Psicle: Twisted Twins

A fast train to Leicester after work on Friday sees me reach Bruce's after some rendevous mixups in time for tea and for him to tell me that nothings going on in town tonight. At all. How wrong he was. There is some band called the Nova Twins at the Donkey so we decide on that after watching a couple of impressive videos online. Bruce is suitably spruced up for a Friday night with dapper suit pointy shoes and tie. I'm old school baseball boots jeans and harrington. With a stylised flowery shirt though. We trek across to the Donkey which way out across Victoria Park. The pub is pretty busy outside but empty inside so not looking auspicious. The barman tells us that there are a few rappers on first so Bruce and I, and his drumming mate we've met, are hoping for a rapper on rapper face down contest. It's not quite like that but entertaining nevertheless. I'm not sure of the crews names but there are three rappers and a guy on the mac playing the tunes, which seems to mean hitting play at the start of each tune, and the only rapper who is called out enough for me to hear is Twisted Penny. We start off with a guy who looks like he's straight down from a minor public school but maybe just cos he's young with floppy blonde hair. His rapping is pretty good but sounds less than authentic trying to work on the bad ass mutha words in the urban slang dictionary and classic bad boy phrases. To be fair to him he's very enthusiastic and does chat to the crowd which is more than most. The second rapper has regulation gangsta clothes including baseball cap which is taken off for special verses during the set. The poses are straight out of the bluffers guide to looking mean with a baseball cap on. They sing, or rap, a couple of tunes before welcoming Twisted Penny on stage. MC Penny has been lurking next to the stage bopping around and now takes his turn on the mic delivering a blisteringly fast vocal and the set takes off what with the other two joining in. They are pretty damn good and vocal changes and it seems like they are improvising a fair bit so much respect dudes. The vocals come thick and fast and it's difficult to keep track but girls seem to be quite a topic but easily trumped by references to haze which seems to play a major part of their life. Well, they are young so who can blame them. They get the very small crowd jumping at times although it does seem to be their friends and the instantly recognizable head line act. After our chatty man thanks the audience and the bar staff they are off stage. Nice touch thanking the bar staff and just shows the boy's been brought up with good manners. After a confusing sound check the Nova Twins take the stage for real and treat us to a hard fast punky set with rap style vocals interspersing their songs. It's not packed at this small venue but gets busy down the front as our rapper heroes and crew start dancing or at least throwing their arms in the air. The rest of the crowd are hardly teenagers so no moshing which is what the music really deserved. The drummer has a lo fi jazz style which is a good counterpoint to the rock guitars but to be honest with a hard rock drum beat the band would've been over the hard core neo-metal edge and the place would've gone mental. There are two striking looking girls fronting the band who are great musicians and nailed the night. The bassist uses a big undulating fuzz box creating a big rave bass line I've not heard from a bass before or at least hadn't realised. Brilliant. Must get one to augment my new bass playing and probably good to cover up the bum note. Not that these girls needed to do that as they were spot on. Great band and one to look out for. As the band hardly had a back stage party room they hung around after in the bar and we chatted to them. All the way from Lewisham and I embarrass myself by asking lesson one type bass questions explaining that I'm learning it. The girls are friendly enough but soon are off to chat to closer their age and we get to know one of their mothers who is touring with them. Great gig Brucie! Back home across Victoria Park hearing rappers in their car in the park perhaps the next Twisted Penny? The excitement of a live gig means that Bruce and I listen to music videos til the early hours.

We're up late wasting the gorgeous sunshine. First task is to visit the local music shop to buy a bargain of a bass fuzzbox. Now I have one I'm gonna use it and practice new riffs with Bruce which is a lot of fun. We then visit Bradgate Park getting told off for jumping walls and finish up watching a bit of cricket. The evening there really is nothing on so we join Bruce's french mate to watch a very competent although uninspiring soul covers band. Good female vocalist. The main attraction was people watching as lots of drunken dancing greatly enhanced by two sets of hen nights infiltrating the small dance area. Bruce and I resisted the urge to dance badly as there was more than enough going on already. Negotiating the busy night life of down town we avoid entering any clubs and getting into fights. Back home we go to bed too late again.

Sunday is beautifully sunny too and after breakfast we travel out to Alveston park for Bruce's Wanderers cricket match. Luckily they don't need me as a ringer so after a bit of nets practice with Bruce I sit back for a sunny afternoon watching entertaining cricket and drinking Newkie Brown. Lovely. Bruce bowls admirably and despite a late scare doesn't have to endure batting. Evening is spent mastering bass lines including MC5, Hawkwind and The Clash. I think I'm getting the hang of it though Bruce's bass playing is pretty good considering he's not a bassist. I have a long way to go before my first gig. Unless I rely on the fuzzbox...