents, who i have spoken about before, were supporting The Long 90's who are a fabulous act with a stellar guitarist who reminded me a little of Lindsey Buckingham playing.

The Long 90's have a Richmond Fontaine / The Jayhawks feel to them. All their own material. which is very good + a cover of Old Man by Neil Young to finish the night

Excellent night all round

Re: My Musical Musings by Johnnyo

Johnnyo — Sat, 30 May 2026 04:37:25 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 05/30/2026 08:37

There are evocative and legendary music venue scattered around the world and London, where I live has had its fair share. The Marquee, Town & Country Club, Crawdaddy, The Astoria, The Mean Fiddler, all gone now but a few still remain including the legendary 100 Club where I saw Beth Rowley last night.

It’s never been an all time favourite venue of mine, the stage is placed really awkwardly for one thing, but it’s got a great atmosphere and well-appointed bars and since it got aircon, you aren’t sweating your b******s off in this basement club.

I’ve seen Beth play before with a full band and she rocks. Last night was her, her harmonica and a guitarist so a far more intimate gig with maybe 250 people there. I found the gig very moving especially the gospel / spiritual songs that she did and her amazing voice suits these songs really well.

All in all, a lovely night despite the trains going into Waterloo totally messed up and therefore a convoluted journey home

Re: My Musical Musings by Johnnyo

Johnnyo — Thu, 28 May 2026 03:20:08 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 05/28/2026 07:20

I'm always looking for new bands, hopefully local ones, that I can get excited about and just found two who really excite me (although one is from half way around the world but.....)

Went to a single launch gig at Patchworks in SW London (rapidly becoming one of my favourite venues in London).

First up was Tilla. Sort of low-fi ambient stuff. Not really my thing but an OK start to the evening.

Next up, from New Zealand were Sheep, Dog & Wolf who, as i understand have been around for a while but new to me. Heard them compared to Sufjan Stevens which i get. i also get a bit of Jeff Buckley going on here. Very impressive

Last up and the ones promoting there single were Speedial, a London based alt four-piece.

They have dual female vocalists and a great saxophonist. a rather unique sound not dissimilar to Throwing Muses or Goat Girl but it's Definitly their own sound. Really like this band who may go a long way

Re: My Musical Musings by Johnnyo

Johnnyo — Fri, 8 May 2026 01:50:52 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 05/08/2026 05:50

Another great gig from a top performer, Errol Linton

Erroll and the band played a great, fairly new venue, in SW London, The Hampton Hub. Cheap beer (for London anyway), excellent sound system and only two stops on the train from home, what's not to love

We got the usual mix of blues and reggae with great musicianship and as always, loved seeing Erroll play harmonica. He's probably the best player in the UK, hands down.

Re: My Musical Musings by Johnnyo

Johnnyo — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:12:22 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 04/16/2026 08:12

Another gig at Patchworks in SW London which is fast becoming one of my favourite venues.

Tomas Doncker And The True Groove All-Stars rocked the joint last night and I think, of the five times that I've seen them play, this was probably the best.

Only down side was that it was only about a quarter full which is either a sign that it was a Wednesday (which is a notoriously bad day for a gig) or maybe that people are getting a little strapped for cash. Whatever the reason, they missed out on a great Soul / blues (with a bit of reggae thrown in) gig

Catch them if you can

Re: My Musical Musings by Johnnyo

Johnnyo — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 05:21:09 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 03/11/2026 09:21

Saw Thurston Moore at Café Oto in Dalston, North London. Great venue which I've been to before but what a weird gig.

It would appear that Thurston is now into discordant / atonal jazz and the set and a bit that I heard was basically unlistenable (for me anyway). Others seemed to really love it and I don't mind a bit of discordant but this was off the charts.

After the first 40 minute set I was fearing the worst for the next set and after about five minutes of the same I had to say my goodbyes and leave.

This gig gets added to a very, very short list of gigs that I've left early because I couldn't take it anymore

Still, it was a good night out with friends, very decent beer and a great venue. disappointed yes, because the last time I saw him live it was brilliant but C'est la vie

Re: My Musical Musings by Johnnyo

Johnnyo — Wed, 4 Mar 2026 09:27:44 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 03/04/2026 14:27

The Zac Schulze Gang

Saw them supporting Samantha Fish. Really good Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac sound. Did a great version of Oh Well!

