THE LOVELY EGGS live at the LEXINGTON

The Lovely Eggs, The Lexington, 26 October 2016. Photo by Darren Brooker

Midway through the Lovely Eggs’ set, as they finish ‘People Are Twats’, two audience members hold up pre-printed signs reading I Can’t Believe I’m Missing Bake Off For This. Although in jest it’s a handy – if slightly confused – reminder of ‘them’: the outside world, the 15 million people watching three people make cakes fit for the Royal Family, the twats if you will, and ‘us’: the 200 people squeezed into a far-too-small upstairs London pub venue watching a Lancastrian couple thrash out shouty philosophies and observations on a battered drum kit and grungy sounding guitar.

After expressing incredulity that anyone would watch such a thing, Holly Egg reveals her and David Egg are big fans of Channel 4’s Hunted, a show in which contestants drop out of everyday society to go underground and escape the surveillance and monitoring of The State. Sticking it to The Man. It makes sense, the Lovely Eggs do things their own way. Fiercely independent, for years now they’ve put out their own records, organised their own tours, it’s their own DIY world. “This is our life,” Holly says with a mixture of quiet pride, ridiculousness and a hint of what-else-would-we-do?

Luckily we are free to enter the world of the Lovely Eggs and the best way is always via their gigs where they make the most sense. Some of their whimsical nature of yore has been replaced by a harder edged, heavier sound over the last few years but they’ve racked up such a formidable collection of singles their set is beginning to feel like a greatest hits. The latest 45, the wibbly-wobbly, suitably disorienting ‘Drug Braggin’’ opens proceedings, swiftly followed by one of the best and most harmonious, ‘Food’. New song ‘I Shouldn’t Have Said That’ is a frustrated blast of angry punk rock; and ‘Fuck It’ encapsulates the Eggs’ well-considered design for a happy and contented life. “Some people spend thousands going to Thailand to discover that, you can have that advice for free”.

A large part of what makes the Lovely Eggs so endearing is their humour and between-song revelations. We hear about the tribulations of taking a small child on tour (it’s their son, they explain, not a random three-year old); their capacity for cans of beer (not too impressive, although the previous point a factor here); thoughts on developing a drinks holster to negate the inconvenience of having to bend down to pick up a beer; and how to make onion rings pissed as a fart at 5am.

Although every song rapturously received the atmosphere is oddly subdued between numbers. Maybe a sign of respect and attention, not wanting to chat through a gig is commendable in my book, but the audience come to life more during ‘Allergies’ when DJ Richard Merrett, positioned above the stage with Idle Fret’s Darren Brooker, claps along in time through the song’s opening pause. “That sounds really good,” notices Holly, who stops the song to ask everyone to follow his lead. They do and it works wonderfully well. London, you started it…

If the Lovely Eggs had only made 2011’s ‘Don’t Look At Me (I Don’t Like It)’ they’d still be immortal for giving us the sheer bloody poetry of washing-line teeth, dressing-gown noses, dog-dirt eyes, wheel-chair hearts, red-wine smiles and the genius of sausage-roll thumbs.

They depart. No phony encore. If you aren’t too busy watching the telly or making cakes and want a cheery and beery night out, hunt down the Lovely Eggs. 

Many thanks to Darren Brooker (@IdleFret) for the ace photos

DAMO SUZUKI, TOY and LISTING SHIPS at THE SOCIAL, LONDON

Damo Suzuki, 25 June 2013 by Jim Donnelly

In my preview I wrote Damo Suzuki’s gig for Idle Fret at the Heavenly Social was impossible to predict; could be brilliant, could be a disaster. It turned neither but the pendulum definitely swung in favour of the former.

Damo’s “Sound Carriers” for this sold out night were bands Toy and Listing Ships. Neither had met, neither had met former Can vocalist Damo, and nothing was prepared. The bands played simultaneously, facing each other, with Damo in the centre and improvised their way through a solid 75-minute lump of thick, claustrophobic psychedelia with Can-like rhythms and synth squiggles whilst Damo added his vocals. It was difficult to tell in which language, or even if it was a known language, maybe it was totally improvised sounds, or the sound of a small yelping dog. What was impressive was how it actually worked and how the musicians instinctively fed off each other. If the promoters hadn’t wrapped it up they’d still be playing now. Special mention to Toy drummer Charlie Salvidge, he appeared to be the one propelling it along with such gusto.   

