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Good Time Charlies + The Flying Alexanders + The Doghouse Boat Boy

Venue: Talking Heads
Town: Southampton
Date: 16th March 2013
Website: http://www.last.fm/music/The+Good+Time+Charlies

Here I am once again in Southampton Talking Heads venue the last time I was here was to watch COAST who were very lame to say the least, but tonight should promise to be better.

Would rain stop play? is anybody coming out? I stood next to the bar and wondered to myself as I looked around at the other twenty five people that had turned out so far. It got to half past nine before the first act of the evening came on Southampton veterans THE FLYING ALEXANDERS.

The band wasted no time and burst into some hard riffing rock n roll with that essential English punk spirit of which the vocalist Jon seemed to have running through his veins. I have seen these boys play 3 or four times previously over the past few years and this was definitely the most fired up I have seen them. The rhythm section was as tight as they could be and worked like a perfect engine for the ferociously ripping guitar work of the evenings birthday boy Perry. The room was now filling up as the punters came in from smoking n eating pizza outside which I never got round to trying, I was here for the rock n roll. Towards the end of the set Jon called up the harmonica slinging singer from the DOGHOUSE BOAT BOYS to join them launching into a song I believe was called "dog food" with the harmonica wailing away it brought the band into another dimension which the crowd were lapping up. These boys performed a solid set tonight which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Next up were THE DOGHOUSE BOAT BOYS now these lads were new to me although I had heard that they put on an energetic show n usually pack venues out . Would I like them? They play acoustic instruments and I like hard rockin' bands with attitude. . . . . Well to be honest they blew my bloody socks off ! A complete surprise they play their music with passion n raw energy. Double bass, harmonica and banjo's and clever swapping around vocals between them they gave it their all throughout the whole set. I can't really explain the genre of music they play it seemed to be a clever mixture of country, bluegrass, blues and punk whatever it was the wooden dance floor was packed with punters dancing n jumping up n down while chanting along with each other HEY HEY HO HO and generally going mad.

I believe they play mainly their own compositions but they chucked in a lively version of the rolling stones "all over now" which I was singing along to , sorry about that folks. I would hope to catch this band again soon I recommend you do too if you haven't already.

Time to go to the bar for another pint before Portsmouth band THE GOOD TIME CHARLIES hit the stage. They have just recently supported the great WILKO JOHNSON at the Wedgewood rooms in Pompey on his final tour after tragically being diagnosed with cancer late last year. I've had the pleasure of seeing the lads play last year although memories are hazy as there was a lot of cider involved. The band are British garage/rock n roll with similarities to Wilko era DR FEELGOOD but with two guitars and swapping lead vocals until Perry from the FLYING ALEXANDERS made that 3 guitars. The band performed a sweaty hard rockin' punked up set that audience loved and so did I.

All in all a gig that looked like it was going to be "rain stops play" turned into one of the best gig line ups I have seen in the past few years.

Boogie Bruce Lee