Written just before the full lockdown, Ivan Thunders (Thee Lucifer Sams / Liverpool Psychedelic Society) took a works trip to London and checked some socially distanced events whilst there.
This Tier 3 thing hitting "Up North" is tough. You can't mix with different households and can only drink if you're also having a substantial meal - which means, chances of having a good time have been considerably reduced these days. Pandemic or no pandemic, it's quite important to try and get on with your life, right? To top all that, by late October I was a bit too skint for comfort, and also missing live gigs. So there was only one thing to do - sell a guitar pedal I wasn't using to get some funds, get a £10 return ticket by coach, and spend a weekend in London getting smashed on as many Tier 2 pints as I could, crashing at cheap hostels, and catching a few (socially distanced) live gigs.
But, it was also a good opportunity to do some leg work - scouting possible venues for future Liverpool Psychedelic Society events in the capital and investigating the availability of psychedelics in these times when even the supply of toilet paper could be cast into doubt at the mere flick of Rishi Sunak's finger (let's hope it doesn't happen, of course!)
I'm pleased to say my long journey on a National Express coach was well worth it and, yes, it's all been quite safe, under the circumstances.
Of course, in today's climate it's impossible to even contemplate gigs like a sold-out Oh Sees concert or a big festival. But, thankfully for fans of small gigs and more underground music, it is still possible to put events in a safely manner. My first stop in London was at AMP studios, in Peckham, for a night organised by Neutral Zone Events - a socially distanced, seated event in a big room under an old railway arch.
Neutral Zone is run by Patrick Lyons, a local legend, poet and cultural agitator who've been organising gigs in South London for a good while now and, amongst other things, helped bands such as the Fat White Family from the very start, when other promoters wouldn't.
I got to AMP Studios a bit late and missed the opening poetry acts (Jo Wonder, Jerry Mitchell, pH7 aka Patrick Lyons himself) as well as Me=U, a band described as "a collective of musicians, film makers, performance artists, poets and revolutionaries in composing change". Damn, that sounded interesting already... but at least I was lucky enough to catch the final half of Texas Bob Juarez's Sparklestars set. Bob is a member of post-punk legends Television Personalities and toured worldwide, as well as organising the Creation Dream Machine events for Alan McGee. He's an unique, passionate performer, who manages to sound epic just accompanied by his 12-string acoustic guitar, and his tales of love and woe set in L.A. are very engaging, with memorable melodies that take you to unexpected places.
Next was Misty Miller, who also performed mostly solo with her Fender Mustang guitar, and later on the set accompanied by her brother Rufus on acoustic and backing vocals. This was a more pared-down set, with a touch of Tess Parks and a touch of NYC-stye No-Folk. Accomplished, gentle, and very classic. Pleasant.
This being a smaller, less conventional affair, meant that you could have some unexpected surprises, unlike in bigger events. And so, an young chap with a big quiff who called himself, erm, Elvis, stepped in to play, well, some Elvis song, with whoever else offered themselves to join him on stage as a backing band. Well, it worked pretty well and was good fun!
Finally, headliners Dan Cross & The Paingivers, showcasing new songs from a forthcoming album recorded during lockdown, to be called 'Cup Of Thrills'. With some great guitars, tight drumming and some creative arrangements (which included some saucepan percussion) they were the perfect closing act for this excellent night in Peckham.
The following day, I finally got round to see the Sitar Service at Helgi's, in Hackney. They perform there once a month, always on the fourth Sunday, for an afternoon and an evening set playing psychedelic, indian-style versions of popular rock classics, sung in Hindi. Songs included My Generation (the Who), Whole Lotta Love (Led Zep) and Fire (Jimi Hendrix) and let me tell you - this is a great way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon in London. The songs - performed with sitar, djembe and harmonium - sound suitably psychedelic and offer a fresh take on those old classics. This is a band I definitely want to check out many more times, and visiting Helgi's on a Sunday when they're playing is a must for any serious fan of psych - if you haven't seen them yet, you are missing a treat.
Like in the previous night, this gig was also a seated event with social distancing - and no-one seemed to mind, it was still a great experience. With winter looming close and no end in sight for this pandemic, maybe it's about time people just faced the fact that things WON'T get better any time soon, and we'd all accept this and adapt, rather than just giving up. Kudos to everyone who's organising gigs (in new, but sensible ways!) an those who are coming to those events. Let's follow the rules, even when we don't agree with them. Let's do our best to respect others and keep safe, for sure - but none of that mans we have to just yield to negativity and give up - these gigs I've been to happened under Tier 2 restrictions, but I really believe that even under Tier 3 it is still possible to have events like these. Let's keep music alive!
Words and Pictures: Ivan Thunders
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