Shame shame shame

Not an auspicious start to the evening as Pete was here 24 hours too early having got the day wrong but I guess you can't expect a Welshman to follow pseudo rhyming slang. He doesn't make it tonight so I'm hanging out with the regulars outside until Nick and then Simon arrive. We're chatting away and miss seeing although hear the first band who are on the bill as Julia and sound pretty good but unfair to really judge them from outside. We're in mourning for Roof Dog who is no longer with us. Later on Shame name check him with a RIP. Once we hear the next band The Whig Whams we have to go inside the sweaty pub. They are thrashing away delivering credible and authentic and more importantly brilliantly energetic garage punk rock. Apparently from San Diego they have swagger like only yanks can get away. The drummer is thrashing away on the kit keeping a steady albeit at times pretty fast beat, The bassist is rocking about the stage in fact he owns the centre of it throwing shapes and headbanging with his shock of blonde hair which Nick asks how he can get away with such a poor haircut but I guess if you're a rock start it don't matter. The guitarist and shouty singer more than matches the others for energy and plays a mean dirty guitar and he should do as surely nothing else would allow him to get away with wearing a back to front baseball cap. Although that seems to be worn by a few here without irony or embarrassment. At the climax the bassist joins the crowd for a brief foray before they're off stage. Great stuff and thanks for coming all this way to entertain us Brits. Next up are / is Lou E who apparently is a solo artist but he has a band tonight so not sure if I've got this wrong. Pretty good jangly indie keeping the punters warmed up but don't really push us further than the WWs have done. Not garage enough for tonight possibly too polished in both looks and music. Next up are Shame who do push us further on in the excitement of live music and the garage ethos. Shame give us a great set of sleazy laid back tunes running through to moshing punk jump arounds. The Windmill's small stage is crowded and the dance floor even more so especially when the moshing starts and the front row of non moshers (me and mates) is pushed back. I was tempted. Very. They sound like a harder dirtier version of Graham Parker and the Rumour and I don't think I've used him as a lazy comparator in any past blog but just thought about him when watching Shame. Must listen to Parkarilla again. So from mid 70s sleazy pre punk rock through to the hard edged post punk reminiscent of the Fat White Family who I think Shame have links with. Our singing hero ends the night shirtlessly crowd surfing and my paternal instincts make me worried about him grazing his leg on the sharp light brackets. Ooh his head nearly hit the spotlight then. God I'm too old for this punk rock lark. And so they end in a fury of celebration and the kids loved it. The hotly anticipated Rough Trade DJs who've played not very inspiring tunes between bands (apologies if it weren't them) now come into their own with some moody atmospheric electronic dancy stuff but unfortunately only the roadie listens as all the kids have buggered off out the back to shout and annoy the neighbours. Oui 3 trundle off to the Effra Social Club where we dance half heartedly to old school rock and roll but I think we all realise we look like three old men out on the pull and the place is packed with kids half our age. Or probably less. After a drink and last bit of chat it's time to leave. It is after midnight after all.

Next day I stretch my legs and cycle off to see Dulwich Hamlet comprehensively rout Canvey Island 3 nil and it could / should have been six. We are top the league indeed. In the evening Debs and I go to see the still excellent Withnail and I at the open air Somerset House which was a lovely if slightly uncomfortable thing to do. Uncomfortable in laying on cobblestones, not uncomfortable with the film subject though there again...

Sunday I'm trying to forget as we are definitely not top the league having been mugged by WHU who maybe will remain in the top league for their first season at the Olympic stadium. In fact we seem to be bottom of the league. Shame on you Gooners. Christ knows what that's done for my fantasy football results I'm probably in a deficit. Ah well, it's a beautiful day out and Debs and I are off to Tooting Common for a picnic tea so perhaps that will cheer me up. And there's always St Pauli's match against the legendary Borrussia Monchengladbach tomorrow to look forward to.

Shame - or why I'll never be a rock photographer

DHFC - or why I'll never be a sports photographer