Chris TT - Wilmington Arms

I think this could be the first time I've seen Chris T-T, although Songkick has it that he's played with MJ Hibbett a couple of times.

Tentative piano improv. Lots of arpaggios, its almost magical.

The room is full and the people silent, although a little music is leaking in from the pub next door.

There a strained pauses between each piece as Chris works up the mana to continue. You can see his eyes glaze over when he begins to lose himself in the music.

Quiet chortle as people recognise the outro riffs from Bohemian Rhapsody and Layla.

He finishes up by playing a handful of song requests from the audience on his acoustic guitar.

Ryland Bouchard - Wilmington Arms

Loud, stompy music from Ryland Bouchard. Sounds like The White Stripes Hotel Yoba. Stabby acoustic guitar and bum tish drums.

Richer and warmer sound than the other bands, quite a contrast.

Ooh, he's got a beard and not one of those stubbly one's like the other bands. I wish I could grow a decent beard. And he's got one of those guitars with violin hole in it.

Gentler songs later on in the set, almost lulling me to sleep, drummer taking it easy.

Allo Darlin - Wilmington Arms

Joined tonight by a guitarist Hexicon, centre stage is the pixie Elizabeth Darling armed with ukelele.

Very stark songs, starting of with her Stephen Hawking song, science and uke, yay

Aw man, they floor us with a killer cover of the Ramones' 'I wanna be sedated' its going to be on a Atomic Beat Ramones compilation CD at some point. if you've heard Allo Darlin's version of 'you shook me all night long' you know what to expect.

There's a whole blanket soaked in warm honey load of friends and associates joining them on stage, usual percussionist Virginia, Will from the previous band, the other chap from the previous band, then some othe chap possibly from the Pipettes on vocals for the penultimate song.

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Moustache of Insanity - Wilmington Arms

I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've seen the Moustache of Insanity. Although Will, the beardy chap, was one of the chaps playing on the platform at Indietracks last summer.

Crikey, its cold out.

On stage its "Sparkly, and cosy" according to the missus. Will's got a loud electric guitar, the other chap, wearing a bear hat, and clutching a Casio VL One starts off on vocal duties. Ooh both wearing cardigans, tight trousers, floppy hair.

The 'bom bom bom' refrains are neat and used frequently. I thought "Cheese and freckles" was my favourite song until they played "My baby's sixteen thousand kilometers away", it was the build up and the starkness that made it.

If I had a job and money and stuff I'd buy the Wee Pop compilation CD with them on it. As it stands I' d feel awkward quiding the missus for it.

Verdict from the missus - "Eighties pop rock"

Moustache Of Insanity, The Understudies and Help Stamp Out Loneliness - The Wilmington Arms

Its been a while since I went to a gig on my own. But here I am, somewhat late in the evening.

The location was poorly remembered, so after I'd parked my car there was some degree of wandrin' and soul-searching, trying to remember the name of the venue.
When I wandered in the last band were on stage. They sounded a bt like Lucky Soul, but the shiny singing girl has a distinctive voice, very deep, it sounds familiar. Have I see these people before?

I recognise the guitarist and bass chap, they were in Language of Flowers, I think they were on the same bill as me and the mighty Flyers when I played my London debut gig in '04.

Sometimes I feel like Sam Beckett in Quantum Leap, with that swiss cheese memory thing. I arrive at a gig, without Zippy or Al to tell me why I'm there, just a vague memory of having clicked on this show in Last.fm or Facebook, but still trying to figure out why.

I don't remember the name of the band on stage, or any ones I've missed.

I spot Trevor Lost Music and he waves, stood near is the chap from The Understudies, aw man, I've still never reviewed them. Its been three or four times I've seen them play, but never quite got round to typing up my notes.

I was stood lurking in shadows, jabbing at my mobile phone to look like I was doing something. I was skipping through old draft text messages, from when I thought I could text in gig reviews here. It was just notes, but I remember texting that The Understudies sound a bit like Kingmaker, and that I really ought to review them properly instead of going on about never having written about them.

I spot Will Harrison and Elizabeth Darling, from 'Allo Darlin', who I last saw on the platform at Indietracks. I don't see their bongo player.

Were they playing tonight and I missed them? No, they played Brixton the other day, and I remember missing that. Swiss cheese memory.

On the internet later:-

Moustache Of Insanity (Will Harrison's mob) - MP3s here
The Understudies
Help Stamp Out Loneliness (the band with folk from Language of Flowers)