The World's End in Camden is the pub upstairs from the Underworld. On Sunday afternoons they put on bands themselves. The Hyenas got a last minute call to play today. Luckily I was not only free, but passing by on my way home from East London. It makes quite a pleasant venue and as a busy pub  there's quite a reasonable crowd.

The Hyenas asked me to do some publicity pics of them against brick walls in Camden. As a band they look very Camden, so taking a few pictures was pretty easy. There are also lots of interesting brick walls in Camden

First gig of 2008; the Hyenas are playing at the Buffalo Bar in Islington. Its my first visit to this cosy red venue. The dull bottled beer is a bit of a negative, and the red lights are so passé. I think the lights would be quite good if they didn't have thick red filters . The Hyenas opened the evening and I am mindful of the last time I saw them play so early (I fell asleep on the tube and ended up having to walk quite a way home). My good intentions of rushing home to do useful things go by the wayside and I stay for the other bands (The Phantom Lovers , Bender,  White Friday) are enjoyable.

The 12 Bar is a nice venue, well situated, with lights (although they are a bit high to be perfect).

Third visit to the bullet bar in a week. Lighting is still difficult and the band on late again.

With the Hyenas playing early I thought this would be an opportunity for an early night. Paradoxically it was only early when they had finished so I stayed for a drink; and then another one.... would still have been ok if I hadn't dozed off on the tube. No trains back, so took me an hour to walk home. At least it wasn't raining.

First up Monocle Rose. I always think guitarists who jump in the air and singers who roll on the floor make a band worth photographing. If like Monocle Rose they have some good songs too, then they are a real find.

Bar Monsta has turned into a warm and convivial venue and the sound was more balanced than when I was last there. The lights could do with pointing at the singer rather than the drummer though.

Another solid and enjoyable set from the Hyenas.

Misty Moon on Sunday nights plays host to Metalworks, who seem to be an established rock/metal cover band. They invite a band to play in their break. Tonight it is the Hyenas.

When I left home it was dry, by I emerge from the underground in Chalk Farm it is pouring with rain and distinctly cold. I wonder whether I should have chosen more substantial clothes. Arriving at the Misty Moon I find I have too many clothes on, the venue is hot, sweaty and full. Its a struggle to reach the bar on the other side of the band. Some of the songs seem familiar which is rather embarassing and much of the crowd seem as old as me. There seems something rather sad about rehashing old Status Quo numbers on this scale, but at least these people are out enjoying live music rather than sitting in front of the TV.

Although there is the now traditional exodus for cigarettes, there is still a substantial crowd to enjoy the Hyenas. The guys from Metalworks give them a warm introduction and they are confident in playing their own songs. The audience handle their lack of familiarity with the material well. I see no looks of bemusement, nor do I hear any discussions of whether that riff was reminiscent of a metal band the long-haired slighly greasy man in the leather trousers had seen at Donnington in '83 or was it '85; but then I'm taking pictures with my head virtually in a monitor so I may have missed such coversations.

There are actually a number of us who have come specifically to see the Hyenas and I think we all enjoyed a good set. I was reminded of a riff from a band I saw at the Hope & Anchor in 1978.....or was it.....

Shocking as it may seem the last tube from Camden leaves at 11.30 on a Sunday. Presumably this anachtonism is a hang over from the licensing laws introduced around 1915 where everyone had to go to bed early on Sundays so they could be bright and fresh on Monday mornings ready to produce astonishing numbers of bombs and other deadly munitions to fight the Great War. Perhaps one of the candidates for the Mayoral elections might propose bringing London on a Sunday night into the 21st century. Until then it looks like I shall have to get the car out if I want to out on a Sunday. In the end it took me 2 and a half hours to get home from Camden, exactly the same time as it took me to get home the previous night from somewhere north of Ipswich.

Straight back from Stanstead to Camden. Just in time to catch the last song from Daddy's Little Secret (below),

and catch the whole of the Hyenas' set. I managed to find a kebab during the band inbetween. I came across Veronica in her other band Vanilla Ride, a couple of weeks ago. Which somehow led me to the Hyenas' myspace. I particulary enjoyed the gig, although I suspect some of that was a sort of elation from the weekend in Rome. We shall see at their next gig how objective my judgement was (not that my praise or otherwise for the musical content is worth much anyway)