I'm a bit in love with Canada and I haven't even been there. The land of the Maple Leaf has produced some of my favourite artists of all time, topping the list are The Band and my fave heart of gold, Mr Neil Young. I'm having a wee love affair with Black Mountain too.
So when Howard Local tells me he's in cahoots with the Canucks to set up a Canada day celebration of musicians, I'm thinking I ought to slope along. Busy, busy at work, so being unsure if I'll make it, he's kind enough to let me and a friend turn up, on-spec kinda thing.
Lovely sunny evening, and Nads and I roll up to the Lexington, nice old boozer on the Pentonville Road, which has a decent venue above (reckon it holds a couple of hundred). Hook up with Howard and Andy, who turns out to run The Luminaire in Kilburn, which really is one of my fave venues ANYWHERE. He's a very charming Scot, and we end up chewing the fat until it's time to go inside for some music. We've missed the first act almost (The Mighty Low), so just see the very last number.
Next up is Artur Dyjencinski, who is just great. He has such energy, a great backing band (bizarrely, he has a hot blonde pouty rock chick guitarist on a classic Gibson SG, who looks like she should be knocking about with Motley Crüe) and they really get the crowd going.
Superb finale from Dan Mangan. He's charming, funny, immensely talented, and has the ability to sing the song "Basket" with such a passion that he reduced this lady to proper tears (this was a bittersweet moment, actually, as the last time I saw Dan play, I was in Oz with Mr Ward).
Normally, I'm a little embarrassed by sing-a-longs but when the crowd know every single word to "Robots", I really do love it (obviously, I'm not singing along - that'd be daft). I spot Steven Broken Family Band belting it out, which just makes me smile. Sometimes, the reward for not being a lazy get is SO worth it.
(postscript: on an energy roll, I head for the Macbeth the following night to see Elephant Stone and their Psychedelic Friends - who could resist??? And although I like Elephant Stone - Rishi Dhir is ex-High Dials, plays psych-sitar!!! - I much more enjoy the sunny, blissed out, swirly pop of Koolaid Electric Company. Nice Tom Wolfe reference too. And just as I was leaving, Mr Young was belting out "Cinnamon Girl. The perfect end to Canada Day.)