Worth catching if they are playing in your area and you love a bit of blues rock[/u]

Re: My Musical Musings by Johnnyo

Johnnyo — Sun, 1 Mar 2026 04:37:14 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 03/01/2026 09:37

Samantha Fish

Another great gig by one of the best blues rock guitarists around.

Saw her at the Empire, in Shepherds Bush here in London. Great crowd who really got into it. The sound wasn't quite right at the start but after a couple of tracks they got it bang on

The band started with a cover of MC5's Kick Out The Jams, as they did the last time we saw her and finished with RL Burnsides Goin Down South, as last time but in-between we 1 1/2 hours of tracks from her new album and some Fish classics.

All in all, a great gig. Already looking forward to next time

Re: My Musical Musings by Johnnyo

Johnnyo — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 10:45:43 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 02/22/2026 15:45

Saw the intransigents play patchworks in SW London last week.

Great band who are getting better with each gig. Excellent musicians and material.

Re: My Musical Musings by Johnnyo

Johnnyo — Fri, 6 Feb 2026 04:33:44 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 02/06/2026 09:33

An artists that I forgot to mention is Ben De La Cour

Saw him play In support of Lucinda Williams.

Very decent support act. Think a little Steve Earle / Townes Van Zandt.

A good start to the evening

Re: My Musical Musings by Johnnyo

Johnnyo — Fri, 6 Feb 2026 04:22:09 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 02/06/2026 09:22

Really interesting afternoon gig yesterday at an amazing venue.

I saw The Karma Effect at the Gibson Garage here in Central London. For anyone who is a guitar aficionado, the Gibson Garage must be your nirvana. It Gibsons store in London with a small venue in the basement. You have to walk through the shop to get to the stairs to the venue and what an experience.

Glanced at the prices of some of the guitars, way out of my price bracket but such craftsmanship.

So, the gig. The Karma Effect are a UK rock band and they were playing acoustic for this gig. Think

Five Man Acoustical Jam (1990) by Tesla

and you get the vibe

Anyway, really good gig, loads of banter and I think that I'll try and catch these guys when they play a electric set next. Very enjoyable afternoon

Re: My Musical Musings by Johnnyo

Johnnyo — Wed, 4 Feb 2026 04:37:41 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 02/04/2026 09:37

The last time that I saw Lucinda Williams play live was at a small venue in East London pre pandemic so maybe 2018. Last night I saw her at the very prestigious Barbican here in London. I'm guessing it holds 2500 so a very different experience this time around for many reasons.

For those of you who aren't aware, Lou had a stroke in 2020 and has made some recovery but she isn't the performer that I saw in 2018, she can't play guitar anymore and it was quite shocking to see how small she looks now compared to previous but what a trooper. If you read about how the stroke affected her it's amazing that she is performing at all. A real fighter

I wasn't sure what to expect from the gig but it was really good. The set list was clearly chosen to work around Lou's physical limitations and she has a band of really great musicians. Her voice, IMO, has improved over the years or maybe it's that she can't yell as well anymore but her delivery was really great.

All in all a top notch gig. Keep on rockin' Lou

Re: My Musical Musings by Johnnyo

Johnnyo — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 04:20:58 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 01/31/2026 09:20

At the Garage in Islington (North London) last night. Have I just witnesses my gig of the year and its only January? Most possibly.

The Dream Syndicate gigs are always special, but this one was off the wall great.

40th anniversary of their 2nd album,

Medicine Show (1984) by The Dream Syndicate

(which also happens to be my favourite DS album) so they played 2 set, the first was their 21st Century output. Some fantastic psychedelic / jazz rock with the highlights being How Did I Find Myself Here and a blistering version of Glide.

A quick break and into Medicine Show. Words really can’t describe how brilliant this was. It would be churlish to have a favourite track, but it has to be John Coltrane Stereo Blues (JCSB). Always a live favourite with fans and this version, including a section of A Love Supreme thrown in for good measure mid-section.

Their encores would usually end with JCSB so this time it was the fantastic Days Of Wine And Roses. Phenomenal gig

A shout out for Dennis Duck (the drummer) who had an emergency and couldn’t play the gig. Hope everything is OK with him. Losing your drummer at the 11th hour, for most band would be a major problem, not for Dream Syndicate. In stepped Linda Pitmon, Steve Wynns wife who is a brilliant drummer and session musician in her own right. She was brilliant. No drum solos (the piss me off) just driving the songs forward at a ferocious pace alongside Mark Walton on bass.

