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Category: Music
First of all I have to apologise for the gap in publication but I have been suffering from Swine Flu and should have been quarantined rather than going on tour. I was smuggled out of the maximum security ward and bundled into the back of the Volvo hidden in a washing bag. I should also make my apologies for isolated out-breaks of Swine Flu in pockets of Hamburg and Antwerp. A quick stop at the local cricket club to enjoy the evening sunshine, the sound of leather against willow and the local beverages (£2.00 a pint of Stella – get in there!!) then we set off in earnest. Heading down the motorway in the early hours of the morning Jim get’s flashed – third time in a couple of weeks is his love life looking up?? - we meet Tone at the pre-disclosed secret location to transfer to the oily rag mobile for the long drive to Hamburg. France, Belgium and the Netherlands pass by in cloud of smoke before finally setting foot in Germany for a quick spot of local breakfast (Ginsters all round), re-fuel, re-fag and off to Hamburg. We meet up with Sam the promoter out-side a pub which is unfortunately closed but he escorts us to a local watering hole where we sample the local brew - Astra “The Punk Rock Beer” and very good it is too. Sam proceeds to show us the cultural sites of Hamburg, and, I must admit, I never knew, you are able to purchase, BLOW UP RUBBER SHEEP! Mac take note, if you go to Hamburg buy a bulk consignment - I’m sure you’ll be able to make a large wad selling them locally. Sound-check and gig at the famous Indra Club (The place where the Beatles first played in Hamburg) followed. What a laugh, the kids grooved, danced and sang along to a powerful set which included all the greatest hits and new tunes from the forthcoming “Welcome to Giffer City” album, which will be available as a vinyl only release from Time for Action Records www.timeforaction.de and in your local quality record shop soon (No plug in there). Thanks to Didi and Jens for spinning some cracking tunes before and after the set. Later we filled up the Oily Rag Mobile with as much Astra as we could shift out of the back of the club and headed off to the Jolly Roger – a local Mod/Skin/Punk pub in the St Pauli district to continue fraternising with the locals until the wee small hours of the morning. Morning broke and a kebab breakfast is in order – they do have a KFC but it doesn’t open until 11am and we simply didn’t have the time to wait, a quick look around the local car boot sale – which sells the same sort of tat and rubbish that you get in Charlton then off to Antwerp. Reaching Antwerp we discovered what a beautiful medieval city it is, the architecture, the cobbled streets, the cathedral, the women. All is good and I thoroughly recommend a visit. We arrive at the club – Bar Mondial – which is a classy place but Peter the owner did apologise for only having 80 beers available. So we sampled a few before setting off to sit outside another bar and survey the local sites passing by. The set started later and my, it was hot in there. Again the greatest hits went down a storm along with the new songs including the latest ditty “Giffer City Rockers” available on the forthcoming…. (Oh done that already!) which is so new, we wrote the words in the car from Hamburg to Antwerp and had never played it before at all with Tony deciding the riff/chords literally moments before the debut. “Well Phil Spector used to do that in the studio” he exclaimed afterwards. The kids moshed and sang along crying out for more until the strangest thing happened at the end of the set. It might have been the heat, it might have been the beer, it might have been the close proximity to Amsterdam without any border controls but the kids spontaneously started chanting “Albert is a Giffer City Rocker” at the end of the set. Chatting afterwards they told us of a legend they have heard of, about a man from Putney, who has been seeing Long Tall Shorty for 30 years, he left his wedding reception to go to the Marquee with the comments to his missus of a few hours “I know it’s our wedding night luv but it’s a Shorty gig tonight”, he’s stuck with it through thick and thin and even the R&B Album - the legend of Albert has spread far and wide being enshrined in the folklore of Giffer. Now I saw a couple of sights in Antwerp which I have NEVER seen before: 1) a pedal powered contraption with a bar on board which you hop on, sing songs and drink beer as you travel around the city. Wonder what our black cab drivers would make of that! 2) a promoter who was so impressed with the Giffer tunes that he bought EVERYBODY in the bar a drink!! Antwerp is a good city and we hope to be back soon. Now only two sleeps to the 100 club to play with the legends that are the Purple Hearts and I for one can’t wait. Just think I should point out to John Hellier about Peter in Antwerp – here’s hoping kids! See you there or see you on you-tube.
9:50 AM
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