It wasn’t something I’d particularly want to listen to again, even if I were able, but that’s the whole point; it was about experiencing a unique moment.

It was great to be asked to play a few records early in the evening. I adopted a scatter-gun approach, everything from Blue Note jazz, to garage punk, to heavy funk and Rodney Marsh inspired psychedelic football 45s. Luke Insect was far more organised and came prepared with solely German records, Idle Fret’s Darren Brooker played a great track ("In Your Mind" by Stray) in his set but the star of the show was, of course, Andrew Weatherall whose hour of dub and Krautrock ebbed and flowed like one fluid piece of music. A whole different league to my put-one-record-on-after-another style.

Best of all, and most importantly, the night raised over £1000 for Cancer Research UK and MacMillan Cancer Support. Well done everyone. 

DATE FOR THE DIARY: TUESDAY 25th JUNE - DAMO SUZUKI, ANDREW WEATHERALL and TOY at THE HEAVENLY SOCIAL

I’ve praised Idle Fret before for their interesting club/gig line-ups but the one in a couple of weeks really promises something out of the ordinary.

Damo Suzuki, former vocalist of Krautrock legends Can, is the main attraction. Damo travels the globe performing with his “sound carriers”: namely, sympathetic artists in the local area who he joins on stage to perform an improvised set, making each show totally unique.

His sound carriers this time are Heavenly Records’ psychedelic shoegazers TOY and the nautically themed instrumental quartet Listing Ships who mix “guitar histrionics, electronica and jazz rhythms”. What all of those artists playing together will sound like I have no idea. Could be brilliant, could be a disaster, but it will certainly be an experience.

If that wasn’t enough, the mighty Andrew Weatherall is the main DJ for the evening, supported by renowned illustrator Luke Insect (that’s his handiwork above), Idle Fret's Darren Brooker, and myself. In keeping with the unpredictable nature of this event I haven’t a clue what sort of set to bring to the party.

Tickets are available in advance for a tenner from We Got Tickets, or come along on the night to The Heavenly Social, Little Portland Street, W1 for £12.50. 7pm until midnight.  

BLUE ORCHIDS at THE SOCIAL

This is Martin Bramah of the Blue Orchids falling to his knees at the Heavenly Social. I’ll be honest with you, I’d never paid much attention to them until Idle Fret booked them but I always study their bills with interest so looked them up and wonder now how they'd eluded me.

As a founder member of The Fall Bramah quit after their 1979 debut Live At The Witch Trials and took keyboardist Una Baines with him to form the Blue Orchids. They cut some singles for Rough Trade and later released The Greatest Hit (Money Mountain) in 1982 and Bramah has intermittently used the name since.  

I’m no expert on The Fall (owning only three of their 237 albums) but doubtless aficionados debate who originated The Fall/Blue Orchids sound. To the untrained ear they are, at very least, separated at birth with their off-kilter organ, simple guitar lines and vocal delivery. If you like one you’ll like the other. Also the penny dropped about the Comet Gain song “Yoona Baines” and how much their Howl Of The Lonely Crowd (2011) owes to the Orchids.

On Tuesday they put on an engaging set centred on those early tracks ("The Flood", "Work", "Bad Education", "Hanging Man" etc). It was apparent how no band could contain both Martin Bramah and Mark E. Smith. The longer they played, the more animated and chaotic Bramah became; at one point he tried to sing into his microphone stand even though the mic was in his other hand and there was plenty of half-cut stumbling and fumbling around and banter with the crowd. “I’m from up north,” he said, and as if to accentuate his northerness, kept removing and putting on again a terrible flat cap with annoying frequency.  “Manchester isn’t up north,” he continued, “it’s in the Midlands, but don’t tell them I said that,” touching his nose.

