Psicle: Bruce's Bible Club

Bruce arrives late Friday afternoon and after a lovely curry courtesy Debbie we three cycle up to the Windmill pub to meet Pete and Wendy and after a little while mask wearing Simon. The bands have already started but we luckily get to see most of the County Death Club who are very good. Their bass player in particular who seems to be channelling John Entwistle at times both in playing and bored demeanour. This makes a lot of what they do sound like early Who with driving basslines dancing up and down the neck. And there are actual dancers down the front. A heady mix of 90s baggy, rocking 60s Who and a tinge of weird Pink Floyd make for a great set and to my mind they are not bettered tonight. As ever in the Windmill this sounds nothing like a covers band but a modern take on rock and roll with the CDC's own twist of sharp lime. I liked them a lot. Next we catch up and glad to see that Wendy is on the mend and still unfortunately having to wear orthopaedic shoes aka the hideous Crocs. As it's Bible Club night the DJ (apparently Nathan Saoudi) is pulling out all the stops starting with Black Sabbath's The Wizard (see last blog for the Sabbath Bridge in Birmingham) which is an absolute classic and not often heard at the Windmill. Next up are a duo nothing like the mothers of metal but synth and drums. Kiss Me Poly are a guy in tight fitting boiler suit singing often in a dirge like way and treating us to very complicated looking runs up and down his organ whilst the drummer behind bangs a merry hell out of his skins having to remove his shirt after a couple of songs. Yes I know that's gone a bit Carry On but hey, they have asked me to kiss their poly. And they are reminiscent of 70s Sparks fronted by David Byrne. If that sounds a bit dodgy they were good. After the trauma of losing and finding my wallet next up is a one woman act who sings with a backing track called Vanity Fairy. Having chatted to a brothel creeper sporting greaser at the bar who told me he used to DJ at a rock and roll night in Soho and has come down from Hampstead to see Vanity I was expecting some hard hitting RnR but no it's a strange mix of theatrical euro beats disco which nonetheless is very entertaining. She's got a great voice hitting the notes and being generally weird like Kate Bush. Another guy at the bat reckons she's using one of those voice regulators but I'm not convinced. At the Windmill?! I just think she has a great voice and likes to put on a strangely compelling act. Debbie later finds out she's been supporting Pet Grotesque recently which makes sense and what a night that would be. Later I bump into her and say how I loved her voice and what a great show and she seemed genuinely appreciative of my comments. Last up are Made who give us a very competent set of indie influenced rock with a very competent male guitarist who shares singing duties with a woman. Those two factors make Made stand out from the crowd but not stand out as the best act tonight. I think that maybe at the Windmill the last act have a tough job as you usually have a few very diverse acts generally with a lot of weirdness thrown in and by the last act you have to be very out of the ordinary to impress. It was a great ending to the night though and after a bit more chat and deciding not to dance to the DJ's eclectic choices of rock disco soul and rap we say our goodbyes and us three intrepid cyclists guide our iron steeds homewards where we chat over the night's events and some.

Saturday is misty which soon clears into a warm autumnal day. Debs sleeps as she's been up for a crazy amount of time having done a night shift on Thursday. Bruce and I unsuccessfully trawl the Balham charity shops, well, was entertaining but no purchases. before lunching. Then it's off to Champion Hill to see Dulwich Hamlet play Billericay Town who are bottom of the league with 1 point. So what should be an easy 3 points turns out to be optimistic as The Dickies are 2 up after half an hour due to stupid mistakes at the back and I can't even drown my sorrows as the bar queues are over 40 minutes which is a whole half. The Hamlet pull one back but despite most of the possession, loads of corners, even more chances and hitting the woodwork a number of times it ends in a loss. To be fair the Essex goalie had an excellent match. After that we pre order drinks as Simon and Jules are at the Fox on the Hill and we struggle up to it on our single speed bikes. The wait time here for table service is even worse that the Hamlet but it's nice a sunny and gives us time to catch up without guzzling liquids. A gentle cycle to Brixton Hill where we leave the lycra wearers and then home for a deliciously spicy aubergine, tofu and miso dish with roast potatoes before watching a boring England game, well it is against Andorra who probably have a population of less that Dulwich and Billericay combined. We catch a couple of music programs before turning in.

Sunday is sunny except when Bruce and I are hiking round Tooting Common. Bruce has no mishaps getting to St Pancras in a timely fashion and as I write this I take no further responsibility for his travelling as now he's at the station he's officially within the remit of the East Midlands Railway Company or whoever runs that line this month. Great weekend.