First of five gigs

Gigs are like buses...
Mosh bought me tickets to see Seasick Steve at the Electric Ballroom, Camden for my birthday. Mosh decided to relinquished his ticket as he thought playing fives was more important so I went with Nadia and J. Had high expectations and, despite feeling absolutely

Seasick Steve

knackered, it was a great gig. We arrived early and went to the Worlds End to kill time as it was closest pub.
The Worlds End is probably the worst pub in London.
It is cavenous, mock industrial has very little seating and attracts an menagerie of complete freaks and n'er do wells.
I was way over dressed for this pub despite having swapped smart work trousers for jeans. If you weren't in fear for your life it would be a great pub to people watch.
At the bar, a gentleman of indiscriminate age (he had a tartan headscarf, back-combed black hair, tattoos, jeans that were far too tight and rather too many leather bangles) sidled up to me, well it was more of a hop-influenced stagger, and asked where I was from.
A brief conversation ensued in which he attempted to find out what my plans were for the evening, I assume in order to work out how he could fit in with them and I gave as little away as possible without causing offence. He was quite pissed after all, in fact one thing I learnt from him was that he like to get pissed.
Luckily Nadia had joined me to help carry the drinks and we have perfected the art of walking very quickly loaded up with pints. A skill that is quite handy when said gentleman decides to drunkenly lunge at you as you say goodbye. Fortunately he stopped following us once he realised we were going to a join J at our table.
Based on the quality of the pub's clientele I feel we came off quiet lightly.
Anyway I digress. Seasick Steve was superb. He started the gig by pushing he way through the crowd to the stage and considering it is just him, his three string guitar and foot tapping it is an amazing show. He has a powerful and tuneful vocal and he tells some entertaining stories between songs.

06 Save Me

Seasick Steve

For one particular song he plays a plank of wood with a tin can at either end strung with one guitar string which sounds incredible (I'm posting the album recording of it which doesn't sound quite as good). I didn't see much of the gig as the world tallest people were congregated in front of me but it was a great live performance.
Naturally he finished the gig by walking back through the crowd and we immediately turned on our heel and pegged it to the tube to beat the crowds.
Next friday: Apples in Stereo