When rock'n'roll was shaken from its pre-punk complacency by the emergence of Dr. Feelgood, it
was their guitarist Wilko Johnson who excited most attention – not only for the startling violence of
his stage performance (which was to inspire countless imitators and become one of the classic images
of rock'n'roll) but also for his guitar style which combined the roles of lead and rhythm guitar in
driving riffs and a stuttering machine gun frenzy which altered conceptions of 'guitar heroics'. As a
songwriter too – from early Feelgood favourites like 'Back in the Night' to the power and poetry of
'Dr. Dupree' and 'Sneaking Suspicion' he has proved himself one of the best and most original
exponents of rhythm'n'blues styles this side of the Atlantic. The list of '70s New Wave bands who
acknowledge the influence of Wilko and the Feelgoods is extensive and includes The Clash, The Sex
Pistols, The Jam, The Boomtown Rats, and across the Atlantic The Ramones and Blondie (who spent
a whole night at a New York party wearing out their specially imported copy of the Feelgood's first
album, 'Down by the Jetty').
After his abrupt departure from Dr. Feelgood in 1977 Wilko formed his own band, and over the next
few years worked with several personnel of varying degrees of musical accomplishment and mixed
moral character. In 1980, while continuing to work with his own 3-piece, Wilko entered the ranks of
Ian Dury's brilliant Blockheads, co-writing writing several songs with Ian and featuring on the
'Laughter' album. Then in 1985 the Block's sensational and much loved bassist Norman Watt-Roy
joined Wilko, and when Monti took over the drums in 1999, the classic Wilko Johnson Band had
arrived. They have never been off the road since and have startled and blasted audiences from
Helsinki to Madrid, Aberdeen to Istanbul, Toulouse to Tokyo. Monti's stool at the drums has recently
been taken by the much revered Dylan Howe, also of the Blockheads, and this has raised the band to
an even greater level of musical mastery and manic brilliance.
In 2008 the highly acclaimed film director Julien Temple set out to make a documentary film about
the birth and all too brief phenomenon of Dr. Feelgood ('Oil City Confidential', to be launched in
October). He could not have imagined that in the course of filming he would meet 'one of the great
English eccentrics' (his words) in the person of Wilko. So fascinated was he by this discovery that the
project has gone way beyond completion date (and budget) in order to accommodate the many facets
of this extraordinary character, the unexpected hero of the film. As a result of all this, there has
recently been a renewed frenzy of interest in Wilko: watch out for some surprising developments in
the near future.....
NTSOBC presents two slices of magic pie with Michael J Sheehy & Gemma Ray at The Lexington this Thursday (16/7) and O'Death at The 100 Club next Thursday (23/7).
I've uploaded a new track. Originally written and recorded in 1994 on a porta studio this is the 15th anniversary digital mix.
is about a memorable summer. To sum up what it was
really about; sunshine and concerts, a carefree lifestyle and far too
many illicit chemicals. The biggest selling album at the time was Dark
Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd and this song is a kind of pastiche of
that.
Hi boys great gig at the Forum!!! Sweating is always good!!! You are fantastic musicians...hey I have added a few pics/vids if you want to take a look??? Your my default pic at mo!!! Lovely to meet you all thankyou for your time...bless you hope to see you again too!!!
ALSO APPEARING, THE LEGENDARY DAVID VORHAUS & MARK JENKINS’ WHITE NOISE!!
Thankyou for adding Sonic World Festival, 4/5th September 2009. Tickets are available from www.sonicworldfestival.co.uk and www.myspace.com/harveybainbridgemusic as well as our own myspace site. £30 for the whole weekend, indoor toilets, free showers, free camping, bars, bar meals and restaurant, indoor venue. Please check out our blogs.
Hi Wilko, Looking forward to seeing your 'new' line up at the half Moon tomorrow. Went to Hyde Park last week to see Bruce Springsteen and can you believe that amongst 45,000 people I bumped into Monti ! I think he's enjoying a break from the travelling and looking forward to parenthood. I think he was as suprised to be recognised in such a big crowd as I was to see him! Looking forward to Oil City Confidential, sounds like you might be the star of the show - well deserved too. Best wishes Tim
The BellRays headline a night of maximum rock'n'soul on Thursday next
week at The Borderline with Los Chicos and King Salami & The
Cumberland 3 playing live and Corn Rocket Club DJs on the wheels of
steel.
Click on flyer for tickets.....
Other forthcoming NTSOBC action:
July
Thrs 9 BellRays + Los Chicos + King Salami & The Cumberland 3 @ Borderline, London, W1
Thrs 16 Micheal Sheehy & The Hired Mourners + Gemma Ray @ The Lexington, London, N1
Thrs 23 O’Death @ The 100 Club, London, W1
September
Friday 11 T-Model Ford @ The Luminaire, London, NW6
Saturday 12 T-Model Ford @ The Luminaire, London, NW6
Tues 15 Bob Log III @ The Luminaire, Kilburn, London, NW6
TO PARAPHRASE MARVIN GAYE'S 'Abraham, Martin & John':
Has anybody here seen my Old Friend Michael Can you tell me where he's gone...? He Pleased a lot of People But it seems the Good Die Young... I just Looked Around and He was Gone...
GOD BLESS MICHAEL JACKSON'S TORTURED SOUL - R.I.P.
An american friend of mine emailed to ask 'what was the name of that one day festival outside London, around 1979'.. It was the one you opened up for The Tubes and Rockpile amongst others at Knebworth. I'm STILL listening to yer!
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