This show was a double birthday celebration for the 50th birthdays of both Paul-Ronney Angel and Luci-Fire, sadly Luci had Bronchitis so was unable to attend her party, but everyone else showed up, we had a brilliant time. We missed the afternoon all ages set and any of the special guests that took part in the first half, we also missed any of the acts that went on after The Urban Voodoo Machine as we had to get up early on Sunday. This show also celebrates 20 years of The Urban Voodoo Machine who have been a brilliant live band with an ever-evolving line-up that rarely remains the same for more than a song or two, this show was no different. I will do my best to keep up with who played what. They are the perfect band to organize a piss-up in a brewery, even having a special Angelfire IPA on tap for the show that has a nice citrus edge to it.
As is traditional the band began by slowly swaying through the audience zombie style while DJ Scratchy played the bands theme before Lady Ane Angel banged her cymbal to signify it was time for the fun to begin as the band launched into the live version of the theme as an 8 piece built around the core of The late J Roni More and Jary on drums, Slim Cyder on Keyboards and Accordion, The Rev Gavin Smith on Upright bass, Tony Diavolo on guitar and Paul-Ronney Angel on guitar and vocals.
High Jeopardy Thing was sung as a gospel blues with as expected loads of interplay between Paul-Ronney and the band and audience to get the sold-out brewery going. Cheers For The Tears was as bittersweet as ever, being the tale of false rumors' of Paul-Ronney's drunken death in Camden, thankfully he survived to get drunk a few more hundred times since and we all raised our glasses to toast him, as Slim's piano felt like the core of the tune, that all the drums and brass was built around.
Slim switched to his modified Accordion for Living In Fear a dark urban tale of surviving the last few years with everything it's thrown at us.
Then Joe Mongo Whitney joined them on Washboard and Mlle Chat Noir on Violin for a grand romp through Not With You as a 9 piece, this had a very rebetika feel to it, as they had obviously drunk enough to get totally down by this point, they played Lying On The Track as they played in this railway arch beneath the tracks, thankfully no one got run over by a train instead dancing and singing along.
Slim was then brought forward to centre stage to whip out his mobile phone and once he'd mastered the technology he played a short message from Luci-Fire who croaked her apologies for not making it to her own birthday show as we all wished her a swift recovery.
Slim stayed at the microphone to sing the Orphans Lament with Gary Voodoo next to him with the words for the audience to sign along on a sheet of paper, it's Na Na, Na Na not La La, La La as the 10 piece version really got going on this brilliant classic.
Crazy Maria is a another of the bands sad tales of friends lost along the way as they ask if she really OD'd herself or did someone give her the hot shot, as Paul-Ronney remembered how much fun he had hanging out with her.
Next was the one song in the set I am guessing at the title for, I have it down as Heart Is Full of Emptiness, but it could be Living In Fear, either way the 7 piece really sounded full of regret and sadness.
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This being a Birthday party Gretchen Laddish brought up a Birthday cake, so we could all sing Paul-Ronney Happy Birthday, after blowing out the candles to health and safety's relief, he was also given some presents to open, before the bands original pianist Jim Jones came onstage to wail his way through Killer Sound, as that's something the band has always had a total Killer Sound.
Then Tommi Rae Brown took over on lead vocals for the brilliantly bruised blues of Baby I Shot You Down that dripped with emotion.
While We Were All Asleep seems even more accurate now, than when they first performed this song, about what the political Muppets running things do behind our backs, the state of the world as a consequence, as you could almost have slept through all of the Truss era and probably wish you had.
Paul-Ronney then introduced the bands trusty producer Alex McGowan to the stage, with a story about one of the new songs off of the about to be released new album Snakeoil Engine, the song Cross Dressing, Pill Popping Copper before he got Captain Future to help bring the gospel blues of Help Me Jesus to life, as we all joined in on this Hymnal with some very loud Motherfuckers this was great rollicking fun.
We are close enough to the right time of year to sing Goodbye To Another Year that had some fine tinkling from Juliet Sutton on Keyboards along with the wailing sax and how can I not have mentioned all of J Roni Moe and Jary's antics on the double drum kit swapping places standing up on the drum seats all sorts as usual, yes goodbye to another rotten year, hopefully goodbye to this rotten government too, as this brilliant set came to the raucous ending anyone whose ever seen one of the best live bands of the last 20 years has come to expect as the band marched off the stage round the brewery and slowly back on stage and then the band made there outros gradually reducing in size.
They came back for an encore that opened with a duo between Paul-Ronney Angel and Norman Watt Roy on Bass as we all joined in as they sang I Wanna Be Sedated. I always love to see Norman play. They were then joined by Brother Jim Jones and the gang for a ballsy rampage through Love Song 666.
That just left time for the monster finale with at least 20 people on stage for the gospel voodoo blues of I Will Fly Away with the Future Shape Of Sound gospel singers leading the refrain and a total knees up backing from all and sundry this was the perfect close to yet another great show from The Urban Voodoo Machine, who have come a long way since we first saw them playing at a party in original Trumpet player Lloyd's house all those years ago. I look forward to the next 10 years!
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