I’ve previously discussed the merits - or otherwise - of bands reforming but this one joined up some musical dots and rather than playing only to original fans the Blue Orchids cultivated new ones, of which I’m the latest.

FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE LONDON PALLADIUM: THE LOVELY EGGS and SHRAG

Friday night at the London Palladium. As a venue to spin a few sounds goes, it takes some beating. To give you an idea how posh the Val Parnell Room is, I had a private en-suite bathroom next to the DJ decks and the offer of a face massage by the Palladium’s in-house beautician. Danny from Heavenly Records, also DJing, had one and said it felt weird but oddly relaxing. I gave it a miss. Nice offer though. The main room was beautiful: all white pillars, ornate domed skylight, plush carpet, and framed posters of old Palladium bills hung on the walls. Bruce Forsyth's 1973 "One Man Laughter Show" gazed down on me (surely it was funnier than that). A fantastic and imaginative scoop by promoters Idle Fret. 

I’ve done a few Idle Fret gigs now and always enjoy them as being a bit out of touch these days I get to hear bands I wouldn’t normally know about. First on were Giant Burger. As they began I raised a foot to step nearer and they started to sing. Well, not actually sing, more go ARRGHOOAOOOAHH! really loudly and accompany it with the sound of dustbins full of marbles tumbling down a metal staircase. My foot recoiled in mid-air moonwalk horror. Take a seat Grandad. From a distance my tender ears acclimatised, to a degr Burgers weren't to my taste. I’d investigated Shrag the day before and from the odds and sods on YouTube I felt I’d either like them a lot or find them bloody annoying. I liked them a lot. Main singer Helen does a stroppy teenager routine: one moment bouncing excitedly up and down in her stocking feet, the next throwing herself to the floor in a moody tantrum. Other girl and boy voices criss-crossing a fat rolling riot grrrl groove added to a very watchable, very listenable set. Hell, I was so impressed I bought the album, Canines, and look forward to seeing them again.

Long time favourites The Lovely Eggs were top of the bill. I don’t know whether it was the venue, the dry ice, the extravagant light show, the PA, the beer, or a combination of it all, but they rocked like mothertruckers. Seriously, their grunge punk onslaught sounded so much heavier than usual and the in-between song northern humour cut to a minimum. A couple of newies from the forthcoming Wildlife LP fortunately didn’t reveal any drastic change of direction from the previous few singles and when they slowed it down for “Fuck It” scarves emblazoned with its name were held aloft. (I flipping well forgot to buy a blue and white one. Fuck it.) A barnstorming, sausage roll crumbling finale of “Don’t Look At Me” had Tommy Trinder’s poster shaking in its frame.

Below are the songs, mainly punk and garage, I played. Was a new experience to use CDs (no record decks available) but I muddled through, only ballsed up a couple of times, but I bet the Palladium has never heard "Spazz" by The Elastik Band before. The first set was early doors, the second between Shrag and The Lovely Eggs, and the third had a few dancing after the Eggs until closing time. Fab.

The What Four – I’m Gonna Destroy That Boy (1966)

Orange Juice – The Artisans (1984)

The Seeds – Evil Hoodoo (1966)

The Prisoners – Better In Black (1982)

Wild Billy Childish & The MBE – Joe Strummer’s Grave (2006)

The Black Angels – Telephone (2010)

Belle & Sebastian – Legal Man (2000)

Dale Hawkins – LA Memphis Tyler Texas (1969)

Bo Diddley – If The Bible’s Right (1970)

Two Wounded Birds – Together Forever (2012)

The Primitives – Turn Off The Moon (2012)

Swinging Medallions – Double Shot of My Baby’s Love (1966)

Mysterious Monks – The Moneylender (2012)

The Elastik Band – Spazz (1967)

The Untamed – It’s Not True (1965)

The Artwoods – If I Ever Get My Hands On You (1965)

Sister Rosetta Tharpe – This Train (1939)

Johnny Cash – Devil’s Right Hand (2003)

