As 2015 is quickly fading with big goals still to reach, there is no signs of the Senton machine slowing down. Yet another two ventures down to the capital have been completed as well as a rare hometown gig to kick off the annual Rebellion festival pre-show.Hope & Anchor, Islington (17.07.15)
All was well in Bombs Land and with the Total Rock Radio Showcase in our sights we were ready to roll. Slightly delayed by our rehearsal room/local pub being locked up with no signs of life until utter legend Pedro saved the day by opening up for us. Minor setback aside we hit the motorway the night before the gig, just to make sure. Damo had decided to relieve Class of his DJ'ing duties by bringing along some old school rock sounds such as Fu Manchu, QOTSA and Cactus played full blast to accompany the drinking, smoking and bantering we have all become accustomed to on these 5-6 hours treks.
Due to said drinking and the already highly strung Scott wanting to stick to his target time of arrival, Damo had to be nearly sedated as his ant sized bladder was getting the better of him and we all had to endure him moaning whilst doing everything in his power to hold himself in. At one point he was sticking his head out the window at 60mph to somehow alleviate his discomfort. Scott finally gave in to the howls of Howell. To be honest, he must have been dying for a slash as it took him a good 5 minutes to finish up, in which time Class had tried to kick him into the surrounding flora for punishment for giving us all earache and costing us time.
We arrived at the campsite at around 3am and set about the now regular routine of Scott setting up tents, Johnny claiming the car as his
bed for the night and me, Damo and Class shirking responsibility by lying on the car bonnet watching the planes coming in to land at Heathrow or, indeed, trying to spot UFO's.The morning came with a dose of sunshine and a cracking game of frisbee was had (79 consecutive catches until Scott fucked up and ruined it all). The regular routine of Johnny trying to spear me every 5 seconds after i commented on his new huge white trainers which made him look like a shit white version of Kanye West. Also worth mentioning, me and Damo made ourselves useful by kicking the bearded one's ass in a 'who-can-take-their-tent-down-quickly' competition.
We ventured into the capital to which we were comparable to sardines in a can on one of the hottest days of the year so far. We found the Hope and Anchor venue fairly easily and I got what can only be described as financially raped as two pints came to nine quid... this was too much to handle so we bought some beer much cheaper in a supermarket and set about making the three-hour wait until soundcheck a little more bearable.
Now, I'm an honest kinda guy and don't mind admitting when my priorities of setting up and selling gets slightly corrupted by women and booze and this trip was no different. Just before the Bombs went on I'd made some new friends in the form of two delightful sisters and their mother out on a birthday night out who were very friendly and joined me up the front to rock out for a belting set from the chaps that brimmed with energy and was ready to fall apart at the seams at any second. From my hazy memory I did alright on the merch side as well, which was a bonus but I stopped when i spotted the girls getting the Sambuca shots which much have cost a absolute fortune considering they bought one for all 5 of us plus their own. Johnny, despite being sober, started being his usual piss-taking self in front of the women, mocking my tattoos and hair and then he strangely licked my face which was unpleasant to say the least.
The next thing i know I awoke in the car about two hours from home surprisingly hangover free and in the mood to party. Unfortunately it was about 7 in the morning and no one reciprocated my exuberance, so Scotty and i played Van Halen loudly with home in our sights it would only be a fortnight before we were back in London - this time in Tottenham.
T-Chances, Tottenham (01.08.15)
With me being given a stern warning to conduct myself in a more respectable manner, the trek to Tottenham started on a comical note when Johnny turned up wearing a trilby hat for no apparent reason. Looking like an awkward cross between Grandad from 'Only Fools and Horses' and Raoul Duke from 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas', he wasn't too impressed at the other four having a giggle at this new uber-trendy version of the six-string stinger. The journey was swift with me sober and Damo looking increasingly more flu-ridden, he was being unusually quiet and it was a welcome change. Also note-worthy is the possibility of a 'Best of the Bombs' CD potentially on the cards in the next year once the new album is out. Looking forward to seeing many familiar faces over the 'Mainstream Single Launch Weekend' (Dates include Blackpool, Burnley and Kingston - 2/3/4th October).
