Radio Podrophenia: Live and gigging

Boys, girls, bloggers and browsers - would you please, set your Podrophonic clocks for 9 PM tonight as piley and I return to the radio waves - for two hours of live chat, tunes and #hashtag natterabouts

You'll find us parked up in our all-new lodgings at Dave Dawson's Radio Novalujon - rolling out the letter O from the Podrophenia Alphabet

Friday night - you'll find us regrouping at Southend's Railway Hotel for a three way wingding built around two of the most exciting, pulse-pumping bands currently inhabiting known universe....

Eight Rounds Rapid race out of the traps first. Locally sourced and as salty and energising as a seafront breeze.

 

Thee Faction are heading up the event - blazing away with the finest Socialist R and B in the history of Socialist R and B. Think Dr Feelgood with a northern soul horn section (Brass Kapital) ..




And finally, Piley and I, dabbing about on and around the decks for an aftershow hoedown in the bar...nipping in tracks and tunes that could include..
   

Should you happen to be a Southender - try and grab last night's Evening Echo for a Podrophenia feature, or better yet - come and join us for a jive and some live entertainment Thursday, Friday or both...

Podrophenia Parish Newsletter....

Dear Parishioners and Podrophenians - exciting times are ahead of us as the new year unfolds - so behold and become involved with our January and February programme of events and offerings .....

Radio: Next Thursday (31st Jan) sees the start of a new run of monthly live Podrophenia shows, with us parked up at Radio Nova Lujon. We can't wait!

Roadshows: One week today (1st Feb) sees the first live Podrophenia event of the year... and what a way to start! Back by public demand, the ultimate team up of Thee Faction and Eight Rounds Rapid. Piley and the other one will be spinning tunes in between and after through until 1 am. The venue is The Railway Hotel in Southend, free entry! And There's even talk of a guest DJ before the bands take to the stage - TBC.

But don't take our word for what a blazing night this will be - behold Thee Faction's take on the team-up

For a visual swatch of what both bands are about dig in below...






So, should you have a free evening next Thursday or Friday we'd be delighted if you are able to attend any of our gatherings - either , groups gigs or get-togethers via the wireless...

Rock and Roller Disco

It's the first Sunday session of the year at Southend's Railway Hotel - with an afternoon jam from Martin McNeill and the Bottletop Blues Band. I haven't heard the news of who's on board for the hullabaloo yet. But Jazz ledge Digby Fairweather turned up for a toot or two at the last bash...

As has become a Sunday standard I'll be nipping in the tunes around and between the bands. Surprisingly, tunes with a disco twist (AWB, KC and the Sunshine Band, Chic) have become the surprise hit floor shakers since the end of December.

Although this week, having picked up a spectacularly generous Chuck Berry Chess box (seventy five tracks for six english) I may be going heavy on the Berry to begin with....

Should you be round or about from four - come and stake a space on the The Railway dance floor - you could hear anything from Chuck Berry to disco boogie.

Chuck Berry - Rockin At The Philharmonic

Funk Friday - Live: covers, floor shakers and samples

Crate expectations

Remember backawhiles, before the music nattering masses migrated to Twitter. Facebook and whatnot - we used to get on some sort of a goodly foot by cueing up a few funky tunes of a Friday...

Well, if you're any stripe of drinker or dancer - wander your way to Southend's Railway Hotel tonight - where I'll be winging in a few fleet-footed frisky discs from 7 30 (ish). No bands - just you know who and a crateful of soul, funk, hammond, motown, northern, glam, garage and godknowswhatelse.

Playlist-free, (that's too prescriptive) - I'll be winging in sizzlers and scorchers to fit the mood of the room. Funky nuggets such as ...

Mo Horizons - Hit The Road Jack





If you're around or about tonight - why not pop in for bop

Invest your record tokens wisely - with these 5 from 12

Available at all rocking shops and in the know newsagents now - Vive Le Rock issue 10. It's a VLR standard that every edition is a bulging and bumper volume, #10 is filled with features: The Clash, UK Reggae, Duff McKagan interviewing Brian James

Reviews: TV Smith, D C Fontana and Paul Fox tribute albums from me

And, the top 5 albums of 2012 from the magazines writers and contributors. You'll find mine on page 67 or, have a squint below..

If you got a handful of record vouchers for Christmas (do they still make record vouchers) - I'd recommend trading them in for any/all of this selection....