Crystal Stilts – Through The Floor (2011)

The Tomboys – I’d Rather Fight Than Switch (1964)

Sham 69 – Hurry Up Harry (1978)

The Buzzcocks – Oh Shit (1978)

The High Numbers – Leaving Here (1964)

The Remains – Why Do I Cry? (1965)

Siouxsie & The Banshees – Hong Kong Garden (1978)

Elastica – Vaseline (1995)

Love – My Flash On You (1966)

The Damned – New Rose (1976)

The Renegades – Thirteen Women (1966)

Vince Taylor – Brand New Cadillac (1959)

Art Brut – Formed A Band (2004)

The Libertines – What A Waster (2002)

The Flies – I’m Not Your Stepping Stone (1966)

The Monks – Higgledy Piggledy (1966)

The Seeds – Pushin’ Too Hard (1966)

Captain Beefheart – Zig Zag Wanderer (1967)

The Rakes – 22 Grand Job (2006)

Suede – Animal Nitrate (1993)

The Clash – Train In Vain (1979)

Dinosaur Jr – Freak Scene (1988)

Camera Obscura – Hey Lloyd I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken (2006)

Super Furry Animals – God Show Me Magic (1996)

The 13^th Floor Elevators – You’re Gonna Miss Me (1966)

The Sonics – Have Love Will Travel (1965)

Tommy Hunt – The Pretty Part Of You (1964)

The Action – I’ll Keep On Holding On (1966)

The Electric Fayre – You’re No Good (1996)

Manic Street Preachers – PCP (1993)

The Specials – Monkey Man (1979)

DATE FOR THE DIARY: THE LOVELY EGGS and MONKEYPICKS at the LONDON PALLADIUM FRIDAY 5TH OCTOBER 2012

Idle Fret Records have organised a series of five special Friday night gigs at the London Palladium running from an opener with wiggy rockers Wolf People on the 14^th September until the 12^th October. I’m delighted to be playing records again for one of my absolute favourite current bands on the 5^th October, the fabulously stylish punkers The Lovely Eggs. Gigs in scuzzy pubs are fine but his will be a truly memorable occasion in the swish Val Parnell Room, so put on your glad rags and join us. Tickets are a tenner for all shows and can be bought in advance here.

To help promote the nights all the bands featured (including of course The Lovely Eggs and Wolf People, plus the likes of Shrag, Monster Island, The History of Apple Pie and others) have contributed a track each to a free download album, Friday Night at the London Palladium. Available here.

THE LOVELY EGGS at the HEAVENLY SOCIAL, LONDON

The Lovely Eggs were on fab form last night crashing through a set that’s increasingly feeling like a greatest hits package thanks to a strong run of recent singles.  That's greatest hits in my universe based on airplay in Monkey Mansions rather than the hit parade, if there is still such a thing. “Allergies”, “Food” and "Fuck It" are great but there still hasn’t been a better single in the 21st century than “Don’t Look At Me (I Don’t Like It)”. Had a little chat with Holly and David after I'd DJed and they were indeed Lovely Eggs. "Why didn't you play at our wedding?" they asked. Funnily enough, and I didn't tell them this, but me and Mrs Monkey thought about asking them to play at ours last year. "People Are Twats" would've gone down a storm. Thanks a lot to promoter Darren at Idle Fret Records for another well organised night; for letting me spin some suitable records alongside Ian from Art Brut; and for nabbing the wonderfully drawn set list.

