Another Trepan Records night with Carnival of Souls headling. The first band from Leeds and were "really enjoying themselves in London". I think they were called 'the officers' and they were quite enjoyable, but not animated enough for me to put down my drink and take any pics.
Next up were MoneyTree who exhibited the combination of good tunes and a manic performance which seems to be the hallmark of Trepan records.

The sudden summer weather seems to have caught a few people out, who are presumably still lingering over a pint by the river (or maybe they don't go out when Big Brother is on). Anyway the Barfly is a bit quiet for such a good band as Carnival of Souls, but the performance is as joyous (and manic) as ever.

See you at the Underworld on Tuesday....

 

A goolish night with Trepan records. Carnival of Souls played a lively set with the usual mix of danceable tunes and chaos. The audience clearly enjoyed it (as did we). Gronk tipping his keyboard off the stage in the middle of the evening added a certain amount of chaos, but no lasting damage seemed to have been done and even the keyboard was working by the end of the song. The Inn on the park is a pleasant venue with a relaxed atmosphere. Dr Filth played a good set before Carnival of Souls

The gig started way before due, at about 9.30 they were on, and surprise, they were playing downstairs at the barfly!
The sound of their famous instrumental song started the show, and a Gronk, more excited than ever erupted from underneath the keyboard. Many people were gathering around the stage, dancing about.
All the band members were in great shape, and looked fantastic, particularly Hugo and Gus and John and Gronk.
At some point one of their fans(or friend?) jumped on stage naked, during the last song, and amazingly stayed there for about half of the song, without being chucked out at all, we must had he had very nice thorax muscles and an amazing shape and pretty long hair, but we will not comment further. First time I see a naked man on a stage of a rock show!
Very busy evening and great performance.

 

 

Don't remember much about this gig as I met a friend for a few drinks in a pub in Portobello Road before hand. By I reached the venue Lizzy and Brenda had gone home due to Lizzy being unwell. I think CoS did their usual lively show.

As we missed their last gig  due to Mab playing on the same day, we made a special effort to go and see Carnival of Souls play at the St Moritz club, even though we knew they were playing at midnight and both of us had to get up at 7.30 the day after...
 We arrived 2 hours before, after having eaten in Garlic Shot, this garlic -goth bar in Frith Street. The meal there was very garlicky indeed, as an apetiser they even proposed garlic heads roasted in the oven... Delicious.
  The St Moritz was very quiet as we got in, and we heard as we arrived " Some Punters already!" by this mistress looking woman with a top hat on. We never understood who she was in the club .
Carnival of Souls were there, socialising, and the singer Gronk was changing unprudely in the main room where we were having a drink. Lizzzzzzzy, the ever Creel fan, was with us and didn't dare looking...
 They eventually came onstage, and at that point the venue was crammed...The dance floor, playing 50's music was so busy we had to push our ways through to the front of the stage... Most of the crowd which came to see the band that evening were the singer's friends, aparently. St Moritz is a venue where Carnival of Souls play about twice a year.
It was very hot and became even hotter as the band started...They were all dressed up for Halloween, Gronk with a mad scientist outfit, Gus with amazing make up and alien's hair, Hugo had a beautiful Venitian mask on, and oh my god John had a scary skull mask on... The gig was very long and very energetic, and it got so hot most of the band except Gronk ended up topless, to the delight of all the ladies. (well, some we know, anyway) 
 IT ended at 1.30, with no time for an Encore, but by that point we were ready to go home and get some fresh air! Excellent gig, and the lighting was very good at times.  We do not recommend the night bus journey, which never arrived and we got home about an hour and a half later, having taken another bus and a cab from a nearer place... Why don't Carnival of Souls, as part of the strange places they play in, play in the night bus 7? It would just be oh so handy. At least we would know where the hell would be one.  
 O-F

Hot, Hot, Hot. Today was a record breaking 21°C in London. In the evening Carnival of Souls turn up the heat at a basement in Wardour Street. Apparently 'Gaz's Rockin' Blues' at the St Moritz Club was the scene of the first ever CoS gig back in 1998. On stage at 12.30 playing a long sweaty set before a rapturous crowd.
N-A

 

 

Inn on the Green lies between Portobello Road and Ladbrooke Grove; Some of us remember this area for bands such as the Raincoats, Bank of Dresden and the Passions who played the nearby Aklam Hall in the early 80s. Those traditions of indie rock are alive and well tonight. With a flier it was only £2 to see 4 bands and although we only photographed 'Carnival of Souls' the other 3 bands - Omega, Amigaman and Joey Powell - contributed to a good evening. The hall was a reasonable size but the lighting was somewhat inadequate (or was it just the 'new dark'). Although the band described themselves as tired, and had a long wait after the soundcheck, their performance was as energetic as usual; from the frantic ska of 'Send in the Clownz' to 'Monkeychicken' and 'Society of Friends' the tunes are soon stuck in your head. We spend the whole weekend dancing and humming them. It was a fitting tribute to John Peel.