Boy Hits Car Gig Review - 9th Dec 2007

Yes, I know. This is nearly a month late. I humbly and profusely apologise. I've been busy.



Back to the gig...
The Underworld in Camden is one of my favourite venues to watch bands. It's a basement that smells like spilled beer, BO and vomit (formerly hidden by cigarette smoke now banned by law).
Its small enough to be intimate and large enough to hold a good crowd.

This good sized crowd filled out the club on a Sunday night to watch Californian rockers Boy Hits Car perform the second to last show of thier UK tour.
Chatting to guitarist Mike before the show, he mentioned a new album coming out in March 2008 - so keep your ears out for that.


GUITARIST - MIKE SAYS LOOK OUT FOR THE NEW ALBUM

There was also mention on red tape when they arrived in the country. Due to work permit issues (them not having any) They were deported 12 hours later only to have the permits FedEx'd to them and returning a day later. Damn red tape!!

The first three of the five bands playing aren't worth mentioning. However, the supporting band - Car Crash Television is a band worth keeping tabs on. Queen is an obvious influence as well as Bowie but if I recall correctly, they wore thier punk influences proudly.

Onto the main act...
Blown away. those are the only two words to describe it. Cregg Rondell (vocals and 12 string) blew us away with powerful, yet sensitive delivery of the songs as well as playing that 12 string acoustic and performing barefoot.

FOOT OF CREGG RONDELL

Opening with 'Going to India' then ripping through a set that included that crowd pleaser 'As I watched the sun..', 'Everything', Man without skin' to name a few.
The crowd wouldn't let them leave without an encore which they gladly obliged.

BLONDE CURLS OF CREGG RONDELL

I was invited to hang out afterwards and knock back some Jager, but the huge bouncers had other ideas, so I made my excuses and headed home, happy with the evening.
Besides, I was doing breakfast shift the next morning.

Christmas Came Early

Clubland

London is by no means a small city, and one is never pressed to find something to do on any given night. But, there is the huge risk of ending up in a dive with a band that needs a lot more practice and paying far too much for beer.
Lucky for everyone out there, I have taken to the dodgy pavements of London and weeded out the best places to be any given weekend.

Friday:

Beneath the World's End pub in Camden, lies another world - UNDERWORLD. A club that hosts live bands from up and coming youngsters to veteran acts. But the fun really starts after the roadies have cleared the stage.
PUMP UP THE VOLUME comes at you full blast, throwing every 80's guilty pleasure you know and then some. I'm not and 80's fan, but I was jumping and dancing and singing along in no time! And I even knew the words to the songs!
The vibe is friendly, the people cool and everyone is there to indulge in thier nostalgia.
The beer isn't too expensive either.
Entrance is £5.

1st Friday of every month:

Who likes a little indie rock? VOTE PEDRO is the club to be. They feature two awesome bands with some electric and electic mixing in between sets. Hosted in the basement bar of The Phoenix in Cavendish Square, this night is seeing a bigger turn out every month. Help it grow...

Entrance is £5.