The Holy Norahs:
After nearly a decade of sloth-like inactivity the egg of Rock’s newest Albatros was laid one drunken night in Brixton, September 2004. The wager, a princely 50 smackers, was this: do a gig in New Zealand under the name Wilfred Mandango.
Scroll forward to September 05, 2 weeks to go Wilf levered his fat ass into action. Wrote 3 songs, roped in his flatmate Smasher Parry (on guitar) 10 days later they were there:
Open mike night at The Dogs Bollox pub, Auckland.
Nervous and Chain smoking like Dot Cotton on Sunny D, they took to the stage.
The crowd sang along, girls threw knickers and best of all, the landlord invited ‘em back the next Sunday and offered to pay in beer.
One good turn deserves another, the seminal hit “Give me back the remote control” was written for the occasion.
Another rip roaring hoot.
Video evidence was swiftly dispatched to Britain, the bet was paid and Fabrice Deldongo ( revenge) bought a bass.
Wilf meandered his way through SE Asia writing the occasional rant about socks and sandals, finally ending up stranded in Goa on Christmas Eve.
Luckily he bumped into a chap called Osama Bin-Anarama and headed out to a club.
During a haze of festive exhuberance it turned out he was a drummer. Get a band together by the end of March and you can do a spot at our gig in Ipswich he said. Brilliant.
2 practices under their belt The Holy Norah’s went on stage at the Milestone Brewery.
On drums (playing by ear) Osama Bin-Anarama
On lead with (15 gigs to his name) Keith Ledger.
On rhythm Herbert Superb (1 gig as a drummer).
Deldongo: need-to-know bassist, sweating like Barry White.
Mandango: denying a suspicious attack of flatulence.
Holy Norah indeed.
They bloody well loved it. The dancing was topped only by the disappointment on their mates faces.
Onwards and upwards old bean!
Arabian nights party. New drummer Sly Peek rocks - backwards and forwards laughing, as band falls apart on the booze
Lets tour. Enticing ladies with a trail of Union Jack knickers they headed across the pond without a lead guitar (stranded in Skye).After celebrating their arrival in style, they hobbled down to the guitar shop to try and find someone. No problem - Megan Oise has been teaching American kids to wield the axe. Can she do it, yes she can.
The HorseShoe Tavern, Toronto – Awesome said one dude, what do you call your style?
Pub Rock man, Pub Rock.
Christmas 06 – who doesn’t want to play a Toga party? Hugo Bananas certainly does. Alex Yomama is keen. Sly Peek gets a lift up from Brighton with Mini-Me.
More girls than boys, more beer than possible.
The new song Kiss My Ass goes down a storm.
12 April 07 - Babalou Bar, Brixton -Two newies sign up for the riot: Lead Axeman Lou Swimmin, with Fab Nightout on drums. "Are you ready to Rumble?" the compere asked. Course they bleedin were! Wilf had taken to the whisky, the band ripped through the set like drunks chasing a bus. Finished up with the "viking gets to grips with last damsel in the village" epic "Sexy Girl". If you weren't there, you weren't there man!
May 07 Wage slaves on stage - The Holy Norahs play Brixton
The crowd bawled ‘Encore, encore, encore, encore!’
The compere took to the stage looking justifiably confused: he’d just witnessed people dancing.“My God, we are gluttons for punishment, aren’t we?You really want more?”
"The bar staff cooled their bleeding eardrums with Kronenberg-soaked bar towels. This was the end of The Holy Norahs sixth and most exuberant gig. A set of zeitgeist-changing songs, performed with appetite and balls; a hard drinking, bitchcrooning, groin popping endorsement of the Just Get Up There And Fucking Do It attitude."
Aug 07 - Bark at The Half Moon - 1hr set, full house all going mental!
... and that ladies and gents is the way we fucking like it!
Yeah yeah yeah! That was ***king brillant last Thursday!!
U know what? I'm still listening to the tunes in my car and my girlfriend loves them! I can't remove them out of my head!
See you soon for the next one in May. I'm mega up for it
