Not sure how many of Paul-Ronney Angel's Big bad birthday bash's we've been to, but they are always a brilliant night out, this would be no different, they did change things up a bit by making tonight's support act The Guerilla Street Gospel choir perform outside Blackhorse Road Station rather than at the venue, but it was great coming out of the station and rather than menacing skinheads, like in the old days, there was the 9 piece choir bringing some Sister Rosetta Tharpe goodness to the corner, singing a great version of Down By The Riverside, although it should have been down by the reservoir. Captain Future looked comfortably laid back leading them through the classics and getting a good reaction from passing locals and the station staff, we stayed for a few songs and after I'll Fly Away we wandered off to the brewery.
We were in the bar when The Urban Voodoo Machine formed up to start the bands march round the venue blasting out an instrumental version of St James Infirmary Blues that led them out the door and round the car-park before eventually returning to the Brewery. This was the cue to get everyone into the main brew hall for the gig proper.
Once everyone was in the crowd was split in two to allow the band to do the traditional zombie walk to the stage playing the bands theme song with the starting 6 piece lineup of Slim Cyder, Paul-Ronney Angel, J Roni Moe, Gary Voodoo, Luci Fire and the Rev Gavin Smith, who kicked things off hamming it up and with Luci's cymbal crashes signalling some of the changes.
Luci then strapped on her Sax and was joined by Luciano Oltramari on second sax for Empty Plastic Cup that was the lead track on The Killer Stocking Filler EP, this version was bluesy and Paul-Ronney made clear how down at heal many of us feel currently. They stayed with that EP and added a third sax player for Living In Fear with the triple sax attack really adding an edge to the sound while Slim was going for it on accordion as always Gary and J Roni Moe seemed to effortlessly switch places while delivering a rock solid beat.
The first guest vocalist of the evening was Eugene Butcher from Desperate Measures who traded verses on Cheers Of The Tears as Paul-Ronney still isn't dead just yet, he's indestructible right, it was also the first tune that Slim played piano on, bringing out some of the sadness friends felt on hearing the fake news. They were back down to an 8 piece for Johnny Foreigner Paul-Ronney's song about living in London as an immigrant and then being treated like an immigrant when he moved back to Norway, if only we could stop othering other people and be more welcoming.
The saxes then left for a rest while Slim was back on Accordion and Rosa Marsh came up to help sing Can O' Worms that her dad wrote for the band, it had some great acoustic guitar from Paul-Ronney. The Luci Fire and Luciano came back on along with Soho Steve Crittall on lead guitar for While We Were All Asleep, with Paul-Ronney freed up to really go wild while singing this classic about the current batch of robber barons. They stayed as a 9 piece for Love Song 666 that as always went down as storm, with plenty of hamming it up and a great crunching solo from Soho Steve.
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They then slimmed the band back down to a 7 piece with one of the guest guitarist and singer Jordan Louis, he shared the vocals with Paul-Ronney on a crisp version of Heroin Put My Brothers In the ground with Paul-Ronney playing acoustic guitar and Slim tinkling away on piano before they closed the first set with When The Saints Go Marching In, in a suitably New Orleans style.
After the break the second set opened with J Roni Moe and Gary Voodoo playing a very entertaining drum solo, that was added to as the rest of the band came on, The Rev Gavin Smith added his Double Bass lines and Slim was back on piano before it went into Lightning From A Blue Sky, they then diverted from the setlist and my notes aren't a lot more help for what the song the 6 piece line up played, but it was certainly full on, before they brought out Michael York to play bagpipes on Orphans Lament that also had some cool cymbal crashes from Luci Fire. Rusty Water And Coffin Nails sounded like Paul-Ronney was gasping for another one of his Liquorice paper coffin nails it really swung.
For Rather I Shot You Down Gary switched to acoustic guitar alongside Paul-Ronney and Slim on accordion this seemed to give them more space musically as a 5 piece. Then they went to the other end of the scale with 12 of them onstage for Help Me Jesus that featured The Guerilla Gospel Street Choir and was led by Slim's church organ playing with everyone joining in with the chorus. Somehow they added another couple of musicians for an immense rave up version of Goodbye To Another year with Juliet Hodges playing the piano with Slim back on accordion and Smutty Smiff from Levi & the Rockats sharing the vocals, Joni Belaruski adding some good deep tuba, working with the saxes and gospel-tinged backing choir, along with Katherine Blakes violin, helping to bring the show to a suitably stunning close.
For the encore Rosa Marsh came back with her mum Katherine Blake on violin and Paul-Ronney On guitar for a rather sensitive version of Nick Marsh's classic Destiny Angel. For the grand finale Paul-Ronney invited all the musicians up onstage so that they had about 25 of them for a great swelling version of I'll Fly Away, that as the song progressed the band slowly started leaving the stage and playing on, they walked through the audience to the dressing rooms to finish another brilliant double birthday bash for Luci Fire and Paul-Ronney Angel that left everyone smiling and happy.
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