This show was billed as The Big Bad Birthday Trilogy a classic piss-up in a brewery to celebrate Paul-Ronney Angel, Luci Fire and Tony Diavolo birthdays in style.
The show began with the nights Compere Dave Chameleon doing a few nifty hat tricks before welcoming The Urban Voodoo Machine on-stage, as usual the band theme played while they walked zombie style through the packed crowd led by the late J Roni Moe, once on-stage the core seven piece readied themselves and launched into the rest of the Theme and introduction by Luci Fire who was playing handheld cymbal.
Then the antics really began on Living In Fear with Luci on bass sax and Slim letting rip on his accordion and the twin threat of Paul-Ronney Angel and Tony Diavolo's guitars helped to make clear just how fearful the times we are living in are.
Paul-Ronney then welcomed the first guest of the evening on stage so that Rosa Marsh the daughter of original guitarist Nick Marsh could read a poem on the theme you Can't Eat Money. Keeping with the hard times theme they launched into recent single Empty Plastic Cup, that's all some of us are left with, J Roni More and Jary were up to there usual tricks switching places and adding all sorts of tribal beats beneath The Rev. Gavin Smith's double basslines that were twanging.
Next was the bands credo Always Out yep they are always on the road and out having fun, never standing still, the rebetika bop and stroll really got going. Slim Cyder switched to piano for Rusty Water & Coffin Nails to give it more of a New Orleans Professor Longhair feel. Paul-Ronney then invited Tommie Rae Brown up for a sultry duet with him on Rather You Shot Me Down while Gary Voodoo stepped out from behind the drums to play acoustic guitar.
They upped the tempo for While We Were All Asleep that had plenty of hamming up going on, Tommi Rae and Luci harmonised in the backing vocals. For No Bail Blues Slim switched back to accordion for the down at heel realities of modern life got to them. The first set closed with Paul-Ronney dedicating To All My Fallen Brothers to the band members no longer around including Nick Marsh and Rob The Kid Skipper among others, as always this is poignant yes still life affirming.
Dave Chameleon did a few more tricks as he welcomed the band back on stage and slowly Tony's guitar and Slim's piano was added too, they went into what I put down as Blue Sky Jazz after Paul-Ronney claimed we were at Jazz Club and got everyone finger clicking to Police before he told us he always feels like a foreigner these days even when he's back home in Norway, they slowly became more bluesy for Johnny Foreigner a song full of sympathy for put upon derided immigrants the world over.
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The ironies of the rumour mill were taken apart as usual on Cheers For The Tears, no Paul-Ronney didn't fall in the canal at Camden Lock pie eyed again, he's still with us and having a blast drinking from his binocular flask and any bottle he can lay his hands on. For Orphan's Lament Slim switched back to Accordion, Luci played tambourine and Paul-Ronney played acoustic guitar on this deliciously twisted song that sounded downhearted yet euphoric.
Little Jimmy & The Rock Crowd kept up the fun and craziness before they welcomed Captain Future Alex McGowan up on guitar and Millie Watson to duet with Paul-Ronney on a more salacious than normal Love Song 666.
Alex took lead guitar on Help Me Jesus while Paul-Ronney played mouth organ, Slim gave us some spirited gospel blues piano while Luci shook her tambourine for all she was worth.
To close the set they welcomed Juliet Hodges up on piano so Slim played accordion and Joni Belaruski added some tuba, I think it was Luke Arnold on Clarinet as they Said Goodbye To Another Year in the huge gang sing along style we expect of them with everyone having a total blast.
We all knew they would be back for an encore and soon enough Paul-Ronney was back onstage with Rosa Marsh to sing a rather downbeat Last Train To Wherever from her dads album Waltzing Bones. Then Rosa's Mum Katherine Blake along with Steve James and Peter Bailey joined in for Pipe & Slippers Man that had a rousing backing chorus.
Then it was time for the big finale as the stage filled with a total of 20 players including Luciano Oltramari and Juliet Hodges and Tommie Rae for I'll Fly Away the gospel classic that they hammed up in every conceivable way including the entire entourage slowly leaving the stage and singing the chorus and continuing to play as they all walked through the audience to the dressing room at the back to the brewery to end another incredible The Urban Voodoo Machine birthday bash, always an unmissable event.
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