We arrived with Tottenham looking a hell of a lot better with some sunshine as opposed to the grey cloud that engulfed it last time we were at T-Chances. We found that Damo had perhaps told a white lie that they were playing on a giant stage this time. On the upside the larger room/stage, that wasn't been used, was now our dressing room and sleeping area, not too bad ratio to fair 5 guys to a 600 capacity venue.
The venture down the road to find food led us to an Armenian/Turkish restaurant. Damo's plague had got the better of him and he had to go for a lie down in the car whilst we chowed down on huge pizzas and kebab meat, complete with new trendy hipster Gibbons ordering an appropriately hipster dainty Turkish coffee. The paying became a problem as the chick serving us couldn't use a calculator and tried charging over 50 quid for 2 meals and a coffee.Once back at the venue we caught the helpful barman Djamel's band 'The Blue Carpet Band', who were a tight mix of garage rock/psychobilly mayhem and had the venue nicely warmed up for the Bombs. Special mention to Uncle Simon, Billy and Amie for making the trip down to catch the boys. Billy especially for running outside mid-set shepherding more punters in the venue whilst the Bombs played a killer gig. Everyone was on fire in what was described later as 'organized chaos' by a few patrons. Surf 6-66 made a welcome appearance as the closing track and blew Tottenham away to close the night at well past 1am. Merch sold well to the freshly converted fans.
The venture home the next morning was uneventful, apart from Class wearing a gnarly tie-dye wrestling T-shirt and Scott getting angry at other drivers - no real change there from our Road Captain. Or Scotty Watty as he is known seeing as the review from the Hope & Anchor gig had named him Watson instead of Mason. The 'Kally Quiz' went down a treat with me beating JG and Class with the hot topics of wrestling, serial killers and the career of Kip Winger. Home town gig was only a few days away and the Rebellion festival warm up show at our local rock bar it was time for them to put the Black Chariots and Darkest Horse aside and get back to a pure high voltage punked up super set from the Bombs.
The Tache, Blackpool (05.08.15)
Wednesday the 5th and the pre-show to the Rebellion festival. I had started the festivities early to celebrate my week off work and a
weekend sure to be filled with fun and chaos across Blackpool. So when the Bombs arrived, all 5 minutes away from their front doorsteps for a change, I was pretty wasted already and in the right frame of mind to see Joey and his Sentons tear the local rock club a new one in the same way they had 2 years previous for the Chapter Zero album launch.For the first time in a while they were on first and the venue was already filling up with friendly faces from all over England and Europe, mostly resplendent in leather, studs and safety pins. For this special occasion out went any traces of Southern rock and in came the likes of Surf 6-66 and Phantom High, No Rest, along with old favourite Experiment. Johnny again chose to wear his new found hipster wares and by virtue of not giving a fuck about what anyone said it made him the most punk guy in the room.
Damo provided the comedy, waving his guitar around his head and then dropping to his knees. Showboating and being the most energetic of the foursome his height and general clumsiness got the better of him and he ended up flat on his arse. He just about saved himself from complete embarrassment by rolling backwards and striking a pose. I regrettably didn't capture this on camera, but it reaffirms my opinion of him being the equivalent of a giant ginger pubic hair in dogtags. Merch sold brilliantly that night, although I was knocked back a few times by folk who enjoyed it but couldn't buy a CD due to "the singer having long hair". That sentence in itself is confirmation, whilst I do truly believe that the punk scene is full of genuine, creative and thoroughly nice people, there are a small percentage who ruin it by making it all about fashion. Most of them taking longer than Lilly Savage to get ready and where is the cool in that.
A quick and easy night all in all. A couple of weeks off to be savored before the double header of Workington, with Massive Wagons, then another hometown gig featuring our brothers in music CSOD, The Drop out Wives and Black Eddy at the Blue Room. A quiet September will follow to be spent ordering new merch, recording a new video for the lead single from the new album (Mainstream) and then a mightily busy October,with three dates for the single launch followed by our first jaunt abroad this year to Holland.
Peace, love and rock n roll till next time \m/