Tuesday, November 25, 2008


Screenprinting Dean and Britta from dan rugh on Vimeo.

(Info courtesy of Mr Ulf)
So have I recovered? Have I heck as like but with Weasel Radio back to help me through the immediate future then I’ll live. As I sped back north I was deeply concious that this was my final gallivant of ’08. I already dealt a little with the DWC stint of the Boonaraaathon but it’s always an utter pleasure to see these girls. They’re a cut above most any of the retro-60’s/garage whatever you want to call it groups that are around today. Pure and simple.

The bill started out with some combo called The DeRellas. Shouty punk rock in a deep shade of ’77 UK punk. They didn’t suck but I don’t ever need to hear this kind of thing at my point on earth. The Boonaaas were playing the first show I’ve seen them do with a guy (Rodeo) on guitar. I miss Tine for sure and he did her proud. They were the fastest and loudest I’ve seen them and they swung in a different sense. It was an effervescent dose of everything that makes music go bang. The “No Blokes in The Boonaraaas!!!” lobby was silenced and veritably it worked.

The Madame Cats didn’t do it for me. It was a discordant racket, not without a little charm and if they sounded like they looked then they should have knocked us out. They had the happiest looking drummer I’ve ever seen since Kim Schifino. Less could have been more but they lost me early on. It had been a long day and I was soaking up the pleasure of being among friends.

Saturday started off well and fell away somewhat. A wrong turn, kinda Sliding Doors scenario ensued as the evening wore on. We got stuck in traffic. Central London is a giant car park and please, if you find yourself there then you’ll have to take the train. Then, the bill was swapped. The Giant Robots came from Switzerland and one of them got sick. The Boonaaa girls did the decent thing and gave then the slack to salvage their show but in doing so, I almost missed them altogether. I left the restaurant to get to the CRC for them starting at 10pm and they were almost done. Your scribe felt like something of a complete dumpling but its them eggs and they can’t be unscrambled. Philosophy be damned though, I couldn’t even watch The Robots because it felt like it woulda been some kind of consolation prize. I am fiercely loyal to my sometimes awry sensibilities. What can I tell ya? And there wasn’t a lot of time to hang out. The girls were heading back to Germany early on Sunday so the game was a bogey.

Other than that I had a swell time. Good to see the crew. I’m back at the coal face and it’s a fraught time but what the fuh. These things are set to try us. Despite the doom and gloom that’s reverberating around the world, there are plans afoot to light up 2009 with the odd flare or three. And Ben Weasel has just announced that there’ll be a new Riverdales album so how’s that for an upswing?