The FLESHTONES

LEEDS: THE WELL: 7-12-12

What a night & what a revelation!
Boys & girls, I am gonna keep this really brief. Mainly for the reason that I don't feel qualified enough to give a convincing & insightful critique on these fine young fellas! Why t'would be unfair my fluffy little swamp ducks!
Sure I've heard their records over the years & always thought they were pretty good but this is the first time I've actually seen them perform.
 Lordy lordy! These guys put on one hell of a show!

Hell I can't even put in something like, "from the moment they hit the stage", Because they didn't!
 They snuck in through the side door, marched single file through the audience & played most of the first song stood on the merchandise table in the next room! 
'AS MAD AS A BOX 'O' FROGS'.

The Fleshtones did actually make it onto the stage, though it has to be said, they utilized every inch of the venue, leaving no turn unstoned!  Proving once & for all what a magnificent beat combo they truly are, with an exemplary taste in footwear. Just check out those blue sparkly pickers!
These cats played nearly half the show off stage & in amongst the audience. In fact at one point they had members of the audience on stage playing the instruments!
 MAD AS A BOX 'O' FROGS!

As if that wasn't enough for them, The Fleshtones put members of the audience through their paces by getting them to do physical jerks & press ups.
Their 'piece de resistance' arrived when they had every single member of the audience sat on the floor in a circle, while the band sat in the middle directing the sing along like insane scout leaders!
 The Fleshtones took Leeds by the scruff of the neck, gave it a thorough rogering & only put it down again when they were truly satisfied!
'BOX 'O' FROGS 'INNIT?

What a wonderfully entertaining night we had. I hope you enjoy the pictures & please do feel free to use any of them for your own dubious purposes.
 The last word on this post is a request to the Fleshtones.
 Please, please, please, come back again soon.
CHIN CHIN!

The DeRELLAS

Leeds: The Well: 7-12-12

Cor blimey guvnor! It seems like many a yonker since I last clapped eyes on these fine fellows, when in reality 'tis only a year. Which is waaay too bleedin' long in my book!
Afore I go any further my dears may I offer an explanation as to the nature of some of these shots; as you may notice some of them do show a degree of motion blur! Now it can be quite difficult shooting without flash in a dimly lit club, even with a fast lens. This task is made even more difficult when faced with a band like the Derellas! Why? ........Why? do I hear you ask?  The answer my sweet little cherubs is quite simple! THEY NEVER KEEP STILL!!!!
Seriously! such is the intensity & fury of a Derellas show, they cover more ground in a 45 minute spot than Emil Zatopek!!
However, I think the offending shots kinda capture that live intensity to some small degree, hence the reason why I've included 'em on here!!

A lot of credit must surely go to Timmy Derella for being instrumental in putting on this mini tour with the Fleshtones. Rumours do abound of more of the same this coming September. GROOOVY!
 Sadly, one of the venues guaranteed not to be on the itinerary is 'the Well' in Leeds, which is regretably closing its doors to live music, if it hasn't already done so!
 10 seconds after hitting the downstairs music area I was met by Robbie Tart, lead mouthpiece & guitar with the Derellas, Hugs all round!! Great to see you fella!!!
 A couple of pints of shandy later (I was driving!) & we had the all too familiar sound of 'go go Derellas' ringing in our ears.   AAH, bring it on!

It's here where I have to start reverting back to a post I did some time ago about a band from Yorkshire called 'the Vaynes'.
 A certain 'anonymous' stated that 'the Vaynes' were shit & played nothing more than tired old regurgitated riffs. 
 Dear sir, may I cast your mind back to a couple of points in history, 2 bands who were deemed as revolutionary & groundbreaking as far as music goes. The New York Dolls & the Sex Pistols!
Both changed the face of popular music as we know it, by playing..........hand me down Chuck Berry riffs! 
 This only adds more fuel to the theory that 'it ain't what you play, it's how you play it' that counts.
The Derellas always hit you for six with their own brand of  'Glam stompin Punk'n'Roll'. 
There ain't nothing new anymore, but these cats make it sound soooo refreshing, so vital & so full of energy! They really are a breath of fresh air with their 'Ramalamaglamapunkarama'.

If the rumours are true, then these fellas are burning down venues in blighty this coming September.
 Do yourselves a favour my dears & indulge yourselves in what seems to have become an almost medieval pastime. It entails removing your fat arses from the sofa, throwing on some of your gladdest rags & hauling yourselves down to a participating venue. Upon arrival, Mr Robbie Tart (guitar & vocals), Timmy Derella (bass & vocals), Luca Comencini (guitar & vocals) & on their most recent outings Danny Fury no less (pounding the skins & kicking the bins) will give you one hell of an adrenalin rush. What's more it's mostly legal!
 I'm also led to believe that sometime in March there's a curry eating competition happening somewhere in Wakefield. Boys let me know as soon as possible, I can feel a triple vindaloo frenzy coming on!!!!!

THE DeRELLAS.

We here at Tightpocket towers bloody love 'em!

 Chin chin!!