So did I. Not only was it a party but with the added bonus a gig to boot. I have not seen Mick Cooch pick up his Gretsch since he went to Egypt. Luxor was in the news this week and the Mick Cooch in Egypt story is one we ought to be featuring here. At some point before this Calbourne Show the new band was going to be called The Monday Club. This was hastily changed to The Lower Side when someone told Coochie what Monday Club inferred.
Tonight Bobby Buchannon, Mark Wozencroft and Mick Cooch are undecided what to call the band. Each gets to pick a name. Someone plumps for Maradonna, another BMW (I think). I reckon Wozy picks Maradonna with his footie credentials and Bobby Buchannon looks like he could handle a BMW but Mick Cooch goes for The Carpet Blaggers. Roland Jones gets the deciding vote. The Carpet Blaggers it is.
Just as Mick Cooch is picking up his Gretsch for the gig Paul Weller is on TFI Friday which to the guitarist is like God shaking your hand. At this juncture Pete Byrne recalls the time that his son Russ had been in a London studio when the said Paul Weller popped his head in. "Daaad, it's Paul Wellllllleeeeerrrr" mimics Pete creasing double. The tale of how Russ Byrne marches up the chip shop with his hero for a fish and chip sortie still makes us chuckle.
On stage the Carpet Blaggers throw in a few Jam and Weller tunes plus some of Mick Cooch's own. For a first gig the Carpet Blaggers are as cool as they are collected. Buchannon's bass the perfect foil to Cooch's chord driven guitar and Wozencroft nailing the beat exactly where the guitarist wants it to be.
Then it's back to the disco for a while before those Sporting Life boys John Wroath and Duncan Jones turn up from a gig in Yarmouth. Out of the crowd comes Dave Pontin to play drums, Nick Potts on violin and Roland Jones plugs in an electric guitar. Just like the old days Wroath giving it plenty of welly, Duncan wailing into the mike and Nick Potts casually adding flights of electric violin.
Plenty of Wayward Sons classics including Just A Lover but it is the UB40 cover that has me wrapped tight tonight. The band hit a groove on Dave Pontin's drums, Wroath's bass and Potts plucked violin. Then the buggers end it with Jack like Friday nights at the Rose and Crown only ended last week. Steaming stuff.
Mike Plumbley
(ps. Thanks Russ for hauling amps for Penelope Swales. We still owe you a beer for that one . . .)