As I’m namechecking the band, Steve and Jason Victor on guitars were brilliant as always. With Steve, Linda and Jason on stage together it was almost like a Miracle 3 reunion.

Amazing night and they played for over two hours.

Re: My Musical Musings by Johnnyo

Johnnyo — Wed, 3 Dec 2025 04:18:41 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 12/03/2025 09:18

Great night last night at the always excellent Patchworks in SW London. Saw two great bands.

First up were the Intransigents, a band of aging rockers with 1000's of gigs under their belts between then in various bands. Because they all play in other bands and this is a bit of a side project they play All covers but non that most people would know. Bands like Green On Red, The Au Pairs and Television. Think CBGB's in the early 80's. They did a great cover of Massive Attacks Safe From harm. Great energy and musicianship.

Topping the bill were The Fades a post punk band who have been around for at least 20 years and always put on a great chow.

All in all, a great night and met up with a few friends for a pint and a chat. What's not to love

Re: My Musical Musings by Johnnyo

Johnnyo — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 10:37:35 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 11/10/2025 15:37

Paradigm Shift (2020) by Pandamoanium

First up at the Hackney Prog Festival were these guys.

Drum, bass & lead guitar and very much at the heavy rock end of prog. Excellent musicians, all instrumental. Very nice way to kick off the festival

Re: My Musical Musings by Johnnyo

Johnnyo — Sun, 9 Nov 2025 05:08:06 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 11/09/2025 10:08

I've not mussed in a while so thought that I'd share, over the next few days, the inaugural Hackney Prog Festival, held at a new venue to me, Signature Brew (SB) in Haggerston. I've lived in London for over 40 years and never ventured to Haggerston before. A rather interesting place with the Regents Canal running through it. Need to make a return visit soon and check out more than the area around SB.

Excellent venue with both indoor and outdoor areas and literally on the other side of a pedestrian section from the Regents Canal.

Holds at max, I'd say 200 so a very intimate setting. One stage and six acts on the bill starting at 2 and ending around 10.30. Very good venue in a converted arches, very nice staff, good beer and a very nice and appreciative crowd.

More to come on the acts shortly

Re: My Musical Musings by Johnnyo

Johnnyo — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 04:22:36 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 10/31/2025 08:22

Brilliant gig at The Union Chapel from the Drive By Truckers frontman Patterson Hood. Just Patterson on acoustic guitar accompanied by a great pianist (shame I didn't catch his name). The perfect setting for an intimate acoustic gig.

He played tracks from both his solo albums, the new album is fantastic, and also tracks by the DBT's. About a 50 / 50 split.

A very engaging artist, with great stories interjecting between brilliantly performed songs. A thoroughly enjoyable night. Two sets as well so over two hours of Patterson

Re: My Musical Musings by Johnnyo

Johnnyo — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 04:30:51 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 09/26/2025 08:30

Slade In Flame (1974) by Slade

Not quite a gig last night at the Exchange in Twickenham (SW London) but thought that I'd included it anyway.

50th anniversary screening of the film and, although the film is a little suspect, the music really stands up.

Interesting night and an audience of a certain age!

Re: My Musical Musings by Johnnyo

Johnnyo — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 04:27:53 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 09/23/2025 08:27

Well, last nights gig was interesting!

Started off with Whitney K who was supporting Howe Gelb at the Denmark Street Rough Trade. First time that I had been to a gig at Denmark Street. A little too cramped for my liking.

Whitney K is Canadian Konner Whitney. Very nice stuff. Interesting lyricism, a little rough around the edges but a very engaging guy. Enjoyed his set quite a bit

Then came Howe. First time that I had seen him solo and, we all know him as a disrupter, well, last night he continually disrupter himself to such a degree that, for the first time in my life, I felt like leaving gone of his gigs. Too much. I stated because the ever excellent Stewart Lee (a UK comedian) was doing a Q & A with Howe. That was very amusing and the best part of the gig.

It was as if Howe was just making music up on the spot. Not what I want to see at a gig that I've paid money to go to. If it's free, maybe, but.....

Very disappointed