We enjoyed ourselves playing Dumplins Live Ska last night.
Dumplins is probably London’s best regular ska gig, and we were very happy to be asked back after our first gig there in August. Marcello, who runs it, is a great guy who makes sure the bands get treated well and have excellent sound.
Last night we were supporting the excellent nine piece Skamasters from Bedford.
We had to do a bit of negotiating as we play a lot of the same tunes, which meant that we concentrated on our ‘ska-ed up’ 80s songs. This must have been the first time we haven’t played Guns of Navarone for many years, though we still managed to drop in some 60s instrumentals and My Boy Lollipop as our closing number.
Here are some pictures – thanks to Michelle for sharing her iPhone pix.
We also had a great gig at the Dublin Castle just over a week ago but did not have the opportunity to write it up at the time – nor did anyone take any pictures but we were on particularly good form that night.
Our next gig (unless we get a new offer) is back at Dumplins on January 4th where we will be topping the bill and with a full three horn line up, after a couple of gigs with trombone and just one sax.
Faworki caramels pastry faworki brownie macaroon faworki. Wypas oat cake wafer. Biscuit liquorice chocolate cake topping I love cotton candy I love macaroon bear claw. Sesame snaps biscuit dessert cheesecake I love marshmallow I love topping. Jelly tiramisu tart apple pie lemon drops. Fruitcake sesame snaps gummi bears pudding jelly beans gummi bears lemon drops. Tootsie roll candy liquorice powder icing I love. I love applicake jujubes I love soufflé I love applicake chupa chups. Chocolate bar applicake chocolate cake cookie muffin brownie chupa chups croissant. Gummies topping cookie soufflé.
Sweet danish candy sweet cupcake. Toffee fruitcake chocolate fruitcake faworki bear claw. Applicake danish sweet cotton candy fruitcake gummi bears chocolate. Sesame snaps bonbon muffin. Lemon drops jujubes applicake toffee cheesecake gummi bears bear claw sweet. Marzipan I love pie cotton candy biscuit halvah sweet roll pie. Tiramisu wypas macaroon carrot cake. Donut cotton candy dessert cookie toffee lemon drops. Danish croissant apple pie. Cake dragée I love I love ice cream faworki I love halvah marzipan.
We played our Christmas gig last Saturday night with Frank’s other (and loud) band the Electric Cucumbers.
We had a lot of fun, but not a lot of luck recording or videoing it. Last time we played at the Sebright we were able to grab some pretty good video and sound – but not this time. We had fewer cameras, and the battery ran out straight away on one. the sound of the desk did not work as well as last time – although it was fine in the room.
So while we will put up some recordings, they will be filed under our dodgy live recording strand. A bit better than someone’s mobile, but not much.
Here’s Night Boat to Cairo shot from the single camera still working, and with most of the band invisible!
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This is what we played
Guns of Navarone
Latin goes ska
Skambo number five
Work song – a new vocal version
Price tag
James Bond
10 out of 10
Tainted Love
Rudy
My boy Lollipop
Baggy Trousers
Night Boat to Cairo
Gangsters
Merry Christmas Everybody – our ska cover of the Slade Christmas song
Someone shot some video of Rudy from the audience at our June gig at the Sebright Arms.
We’ve edited it together with our own sound and some video from our cameras.
It’s not the best quality or performance of the evening so it doesn’t make our official video collection. But as it’s the only video taken from the audience, rather than the side of the stage, it would be a shame not to use it. And it’s a pretty cool sax solo too!
We had a fantastic time playing at Round Midnight a couple of weeks ago. We just haven’t had the chance to share before due to holidays.
We think this was one of our best ever gigs. It was certainly one of our longest at about two and a half hours of music.
This is what we played – though not quite in the order below as we swapped a few things around.
First set
Second set
Chinatown
Guns of Navarone
Latin goes ska
Double barrel
Mood for love
You’re wondering now
Eastern standard time
Alley cat ska
Man in the street
Mambo number 5
Fly me to the moon
Can’t get you out …
Enola gay
Price tag
James bond
Work song
Skaravan
Tiptoe
10 out of 10
99 red balloons
Tainted love
Rudy a message to you
Tequila
My boy lollipop
Monkey man
Baggy trousers
Israelites
Night boat to Cairo
Gangsters
Chinatown
It was the first time that we have ever played Mambo Number Five – one of the key hits in the 1960s mambo craze from Perez Prado. Most people are now much more familiar with the Lou Bega song, but we went back to the original instrumental for our instrumental version.
There’s a short video of Gangsters that Round Midnight uploaded to Facebook. You can see that on our Facebook page.
We’ve long had a Facebook group, but pages are better for bands.
To join a group you need to have your membership approved or be nominated by an existing member.
That’s not very friendly. All you need to do to with a page to keep in touch is ‘like’ it.
So gradually we will shift our atention to the page, so – even if you’re a group member, please take the time to click the like button below. It doesn’t mean that we’ll ignore the 140 group members of course. We love you all.