The Lovely Eggs played (plus an encore of "Panic Plants"):

I played:
The Rolling Stones – Come On (1963)

The Pretty Things – Rosalyn (1964)

The Silver Factory – The Sun Shines Over You (2011)

The Primitives – Rattle My Cage (2011)

Jacco Gardner – Clear The Air (2012)

Bob Dylan – Positively 4^th Street (1965)

Pavement – Trigger Cut (1992)

Manic Street Preachers – Motown Junk (1991)

Sissy & The Blisters – We Are The Others (2011)

Sex Pistols – C’mon Everybody (1979)

Johnny Burnette Trio – Lonesome Train (1957)

The Stairs – Weed Bus (1991)

The Seeds – Mr Farmer (1966)

Leroy Van Dyke – It’s All Over Now Baby Blue (1965)

The Who – Dogs (1968)

Mark Markham & His Jesters – Malboro Country (1966)

The Beckett Quintet – No Correspondence (1966)

The Buzzcocks – Love You More (1978)

Dinosaur Jr. – Freak Scene (1988)

Jilted John – Jilted John (1978)

The Kinks – She’s Got Everything (1968)

MARY EPWORTH in LONDON, 15th MARCH

You may have seen Mary Epworth featured in the latest issue of Shindig! or heard the fab “Black Doe” on BBC6Music, and now, at least for those in reach of London, comes the chance to catch her live as part of the latest Idle Fret night.

On the strength of that track I’m very much looking forward to trying to get my head around whether she is psychedelic-folk, folky-psychedelia, or none of the above. I’ll also be packing a box of 45s to play a couple of sets of indulgent randomness – a MonkeyPicks for the ears.

If that wasn’t enough there are two other acts, more DJs, and an art exhibition; all for free. Full details above. Try and make it.

COMET GAIN at the SILVER BULLET, FINSBURY PARK

I bought a Comet Gain record in 1996, “Say Yes! (To International Socialism)”, and then not another until this year’s Howl of The Lonely Crowd, which gets a lot of action in Monkey Mansions. Any band who name a song the same as I named my goldfish - Herbert Huncke - is all right with me. I’ve no idea why I lost fifteen years but I'm gonna enjoy catching up. They were good last night; hanging a poetic lyric on a resolutely ramshackle and wonky beat. You'll find more polish in QPR's trophy cabinet - which is how it should be. They were thoroughly nice folk too, giving me their fab new single ("An Arcade From The Warm Rain That Falls") and chatting about The Left Banke.

I was on record duty, and as it was a gig rather than club meant my role was that of human jukebox, albeit a slightly self-indulgent one. These got pulled from the box:

The Impressions – Meeting Over Yonder (1965)
Arthur – Garnish Fantasy (1993)
High Priests – Baby Diamond Mind (2007)
The Choir – It’s Cold Outside (1967)
The Ronettes – Do I Love You? (1964)
Camera Obscura – Let’s Get Out Of This Country (2006)
The Lemonheads – Galveston (1997)
The Silver Factory – The Sun Shines Over You (2011)
The Left Banke – I Haven’t Got The Nerve (1966)
The Lovely Eggs – Watermelons (2011)
Dinosaur Jr. – Freak Scene (1988)
The Who – Doctor, Doctor (1967)
The Action – Twentyfourth Hour (1967)
Johnny Cash – The Lady Came From Baltimore (1974)
Hank Williams – I Can’t Get You Off My Mind (1951)
Love – Alone Again Or (1967)
Slim Harpo – I Need Money (1964)
Ko Ko Taylor – Wang Dang Doodle (1966)
Bob Dylan – Positively 4th Street (1965)
Pete Molinari – It Came Out Of The Wilderness (2008)
Maurice and the Radiants – Baby You’ve Got It (1966)
Mark Markham and the Jesters – Marlboro Country (1966)
Mouse and the Traps – Cryin’ Inside (1968)
The Horrors – Count In Fives (2006)
Betty Lavett – Witchcraft In The Air (1963)

IDLE FRET OXJAM BENEFIT, LONDON, THURSDAY 20th OCTOBER 2011

If you're free in London Town this coming Thursday you could do a lot worse than get along to the Silver Bullet opposite Finsbury Park tube for an Oxjam benefit show put on by Idle Fret Records. Certainly looks an interesting mix of bands and DJs (Comet Gain, Pete Wiggs etc). I'll be playing a few records early doors and seeing as how I'm listed with reference to Monkey Picks it'll be a ragbag mixture of 45s that kinda encompass what you get on here. They may regret uttering the words "play whatever you like". Should be good fun and certainly good value for a fiver or so.