The Next Big Thing

Count Bishops, Eddie & the Hot Rods. 100 Club, London, Friday Sept 23.
Thirty years ago this line-up would have probably been the hottest ticket in town, while hardly a year later both of these bands lost their place in the limelight thanks to the arrival of the Sex Pistols, Clash and their ilk. Not that they didn't soldier on without any success, but they never became as big they once seemed destined to be. So was it worth flying off to London to catch 'm in action once again all these years down the line you ask?. The answer is a resoundin' "YEAH!". The Hot Rods had only been added to the bill as special guests after I booked a flight to see the Bishops so that was a nice extra, and they certainly didn't disappoint. Even with Barrie Masters bein' the only original member, his current Rods are thus relatively young and still very energetic. Three new songs and a drumsolo stop me from givin' 'em both thumbs up, but with a setlist that included solid renditions of Telephone Love, Teenage Depression, Quit This Town, Life On The Line, and of course Do Anything You Wanna Do there's hardly any reason to argue against 'em. While Barrie & Co. are still somewhat of a going concern, The Count Bishops re-united especially for Ace Records' thirtieth anniversary party. For whatever reason I've been somewhat obsessed by this band for ages, but sadly never caught 'm live in their heyday. So when news of this on/off get together reached these shores all was set aside to make sure I'd be there this go 'round. Up on stage this Friday were Johnny Guitar, Dave Tice, Pat McMullen and a Australian drummer who's name I failed to catch (apparently both Mike Spencer and Steve Lewins were in attendance as well but neither went up on stage. Original rhythm guitar player Zenon de Fleur, who passed away in 1979, was represented by a large photo on top of on of the amps). Any doubts about dropping some serious coin to see these guys were quickly wiped out as soon as Tice opened his gravel throated yapper (Kenny Loggins hairdo or no). And when Johnny Guitar finally shifted into third gear a couple of songs into the set things couldn't have been better. The sound was perfect and there were thankfully no attempts to "update" their sound/looks with lengthy solo's, flying v's and ponytails. Just pure rockin' sounds with Johnny's razorsharp guitar attack bein' the absolute highlight for me. He also took over vocal duties for Train, Train (originally Zenon's tour-de-force), a brave attempt that brought on mucho goosebumps. Other highlights included a poundin' I Want Candy and a powerhouse take on Taste 'n Try. All 'n all this was a perfect night (and let's not forget Dave 'Boss' Goodman spinnin' many a Nugget for the rest of the evening). What with the Bishops spreaded all over the globe these days I don't think they'll repeat these kind o' thing anytime soon, but if so; do make sure you'll be there. In the meantime, be on the lookout for Ace Records upcomin' CD re-issues of the Bishops 2nd and 3rd LPs for some hi-octane Brit R&B.