Happy holidays, dear friend, from your dapper friends at Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. And, to keep things merry, for your consideration we offer up a festive trio of shows this week -- featuring a rockabilly revue with our Ropin' Records pals Ace Brown & His Ohio Valley Boys (Cleveland, OH) and Johnny Carlevale & The Rollin' Pins (Providence, RI)!

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27th / OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD / 538 East 14th Street (just west of Avenue B) in Manhattan / 8:00 sharp until 11:30 / No cover!

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28th / HANK'S SALOON /
46 Third Avenue (at the corner of Atlantic Avenue) in Brooklyn / 10:00 sharp until 1:00 / No cover!

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29th / RODEO BAR & GRILL /
375 Third Avenue (at the corner of 27th Street) in Manhattan / 10:30 sharp until 1:30 / No cover!

Season's greetings! Sincerely- Michael
Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co.
"Ballads, Boogies & Blues"

"La Mecanique Ondulatoire is a rather small venue near by the place de la Bastille in Paris. But the place was filled up with true fans of the Flamin Groovies yesterday evening. It was a perfect opportunity for some members of the "Flamin Groovies en France" group to meet. JLBassman, Patrick and myself got to meet Anthony who is playing bass on Chris' album in progress and who is doing the nice Chris Wilson Web page. Chris Wilson did three sets during the evening. First was acoustic with the mandatory cover of "Chimes of freedom", why is Chris way of singing this again reminding me of Roky Erickson? I noticed a rare acoustic version of "You tore me down".

Soon Chris was going to his pirate setlist a la Shane Mc Gowan singing traditional Irish songs. The second set was electric, Chris being backed by an efficient French band, the BaDmen, obviously fans of the Groovies themselves. The set started with "feel whole lota better", Chris playing his immaculate twelve string Rickenbaker, which he had to re-tune every other song ("if you ever saw the Groovies live, you remember this happened all of the time" was his comment).The guitar player then asked Chris what about playing now "Talahassee Lassie".

"No way !!" replied the singer.Actually, I had been told by the band members before the show that during rehearsals with Chris they had mentioned that song as one of their Groovies favourites and he had told them he considered it as a too old song. So the request on stage had been like a private joke between them. The following went faster, bust out at full speed, we were treated with "Shake some action",( I have put a video clip I shot at : http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni8cjkI7X80 )"First plane home", "Yes I am", "Jumpin' in the night" this one a bit chaotic. Eventually Chris left the ever going out of tune Rickenbaker to hold a Gibson. There was "When I heard your name" and the classic vintage Groovies doublet "Teenage Head" and "Slow Death".

At the end of the set, I realized that having heavy smokers in the audience in a closed ceiling was producing a really hazy foggy and thick atmosphere. I was expecting tar to condensate on the cold beer glass I was drinking. I went to discuss with Chris exchanging memories of '72, that concert for the commercial center opening in Creteil. "T'was a long time ago" Then Anthony gave me an update about the recording of the new album, scheduled to be ready next February. I was introduced by Anthony to a former Groovies roadie who had come with the band from San Francisco to London in 1972 and stayed in England with them. He confirmed me that some live tapes from that time must exist somewhere.. my holy Grail..Chris went back on stage for a third set, using an acoustic guitar and wearing that idiosyncrasic folk singer tool, the harp holder around the neck. He gave us then a very moving renddition of out of time songs, starting by Leadbelly's "good bye Irene".. It had been a good evening."

Report from December 20th in Paris by Jacques Ball. Thanks Jacques!