David Devant at 100 Club

David Devant
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

It was an action-packed weekend up the Big Smoke, so will have to do this in installments! Travelled up on the Thameslink train with Peter and Lisa and first stop was the Cartoon Museum for a W Heath Robinson exhibition entitled 'Helpful Solutions', featuring mostly his big monochrome contraptions, plus two real machines, apparently made for a Jonathon Ross show! The Cartoon Museum is a gem, never been there before, but has some great cartoons on show. Bought a catalogue, had a coffee round the corner (all those streets around the British Museum have been pedestrianised!) then off to Trafalgar Square for the opening ceremony of the Tour de France. Charring Cross Road had been blocked off (literally with concerte blocks) so I walked down, and met up with Nick and Rob by the Fuji stall, amazingly! The Square was rammed and with no chance of a view (even the big screens were obscured by trees!) we decided to head up to The Angel (a Sam Smith's pub) for a couple of pints. Then it was on to the 100 Club, snatching a veggie roll on the way. With our virtual tickets in our hands, first surprise was there was David Devant ephemera for the taking at the ticket booth! A programme complete with setlist, Spirit Specs and Psychic Selector, a Fantasy Fag and a Spirit Eye. Oh what joy! Just like the old days. We grabbed a table by the side of the stage by a poignant George Melly poster and settled down to watch the supports: a sort of school orchestra, Boogaloo Stu ( a sort of camper smarter version of the Vessel) with the gorgeous Sparklemotion Dancers (who once supported Mr Solo), and some chaps (and a chappess) in white boilersuits making a racket. Then it was on with the show. They did the complete 'Work, Lovelife, Miscellaneous' in order, but with 'I'm Not Even Going To Try' at long last renamed 'Auntie Mabel', plus the two tracks from the single given away with the vinyl version of the LP (and if you don't know what they are, you're not much of a fan, eh!). Not much Spectral Roadie action or bagpipes unfortunately but a great singalong set neverthless with audience invasions and interaction a-plenty. Encore was 'Space Daddy', 'Dangerous Dilettante' and finally the magnificent 'Pimlico'. Fantastic! Then it the night bus to Mile End, where Rob and Amanda had kindly agreed to put me up...