Romford Trip Day Two (Warning - contains loads of music videos)

Sunday. A holy day. But not for me as I was on my way to the delights of Kentish Town, to see Tim Ten Yen.

Excellent album

 Let me explain how I came to be a fan of this man. 

Someone very special to me died in December 2006. His name was Wiz, well his nickname that everyone knew him by. He was the lead singer/songwriter of my favourite band, namely Mega City Four. Some of you may have heard of them. Most of you will not have. This band, and specifically this mans lyrics it would be fair to say saved my life at a point I was most down. They are, and will aways remain my favourite band.

The above was filmed for Channel 4 late night back home from the boozer pissed up programme, The Word. If you look carefully you can see a younger, thinner me bouncing around like a loon in the front. I remember I called the sceptic tank presenter, Katie Fuckstick. Her name was actually Katie Puckrick. She didn't like me. Did I care? Nooooooo!

In the March of next year a concert was planned called Four 4 Wiz, when his buddies in the music scene, and some of my fave bands would get together at the Islington Academy to perform four songs, to celebrate the great mans life.

Poster for the gig

 One of the bands performing are another one of my all time favroutites, Carter USM. They split up in 1998 and although played together a couple of times since, under different guises, it wasn't really the Carter of old. As the lads were just about to perform their last song, before Mega City Four played, JimBob said "I can't think of a better fucking reason to reform than this". And lo, the seed was sown.

In 2007 Carter played two reunion gigs. Could this be a regular thing? By jolly it was you know.On 22nd November Carter played at Brixton Academy. And I was there! Along with 5000 others of course.

View from the top

 Next November we were off again. This time the lads were playing two gigs in two days, playing their first four albums in track order, starting from the 4th and working back. One gig would be on the Saturday in Islington, the next in Brixton again.

We're off again

 I always get to things ridiculously early and gigs are no exception. I am glad I did. On the stage, with hardly anybody in the Islington Academy was a man in a suit. The theme from 2001:A Space Odessy was playing over the sound system. Then the man, who I later knew as Tim Ten Yen performed his set. Lots of strange dances, strange songs about sinister cats, bears and foxes, tortoises coming out of shells. I was confused. 

The next day in Brixton, there he was again. I found myself giggling and singing along.

                    Not at Brixton, but a better quality video.

Upon my return to Germany, I downloaded the album from iTunes. 

Every time I was back in England I always seem to miss him. But a couple of weeks ago finally he was playing in London. I was even missing a Romford Raiders home game to go.

The Bull and Gate, Kentish Town

 Entrance was free and TTY was headlining. First up was Rick Gill, whose melancholy songs had me nodding my head. Either that or the copious pints of Doom Bar had affected me.

Mr Rick Gill

Too many of this and you start to see things

Through the set from Rick, there was a young man sitting opposite me with a guitar. This must be Jim'll's Brain, something I had heard a bit about from Tim on Twitter.

The next thing I know, there is the same man, but orange, wearing a cape, with spandex trousers. The Doom Bar was certainly potent!

Didn't believe me, did you?

Jim sang songs about stalking (five I think), hitting people with vegetables and general silliness, but I loved it.

This was of course marvellous stuff! Here is Jim performing a song about stalking, below!

 

Jim and friends

So it was the turn of Mr Yen, and he did not disapoint. I got to stroke the Sinister Cat again, which made my weekend. Suffice to say that when I am back in London again, I shall stalk these two down and watch with glee. 

The dream is to get them over to Germany, it could be arranged. Until then I shall hope that music venues like The Bull & Gate stay open and don't succomb to poncey new owners who wish to turn it into a wine bar.