Bruce is visiting for the week and up to now it's been days of haircuts, cycling and reminiscing about The Cricketers and evenings of telly specifically Iggy Pop and The Arsenal. Thursday night sees us cycling off to the Windmill for a night of eclectic musical influences and when isn't it there. As about 8 there's a sound check in progress and out in the garden we meet Pete and chat as a lot to catch up on. Going inside the first band is Bang Mary who deliver a great set of grungy shoe gaze melding into a punk groove especially with those shouty lyrics. What is is about the name Mary and the name of bands hey? Anyways, the music is great and reminds me of a Stump / Half Man Half Biscuit cross with a little hint of The Fall. I'm sure I could throw in a lazy shoe gaze reference so let's say Slowdive who I avoided at Wide Awake last year but quite liked at End of the Road. Maria has now joined us and agrees it's a good start. Off out the back to chat and again a lot to get through as Bruce and Pete have never met Maria and I've not seen her since The Stranglers on their allegedly last tour 3 years ago. I don't think they've played London since. Next up are the strangely named MPTL Microplastics I assume noted on a label or something. Strange name weirder music. Very weird. With half sung half said vocals hitting a range of pitches and intensity their music is just as weird at times sounding like an improv sound clash then morphing into a very tight rhythm. Difficult to pin a label on them but to my mind a bit ATV-ish which is honestly praise indeed. They are very entertaining and get the crowd going especially for a mad mosh at the end showing their punk credentials. I assume they'd take that as a compliment? Maybe that's what Maria meant when she messaged the morning after saying the night had led her to listen to Eno's Here Come the Warm Jets which I don't really rate but I can see the link. Similarly Velvet Underground for me.
After another sojourn in the garden we're inside for the finale. It's not a packed night so easy to see all the bands and an easy atmosphere tonight. Dura Mater have another odd name and they are odd too. Two of the front men are in dark suits, white shirts, black ties so this may colour my judgement of the sound. They are mad catchy and energetic all dancing all over the stage and I mean all of them except the drummer. Although he may well have too but difficult to see. Close your eyes, and ears, and imagine Madness on acid at Stonehenge festival on a small stage playing crowd pleasers and you may get a hint of the band and their vibe. Again, that is meant as a compliment. Their tunes were great. They also get the crowd to crouch down although I missed the reason for that. Us four sort of bend our knees but getting right down is not as easy as it was. If anyone was in any doubt as to our ages I guess that gave it away. Soon everyone is jumping up for some barnstorming stomping and the band seem to blend with the crowd which is the way it should be and the Windmill stage and floor are designed for just that. So a great evening and to round it off various folk from the bands take the stage to jam together playing instruments different to what they played in their bands. We all part our separate ways with Bruce and I cycling back home to regale Debbie as to the happenings and hear about her night at the theatre.
https://www.strava.com/activities/14195956659
https://www.strava.com/activities/14204622162
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| Dura Mater "do the crouch" |
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| Dura Mater |
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| The Madness of Dura Mater |
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| MPTL Microplastics |
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| MPTL Microplastics vocals |
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| Bang Mary |
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| Bruce and the (finally) demolished Cricketers pub |
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