This was Frizz Records' fundraising Parade Party in aid of the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. As a result, there was no guest list and all profits were going to the aid effort, and with a top line up like this who could begrudge paying to get in? Add to that the fact that Raphael Mann was spinning only Lou Reed and Velvet Underground vinyl between the acts and everything was set for a great night.
This is the first time I have been to the Servants Jazz Quarter right in the heart of hip an happening Dalston. It is one of three music venues on the one little side street and is a cool little bar with a basement jazz club set up with tables and chairs so we can all sit and stroke our beards to the music.
I was in time to see the first band on, NEW BEST FRIEND, who were playing their first ever gig. They are a quartet playing bass heavy, reasonably poppy songs with plenty of modern concerns about what you see on your mobile phone, but with that Rickenbacker bass underpinning everything to allow the band to settle into a groove as the singer was going on about how an ex now meant nothing to him. It was impassioned and while a little ragged in places there is potential here. As they play more and gain more experience, they could evolve into a damn good live band. The closing number Dancin' really seemed to get a great reaction.
Soon enough it was time for MADAME PAMITA: everyone's favourite Euphonius Prognosticatrix who I last saw playing at the Luminaire a couple of years ago at a show that was recorded live to Wax Cylinder. That night she was also on the bill with Art Terry and others. This time she was joined on piano by Art Terry and by Damian the devil of the Washboard for some good old songs from her Wax Works album of songs recorded on, yes, Wax Cylinder.
She opened with Madame Pamita's Theme Song, naturally enough playing ukulele with Art tinkling the ivories in a fine Scott Joplin style before explaining to the audience that they would choose the set list by volunteering to pick a tarot card and have a little fortune telling and a song sung about them. The first volunteer picked her card and after a bit of fortune telling involving how she would become rich, Madame Pamita sang Mother Was a Sporting Girl which - if you don't know the song - is basically about how a lady can make her way in the world by, ahem, opening her legs a little.
That was followed by another routine and then they did Willie The Chimney Sweeper, featuring some very sweet piano bits from Art and some odd extra percussion from Damian on his Washboard and terracotta pots. The next card led to the classic Do Whatever You Please which had the joint swinging nicely. I was the next Volunteer and managed to pick The Magician card which as my beard matched the beard on the card was pretty cool, as was Madame Pamita's associating my look with Guy Fawkes before she sang He's In the Jailhouse Now, the old Jimmie Rodgers classic.
She finished the set with a sing along to Cocaine Blues that saw Art hamming it up wonderfully from his piano stall while the whole place sang along to end a cool but a little too short set.
Next on were THE BAND OF HOLY JOY, a band I saw maybe three times back in their heyday and only really have bad memories of seeing them at blood-spattered gigs that included one at a college just off the Kings Rad where support act Momus got bottled by the bands fans. He gamely played his set dodging the bottles before some fighting broke out in the audience during their set. That wasn't a fun night out at all and neither was another at the Irish Centre in Hammersmith that I remember more for the fighting than the music.
Consequently, I was a little apprehensive to see them again even if some 18 to 20 years have hopefully calmed the bands fans down somewhat. Thankfully, This proved the case as the current line-up opened with one of the band's best tunes, Over Rated Pleasures. I guess that's what it's called as I never bought any of the bands records back in the day.
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Nonetheless, they were still just as spiky sounding and Johny Brown still looks like he is spitting bile while singing, only now with much less ferocity. Let Love Come Running In was next and was a really nice love song. Next up - and for me one of the highlights of the set - was Rosemary Smith complete with some great keyboard parts and Johnny getting nicely demented as he twisted the lyrics into a few lines from The Velvets' Heroin towards the end of the song.
I think the next song was about Tigers but it could have been something else entirely. Either way it was not too bad at all and was followed by a new song introduced as Anti-Personal Hotel Lobby. Well we all know the sort of place the song was about and it had a slightly edgy feel to it. Damn, I was almost enjoying them even before they launched into a quite wonderful and slightly plaintive version of Penetration's Don't Dictate that had quite a few people singing along to it.
It was a great set closer and it was no surprise when they got called back for an encore of what (I guess) was All Of This In Black & White: a pretty decent song to finish with and I'm glad I have finally seen a violence-free show by them!!
After a short break it was time for some testifying and preaching from everyone's favourite gospel soul band led by the right reverend ART TERRY. It was time to sing the praises of the Pussy with the Church of Pussy. They started with some intros with the band all in the custom robes of the Church Of Pussy as they preached their way into the incredibly soulful Miss Thing. It had a hell of a funky groove to it with Art sat at his massive organ and with Raphael Mann on guitar and back-up vocals among other members of this fine band.
They then went into Pimp - a Blaxploitation Issac Hayes meets George Clinton funk dance number - wherein Art preached about the skills needed to be a pimp. Hell they had a groove going now that was threatening to tear the roof off the place. They then got a little political on If Your Girl's A Right Winger in which they pose the question would you go out with a woman if she was a right winger? Well if she was funky enough to dance to this it would be far harder to say no than yes, as this was almost as funky as Betty Davis. You needed to do the strut to it while pondering if you'd be able to do that thing with her in the Church of Pussy!!
They kept up the political theme on Nationalism which was as dirtily funky a tune as you could ever dream to hear on this subject and, damn, if the whole place wasn't up and dancing by this point. That was followed by Maybe You Should - well that's what I think it was called. Either way they go up some extra backing singers to really give it a great gospel funk feel before they closed the show with the incredible I Can't Get No Pussy. Oh no no no you can't: what a tragedy! What will they do but to funk it the hell up and get us all dancing as they brought the show to a close and left us all hot, sticky, wet and wanting more. Even if we had to settle for Sister Ray cranking out of the stereo.
This was a great benefit show and as great a way as any to help the poor victims of Typhoon Haiyan.
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