Kawala Assembly

Meeting birthday girl Becky plus Simon, Tom, various others and Debbie at the Kings Head on Upper Street we make our way to the Islington Assembly Hall where we meet Daisy and Paul for our regular dose of Kawala. First up are Sun Silva who are very pleased to be here and deliver a competent enough dose of dancy poppiness getting us warmed up for the main attraction... by the time Kawala come on the place is rammed the audience being a lot more than the ones I've seen up to now which has been a lot younger and you get the impression, at least in London, that a lot are mates. This seems like a proper headlining show to a big diverse audience. The boys take this in their stride and still have a great rapport especially Daniel who gets everyone, and I mean everyone, to sing happy birthday to his mum. So sweet. The songs don't lose anything in the bigger venue still hitting high spots with the afro beats mixed with great jazzy folky guitar playing and their brilliantly counterposed vocals. And Jim seems to be dancing a bit too. The audience loves it and there is a fair bit of adulation like shrieking going on which is weird. Debbie and Daisy join in as Paul and I shuffle away pretending not to be with them. It is a magnificent gig and the band come back out for a triumphant encore. A landmark gig in my opinion showing that they can take the smaller venue rapport to a bigger stage, which is what they've been doing all summer at festivals from what I can gather. After all the excitement me, Debbie, Daisy and Paul walk to the tube popping into the Cock Tavern at Highbury Corner for one for the road. Then Becky and Simon arrive and invite me and Debbie (Daisy and Paul having left) to the after party across the road where we drink more, chat to the band, their siblings and various other unlucky youngsters before leaving realising that the last tube has gone and I can't work out how to use Uber so we have to wander up Upper Street and grab a black cab home. Worth it though. A great night. A bit too late for a school night though and suffered the next day. Ah well - that's the stupidity of youth.

The support warming us up

Jim is dancing well

Daniel is plucking good

Spontaneous hand waving

Daniel and someone's ear

Daniel having to chat with me cos I bought the beer

I assume Becky is laughing at some witticism I've made rather than my dance moves...

Johnny Marred

So I'm at an O2 business conference and they promise a "legendary performer" for the evening's entertainment for which hints will be dropped throughout the day. Soon in discussing future technology the MC drops in a "how soon is now" and I'm thinking it won't be Morrissey (non vegan canapes being served and he's a little politically toxic right now). Surely not Marr who has a credible career still. The other two? Surely not a tribute band. As Bruce texted me - if it's one of The Smiths then they should be shot. Well... it turns out that it's Johnny Marr and his backing band which he doesn't bother to introduce to us. Now it's a little odd watching a band in the middle of a conversation about Wi-Fi in the London Stadium but I managed to extricate myself from "networking" (that's drinking and chatting shite to you non corporate types - same as when we meet up but with free drinks and fishy canapes) and venture onto the dance floor at the O2 Indigo (incidentally quite a nice venue). There are a couple of hundred on the dance floor with a few nodding their heads (as much enthusiasm as I can muster) and a surprising number mouthing all the words to most of the songs. The other couple of hundred are at the bar in their jeans, collared work shirts (tucked in) and suit jackets making a terrible racket which must be off putting for Marr. He rattles through This Charming Man, a pretty decent rendition of How Soon Is Now which I love and did a bit of surreptitious foot shuffling to and I Fought the Law. He's obviously embarrassed to be playing to a load of suits (well, top half anyway) and makes a few quips about the situation including saying it's the first gig he's played where he's hoping that the audience don't dance. That was about the highlight to be honest. I will say that he's still a great and effortless guitarist. Last time I saw him was a lacklustre set 6 years ago in Finsbury Park just before PIL played. So I'm looking forward to some seriously cutting jibes from Johnny Lydon at next year's "bash" (as Marr referred to the gig). Although I agree with Bruce's analysis of the situation I guess that he was up there being a rock god and I was down there talking about Wi-Fi. And he got paid for it (a lot I hope). So who's having the last laugh? I guess most groups pay for a fee so does it matter if he's playing to a load of punters who paid £20 to see him or whether he's playing to probably a similar audience who aren't paying. Still I can't quite imagine Lydon doing it. I leave with my pinstripe suit intact (no mosh pit) and as I make my way to the tube there are throngs of people coming up the moving stairs. Apparently Alice Cooper is playing tonight with The Stranglers in support. Maybe Marr isn't so bad. Just make the set a bit more exciting man!

Rock and Roll !!!

The Mosh Pit

Groove Riders

I arrive into Leeds station late afternoon Friday and after a quick drink in town with Ramsay we drive back to Otley and hello to Jo who presents us with a lovely spaghetti tomato dish setting us up well for a quick jaunt into town for a pint in the junction complete with Spanish cycling fans. Then back home for a music selector session into the early hours.

Saturday it's the Road World Championships womens race which comes through Otley at midday.  The rain has held off and the sun is out so after they rush past I cycle to Harrogate to meet Bronwen and son Joe where we watch the three loops of the Harrogate circuit. Towards the end I cycle up to the finish line and find myself cycling up a road with women professionals who are about to be lapped and have been sent up the back route to the team buses which they find difficult to find. Dutch win comfortably. I then cycle back to Otley for a shower and stuffed peppers and chips. We meet Malcolm and Lisa and bus to Hyde Park Book Club where we meet the main band evangelists Linda and Melvin. First up are Mi Mye who deliver a great set of dubby drumming folk complete with violin. If you described them I would probably avoid but they were great. And give us an excellent and moving Scottish lament. Plastic Mermaids were last seen at LAL17 and whilst as good if not better as then they have thrown in a bit of classic hard rock into their set. But they are not a one trick mermaid and range through a lot of dance driven styles from post punk indie Talking Heads to funky dance beats with a psyche crescendo into hands in air club dance Klaxonsesque feet jumping grooves. My only complaint is that some of their songs could go on longer to properly build up a space rock vibe Hawkwind style but I guess today's kids have shorter attention spans than us ageing psyche punks. Every band member is spot on giving a tight sound even if spacey and they all seem to be able to turn their hand to singing and keyboards. Then it's into the rain and we bus back on our family ticket for a last drink at the Black Horse before home to chat and chill out.

Sunday up early to catch delayed mens race come through Otley at 9.30. I spend the rest of day listening to the rain on the glass roof whilst watching the shortened race cycle through a drenched Yorkshire Dales including riding over virtual rivers across the road. Any thoughts of cycling to Harrogate again are canned and not just because the waterlogged fan zone has been closed which is a shame. The roads look wretched for the riders and once many get to Harrogate they make straight for the team buses rather than do the 9 circuits.

Monday is sunny so Jo and I go for a bracing walk up t'Chevin for great views over hills and moors. Then it's a train to an initially dry Manchester where I meet Olly for our jaunt to Old Trafford. By now the rain has set in and we watch an evenly matched and slightly feisty game with ManU going into the lead then The Arsenal deservedly equalising after VAR overrules the off side flag. I like VAR despite earlier whinging. Back to Christleton. Quick sight of Sheren Tuesday morning then Olly drives me through the rain to Chester station for the train back to London...

A great weekend of groovy tunes and sport. Cheers northerners!

Jo and me waiting for the women to come through Otley

Women speed through Otley

Women's race through Harrogate in the sun.

My route Otley Harrogate Otley by the main road avoiding lumps

Mi Mye

Not the Klaxons

Plastic Mermaids merging into the shiny stage background

PMs close up (c) SRPalmer

Jo watching the dew evaporate

The smoking tree (RHS)

Proof I am a saint

Looking out towards Ilkley Moor bah t'at

On me ed son