So nothing else for it. Bite the bullet and get back to some semblance of what passes for reality. I’m not a big fan of reality and realise full well that I’ve had more than my share of too much fun recently. Hanging out in Paris, where the sun shone, the beers flowed and the company was topper is something I could easily get used to. Being able to stand outside with a glass, where people dig good music and aren’t pondlife is something of a treat. This little corner of the city was positively buzzin’.
Friday’s scene took a brief dip when some opportunist scum nicked off with various
Barracudas items that were a souvenir too far. They rose above it though and delivered a set peppered with those great songs that underline the fact that they’ve always been contenders as opposed to one hit wonders. I hope that Jeremy takes some time out from his work as a George Clooney likealook (George C. Looney) to get back with his gang on a more regular basis. Having Rob and Yan in the band to bolster Robin and Chris adds a wealth of power. The new album is all set to be a cracker. Of course the finale, on the day that we’d just heard of Greg’s passing, was even more poignant. He had mentored both The ‘cudas and The Flamin’ Groovies and when Roy (Loney) took the stage for the Yesterdays Numbers/Teenage Head/Slow Death triple whammy then we all felt the force. It was one of these great historical meldings that actually worked on all levels. Something that just takes on another dimension because of the sheer energy involved. I get the impression that this isn’t the last time Roy will take a stage with these guys. Let’s just leave it at that for now. Roy Loney has never gone away but he's gonna be coming to getcha.
La Maroquinarie is an excellent spot with good air conditioning to get shot of that smoke. The folks from
Gloria that organised the shindig really know how to throw a party and Paris should be bloody glad that they’ve got people like that in their corner.
Roy Loney was actually in Paris to “open” the
Roberta Bayley/Leee Black Childers photo exhibit in the café area upstairs from the club. His acoustic set was a revelation and theres a fabulous review on the Groovies Yahoo board that the author has kindly given me permission to share with you so watch this blog. Leee was great and is a huge Star Spangles fan so how exactly could he be any cooler? I met Roberta briefly and she says there’ll be a much bigger exhibit with a big rockin’ show to go along with it next May, so stay tuned for the poop on that as and when it comes together.
You’d think
The Nomads played every night of the week. The fluidity and sheer rock chutzpah that they exude is always a revelation to me. I mean I know to expect a good show but they always raise the game. Anybody reading this in Norway should check out their local listings cuz they’re headed your way.
It was a heckuva couple of days with only one real downside. Being in chief pillock mode, I forgot to take Ms Stevie Gomez’s phone number with me and ergo couldn’t contact her. Head like a sieve but wodjagonnado… as it turns out we must have been within feet of one another both nights.
And now a further bombshell to follow Greg Shaw and Dave Godin. John Peel is the latest in a line of decent upstanding individuals that have shuffled of this mortal coil. I never knew Peel or had any personal contact with him really but he was someone you never even considered wouldn’t always be around.
Our friends, Laura Cantrell and Jeremy Tepper were just at his 65th Birthday Party when they were over at the end of August and the Glasgow band Camera Obscura played at the event. It was great to hear him introduce our other NY bud, Jon Graboff when he and Laura did the New Year thing with him last year. The chasm he will leave in terms of what he did in campaigning for “real music” is simply unfathomable. He was a true champion that played by gut instinct and this is the end of an era, the like of which there can never be again.