Should you fancy an earful from each album - just press play

New Year's Revolution

Our first Podrophonic Live Night of 2013 takes place in just four Fridays time at Southend's most rock 'n' roll local - The Railway Hotel

Friday the 1st February sees the two-fisted team up of Thee Faction and Eight Rounds Rapid reunited once again after their high-firing first twin-billing back in September - a night rubber-stamped as 'the best night out in Britain. Fact' by Thee Faction and 8RR saluted as 'the best young band in Britain'

If you haven't heard either - try a taste below





After the gig - (upstairs), Piley and I will be winging in a few tunes by way of the Podrophenia Roadshow in the main bar - (downstairs). so come along, raise a glass and shake a leg.

But if you can't make the evening- spin the words and whispers and spread the revolutionary ripples redirecting pals to the event info here

Have a Fab Christmas

Well that's me done for the year - work is finished (and I'm not back til the 2nd). The shopping's shopped, the presents are wrapped, and the holiday handbrake has been firmly applied.

Although there will be one last blast before Santa's seasonal prowl-about - The Railway's Annual Charity Bash: The 2012 Beatles Convention - An all day event double-decking (the halls) across two floors

Upstairs: Southend's finest musicians will be putting their individual spins on the Beatles songbook 

Downstairs: Martian McNeill and his Bottletop Blues Band (With special guest West Weston and mystery jazzer TBA) - will be swinging through a Sunday afternoon session from 4

I'll be parked up in the downstairs bar spinning in Beatles themed covers, bootleg remixes, inspirations, and solo stompers

Ernie Garrett - Eleanor Rigby


And perhaps a handful of seasonal blues tunes

So until next year (or the 30th when West Weston brings his Bluesonics and Mud Morganfields guitarist to the The Railway) - have yourself a swinging little christmas

The Annual Birthday Post

So, here we are - twelve months on from this and a run of extra miles clonked on the biological clock.

Instead of a mix of the years top tunes we've run out previously- this year, I'm submitting for your listening ears - the Podrophenia Annual 2012.

It's a best of year edition where Piley, the Podrophonic Listening Squad and myself - pick 'n' mix our favourite albums, singles, books, gigs and events of the last year.. With Podrophonic salutes and shouts going out to TV Smith, Thee Faction, Eight Rounds Rapid, Hello Phones, Zoë Howe and Syd Moore with Best Single and Best Album nods going to Blow Up records - but what for?

Find out within the grooves of ......

The Podrophenia Annual 2012

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The Sunday Sessions - Mix 'n' Match

I've had something of a run of DJ sets at The Railway over the last few weekends, with every session having a different fitting, variation or twist

Mo Fingers - I leant heavily on the Hammond, soul and funk Last Friday - three and a half hours straight (with only 3 drinks and 1 comfort break) - was mostly a medley of Motown, New Orleans and northern until 11pm - followed by indie, 90s and assorted nuttery til 1 (including the Joe Loss Orchestra's Steptoe Twist)



While last sunday, for the Marc Cecil Soul Session, groovers and shakers with everything from AWB to Louis Jordan and Prince Buster were pitched into the ad-hoc playlist.

This coming Sunday, Martin McNeill is back for his regular residency with West Weston and his harp - (last seen on hooting and honking on Jools' Later).

So expect some bluesier tunes from me starting at 4 and high-firing live music from Martin and the Bottletop Blues boys from 4 30.

Lowell Fulson - Everything That I Took Away 

Takeover TV

Photo by Lynne Blackburn

Phew - we've had some properly rocking nights at Southend's Railway Hotel - but last Friday's three rounds rapid raised the roof to an all new altitude.

Photo by Graham Burnett

Round 1: The Tuppenny Bunters - swapping instruments, but sharing the same hairdo (and continuing the Brian/Anita, Mick/Bianca, David/Angie matched pair tradition) - ram-raided through covers: Wuthering Heights, Pop Goes the Weasel -  and originals, with crashing drums and gnarly  growling keys, at a pace not unlike a 33 played at 45 (or 78 for some gallops).

Photo by Paul Hughes

Round 2: Dick York and his infectious, ear-worming, catchy originals - Could it Be has been rocking my noggin all week long - and what's this! Behold: an improv appearance from Mrs Dick for some punk poetry,

Photo by Paul Hughes

Round 3: TV Smith took to the stage just nudging near midnight - to a heightened, heated, gathering - powering through a sweaty, solo set of self-penned material.

Watching him working his guitar as weapon of trash destruction is almost Woody Guthrie-ish with the unrelenting acoustic attack and clench-fisted strumming. So wired, fired and inspired were the gathered masses - we even managed a stage a invasion of Southenders United for TV's final song... The Good Times Are Back.



This was our third Retro-Podro team up (and second with the Southend Southend Punk). And a  huge salute is due to TV Smith, Dick York, Fi and Dave Dulake, Steve Worral, Steve Pegrum, Piley, Hannah at the Evening Echo and all our Southend and out-of-towner pals who made the evening such a runaway rumpus