Quick cold shower then into Waggamammas Covent Garden meeting Debbie and Lily-Rose fresh from the Nutcracker ballet (loved it) and Olly and Sheren fresh from Hollywood costumes at the V&A. Good food and bottles of wine later we say farewell to Debbie and Lily-Rose then Olly, Sheren and I pop into Gordons at Embankment for 3 large tumblers of dry sherry looking at the ageing newspaper front pages on the walls and talking footie. Debs idea to show them where her and I first met. Ah, good memories!
Next a quick tube ride to TCR and into the Borderline where Olly is wetting himself at the thought of seeing Rat Scabies who's drumming for the main band tonight. Soon the 15 piece punk covers ukulele band The Pukes ("Too Drunk to Pluck") take the stage. Brilliantly anarchic renditions of classic songs highlights include a surprisingly authentic sounding Hong Kong Garden (Banshees), Banned from the Pubs (Peter and the Test Tube Babies), Holidays in Cambodia (Dead Kennedys) and the sublime So What (Anti Nowhere League). Takes Olly and I back to our Brum hard core gigging days. Ah, good times!
Great DJ churning out more classics but I pop outside for a breath of fresh air where I get chatting to a couple of hard core punk Berliner girls comparing the punk sensibilities of that hot bed of dissent with London. The mohican sporting girl apparently introduced the punk fashion accessory of rats to London but I'm not so sure about that. Back downstairs in the club another round and Olly nearly loses control when Rat hops up the stairs barwards and manhandles him out the way. I'll never wash my arm again exclaims my learned friend. After a few more sub three minute punk singles from the DJ The Members take the stage now a 3 piece with 2 original Members (geddit?!?) and Mr Scabies. Unlikely looking couple one balding the other festooned with early rapper chains circa late 70s. Not knowing what to expect but a tight set of great Members classics melding punky tunes with reggae taking me all the way back to late 70s post punk. During a bass related technical difficulty Rat shows off his drumming solo skills then we're back into those heavy bass rhythms. For their signature Sound of the Suburbs the whole of the ukulele band come on stage and the evening ends as anarchically as it started. Great stuff! We mill around chatting to various Pukes members who seem to be half the club (it's not that crowded really) and the Germans before Sheren saves Rat from what could have been a rather nasty slip on the steps telling him to Be Careful to which he replies OK I Will. Another brush with punk royalty! Olly pleads with Sheren never to wash the hand that saved the Damned drummer. We attempt to exit but get stuck chatting for ages to various Pukes just outside the club but eventually make it out to the street where an anxious looking Scabies hurries past on his way back into the club it being my turn to make contact with the punk icon. God it sounds like we're teeny boppers talking about David Essex or Bay City Woody. From early 80s Brum days I'm now firmly back in Bath late 70s punky reggae party mood. Ah, memories of my youth!
Next morning I'm writing this listening to Paul Weller and Bradley Wiggins' Christmas special with great tunes and chat. For services to cycling, sideburns, amateur musicianship and generally all round great blokeness Arise Sir Wiggo!
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| Most of The Pukes |
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| All of The Pukes |
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| Left to right: The Pukes, Rat's hair, The Members |
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