HEAVY METAL KIDS.

THE WINNING POST WHITTON  1-5-11
  Greetings me old shipmates. 
  First of all let me apologise for not posting this sooner, but your old mate Flash Tightpocket has been wrestling with his conscience as whether or not to post these pictures at all. 'Twas a bad day at the office indeed, photography wise. The lighting was dull & red. A nightmare for such as I. I even had to resort to the dreaded flash. 
 But enough of my vanity. It's merely a record to show we were there to once again witness this red hot band.

  It had taken the bread knife & me a good 4 hours plus to drive the 188 miles to get to the Winning Post taking into account several toilet stops & the lure of those giant burgers at the Burger King.
  So it was a great feeling of comfort stepping over the threshold of this grand old boozer to see a lot of the familiar faces. Keith, Cosmo & Justin always willing to chew the breeze & let you know what's happening regarding all things H.M.K. Ronnie holding court & indulging himself in the odd birthday brandy, furnishing us further with some marvellous stories from a life of rock 'n' roll.

   
  On the back of the vinyl re-issue of 'Kitsch' called 'Chelsea kids' (I still have it, in fact I still have 'em all) is a revue of a H.M.K gig at this very venue. Geoff Barton describes the show & his overriding memory of dear old Gary Holton with a bucket containing a severed head bawling, ''IS 'EAD FELL OFF'' stating that somewhere up in those rafters those words are echoing still.

  
      Not so flash & theatrical this line up of the Kids. Although Justin has stepped into the role of axe wielding frontman with effortless ease, Striking a classic pose at every available opportunity.
  It was also refreshing to see them play to a very healthy sized crowd. 
  Geoff Barton was right though, when you see a great gig it's not always the obvious that you remember, it's those little personal moments that seem to remain with you more than most.

Like when Ronnie introduced the song 'Whisky' he also slipped in the fact that it was soon gonna be his birthday. No sooner had the words left his lips, when a gallant punter burst forth brandishing a large scotch. As a smiling Ronnie knocked back his whisky, with a cheesecake grin he quipped 'it pays to advertise'. Class!
 The defining moment for me though was Cosmos' solo during 'It's the same'. It's always been one of my favourite songs but tonight it seemed to have a certain edge & Cosmos' solo cut through everything around him. Crisp clean & perfectly executed. The hairs on the back of my Gregory Peck were stood firmly to attention.

 Boring, is one thing this band can never be accused of. When they introduced 'The cops are coming' & the high camp of 'Uncontrollable' it also came with the added bonus of guest vocalist, formerly one of their number, Mr John Altman, just to lift the tempo of the evening to another level.

  Another great show had come to a close, but be warned discerning reader, the H.M.K have yet another ace up their sleeve. 
 Former 'Girl', 'Torme' & 'L.A Guns' vocalist 'Phil Lewis' will be bolstering their ranks for 3 gigs only, at the end of May, culminating in what should be quite an evening at the Camden Underworld on May 29th. Miss this at your peril.

  As Madame Tightpocket & me headed off on our long journey home, I couldn't help but think of Geoff Bartons words & Cosmos' stunning solo. You probably won't hear it echoing around the rafters of the Winning Post for ever; but it's still fresh & firmly lodged in my head & that's just where I'm keeping it.

 Chin chin.