Popped over to the Forum at Kentish Town on Friday night to see the Hoodoo Gurus. It was the London leg of the tour that took them to Glastonbury.
I went with Uncle Hunty, a regular contributor to this blog. Hunty’s a big bloke so we didn’t have to worry about any knife-wielding teenagers on the Northern Line from Waterloo. He also got served pretty quickly at the bar.
The gig wasn’t sold out so we were able to get a good spot up front, right near the speakers. The Gurus were in top form, cranking out all their hits and a few I hadn’t heard for a while. Highlights were Leilani (although they stuffed up the finish), Bittersweet and a cracking version of Tojo, clearly a crowd favourite.
I loved every minute of it. So did the audience. But when I bought a round from a young English guy behind the bar, I wondered what he made of the songs. South Sea Island princesses throwing themselves into volcanoes, talking cyclones, cops dancing with paisley-clad revellers and odes to greyhound racing – not the sort of stuff Franz Ferdinand sing about.
It made me realise that the Gurus are a particularly Australian band. They couldn’t have come from anywhere else. I made my way home, my ears ringing, a grin on my face, kind of pleased about that.
BTW Here’s a few YouTube videos of the band. Tojo is sadly missing the immortal last line – ‘That year Santa never came.’ And Leilani showcases Australian fashion circa 1982. Scary.
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I knew it, you only brought me along for protection and my magical elf like ability to procure alcohol. I felt like a sleek princess making my way through the crowd with cider in hand, the whole night just clicked and it was one of the best nights out I have had in a long time, unless my wife reads this in which case I only have fun with you dear, pity you weren’t there.
Dave and the boys certainly know how to put on a good show after a slightly slow start. Brad was looking very much like a worn out Alan Davies but really enjoys himself while he is playing his guitar. My ears didn’t recover until a couple of days later and to be honest I didn’t hear lot of what you said on the way back to the tube.
It was an excellent night, topped off by annoying Dave when we started our elderly foot stomping and chanting for him to play Tojo. I was particularly tickled by his comments that he should change his name to Dave “Tojo” Faulkner because it haunted him. It was the second best song that night, the best of course being I Was A Kamikaze Pilot. If someone gave me a plane I don’t think I would be able to fly it either.
On a slightly stranger note, my wife commented that you look like both Colin Hay and Pat Cash…
Likewise, I grinned all the way home. Roll on November at the Astoria.
Hey Hunty,
You do indeed have an elf-like quality for procuring alcohol. I’m more dwarfish myself – took me at least three songs to get a round while you were back well before the middle eight.
Not sure how to take your wife’s comments. Having seen Pat Cash up close and personal the other day at Wimbeldon I got to say I’m cool with that. He doesn’t look bad for a bloke in his forties, even with the headband.
Colin Hayes, though. Hmmm. Was it the receding hairline, the wonky eyes or the pointy chin that drew the comparison.
Still, two Aussie legends. And I’ve had worse. Someone told me I looked like Phil Collins once.
Now that hurt!