2 VIDEOS OF KELLY JOHNSON TRIBUTE NIGHT & REVIEW - AUG 20th - Denise Dufort / Girlschool's MySpace Blog

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Denise Dufort / Girlschool

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Wednesday 19/09/2007 10:50

2 VIDEOS OF KELLY JOHNSON TRIBUTE NIGHT & REVIEW - AUG 20th
Category: Music

REVIEW FROM KOMODO ROCK.

GIRLSCHOOL @ THE ROCK AND ROLLKABARET, SOHO REVUE BAR 20/08/07

When it comes to nights out, perhaps the best kept secret in the West End of London on a Monday evening is the Rock and Rollkabaret held every week at the plush Soho Revue Bar. Every week new talent scours the boards once best known to London's strippers, in an relaxing, well located venue with compare Cherry assuring that no heckle goes unscathed.

Tonight's event is something special. Kelly Johnson of Girlschool died of cancer recently, and tonight's show is to be a tribute, with the girls of Motorhead's acquaintance guaranteed for an appearance later on. Others have also gathered to pay their respects. Taking the lead are Purple Melon. Their youthful looks and Seventies glam flavoured garb gives no hint to their true depth. Think of a Hendrix inspired blues onslaught with the Chilli Peppers' craft for a funky tune. The vocals are of a high range, and the musicianship is first class, but they feel somewhat static on stage, and the distortion coming from their equipment does no credit to their talent or abilities. They get braver and more into their performance as they proceed, but with more confidence and better gear (and despite its Hendrix connotations, a catchier name) we could have something hot on our hands here.

The next act appears to have been put together for the tribute to Kelly and have been christened the Furry Freak Sisters (take that Fat Freddy!). It's all acoustic, but touching stuff, and the vocalist onstage betrays her small stature with a powerful voice.

Our next turn comes in the form of a single, silver spandex clad vixen by the name of Anna Pheobe, who cavorts about the stage with a violinin hand to a pre-recorded accompaniment. For those of us who've witnessed the performances of 'goff' faves the Cruxshadows all too recently, the sight of female eye candy with a fiddle strumming full tilt to a backing track may seem very familiar (But where's the equivalent of Rogue, Cruxshadows' pineapple headed vocalist?). However, unlike said other band, there's no feeling of the violin being restricted, and it feels that the lead instrument is fully breathing against the pre-recorded elements that surround it. There's definite talent on display here, but is it rock and roll? Believe it or not, the answer is yes.

Next, Rock and Rollkabaret main man and ringmaster Cherry takes to the stage to sing his own tribute. What is there to say? You thought 'Hedwig and the Angry Itch' were a band from a fictitious movie? Think again - here's the nearest thing the real world has to offer to the Angry Itch! Cherry's backing band the Bad Boys are overtaken by 'Billy the Kid' (their regular singer) for some crunchy new wave inspired mayhem with a rockabilly bent. Special mention to the drunken 'Eddie Hitler' clone pogoing in the audience, who was a show unto himself.

Anna Phoebe and the guitarist from Billy the Kid's Bad Boys join Cherry for a short lament for the departed Ms Johnson (where Anna gets her deserved live backing!), before the Rock and Roll Gypsies arrive on stage. They have that feeling of structured chaos that the Clash always wielded so well- Of being musicians who are so obviously skilled, that they're not frightened of giving their sound an extra rawness.

It's an age before Girlschool finally arrive on stage - To absolute chaos. They've barely finished their first song before they have to repair the drum kit and completely re-tune (with one tuner shared by the whole band!) and then have to repeat the whole experience after their next song. It should be cringe worthy and embarrassing, but for some reason, its actually entertaining, probably because they're laughing along with the crowd and genuinely look like their enjoying themselves. The laid back atmosphere of the venue somehow helps with this, I can't imagine feeling the same if I was watching similar carnage happening at an Underworld gig! In the end, they manage Seven songs in total, and once they hit their stride they rock like muthas (which could possibly be because they must all have kids by now!), although its a rare occurrence for a performance to be more enjoyable for what went wrong rather that what went right! Never mind, I'm sure those present, (and those no longer sadly with us) will have left with a smile on their face, and at the end of the day, that's really what rock and roll is all about.

Dave Gill

http://www.komodorock.com/

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