Saturday night review Pt 1 - Johnny Meerkat
Saturday night, my big brother offers to chauffer me, so beer and bands beckon and it's off to The Beaumont Arms in Bolton to finally see Johnny Meerkat.
Got to have a chat with Graham (lead singer) at the door (I have actually met him before) and a nicer geezer you won't meet, then into the pub for a look at the set up.
Good sized boozer, reasonable amount of people in (30-40).
Got a pint in, had another natter with Graham, and then they went on.
OH MY GOD
Sheer entertainment. The guys play seamlessly as a band, and they had the sound mixed almost perfectly (just a tad bassy for me, but that will change with the amount of punters ofcourse). Good lighting rig, and all set off by the two banners they have as a backdrop (wonder where they got those from?.....)
Graham turns into this mad, endlessly energetic box of frogs, pogoing, PTing, pulling faces at the band and the crowd, heckling the people who aren't joining in and even running round the pub with his mic!
The music was great aswell, Cigs and Alcohol, All The Small things, The One I Love, Use Somebody to name but a few. All done with that certain Meerkat twist - Teenage Kicks done in a way I've never heard bfore ('and THAT'S why you play Teenage Kicke' as Graham put it) and a contemporary take on Buck Rodgers - She's got leather kecks, she's got an MP3 player, player, player.
I was singing along, clapping, laughing and grooving - and this was after only 1 pint.
Didn't get to talk to the rest of the boys, but credit where it's due: Sid on guitar (and the butt for quite a lot of humour), Steve on Bass and Lee on drums; you all played superbly.
We left at half time to move on to pastures new, but next time I am definitely staying for the whole show!
Alyerpal