Speaking in Tongues at Dingwalls

As I was at a loose end on a Saturday night, I thought I might give this a shot - a Talking Heads tribute act at Dingwalls on Camden Lock. 

Always difficult to judge how early to arrive to bag a good spot when one is unfamilar with the band and the following. I didn't want to queue so I aimed to get there a little after doors open. Which I did, according to the tickets, but doors actually opened half an hour later. And as you can tell from below, there wasn't exactly a rush to the front. The average age of the crowd was such that hanging around at the bar (behind me) seemed more appealing than the "dancefloor" in front of me. 

No support so the band just came on. Definitely not sold out, but a very genial crowd had formed of a very wide age range, I would guess 20-75, with majority towards the upper end, understandably for a band who formed half a century ago. But gratifying to see a lot of twenty somethings had obviously picked up on good music from long before they were born. 

Chris Apthomas

Jodi Ahmed

Jon Friesner

Sol Ahmed

Jonny Velon, youngest of the band on keyboards

The band played a half set, ie went off for an interval. Then returned with a banging second half. Below Chris added glasses to perform Once in a Lifetime, the song that broke Talking Heads in the UK

 They almost misjudged the encore. Most of the crowd were on their way out thinking that if the performance was two halves there wouldn't be an encore. But of course they had to finish up with Road to Nowhere.

So, were they any good? Heavens, yes. They were excellent. I am coming to appreciate tribute bands more and more. Given Talking Heads broke up in 1991 it is difficult to compare the to the real thing. Certainly there is no actual real thing to see now, so this is he best you can get. But I suspect if the real band were playing still, this would be the better option. They were fun, played excellently, sounded very good. Nice relaxed audience. They are from Bristol, but playing in London again in December, so I expect I will be tempted along again😀

Entitled Sons at the Bullingdon

And finally to my gig at a sadly not sold out Bullingdon. Pity as this was start to finish a very enjoyable gig. It does surprise me how even at this low level, just the support acts are seriously good to listen to. I think what both supports shared is that they are accomplished but don't look like what you expect from an up and coming band. Too old and fat. But close your eyes and they were excellent in the circumstances. 

First up Wild Isles

Better still, and I think locally better known, Nineteenth Hour

With headliners Entitled Sons. I have reviewed them before, but they really do look the part, and lead singer Charlie Swift has the voice, the looks and the charisma to be a front man. Personality in spades. A very watchable band.

 Ad finished in time to make 11pm train back to London. Result!

Meandering around Oxford

 

The oldest building in Oxford, dating from the 11th century, the tower by St Michael's church, but originally just a defensive tower on the North Gate of the city walls, not a church tower at all

This is the tower of St Martin's church, which is 14th century, but unlike St Michael's it doesn't have a church any more as it was demolished in the 19th century

The Victorian Randolph Hotel

The Ashmolean Museum

I thought since I was in town I should visit the exhibition on at the Ashmolean. Big mistake. It cost me £17 and absolutely everything else in the Ashmolean was more interesting than its only paid exhibition! It was on the theme of money, but that really is overstating a "theme". More that a rather random selection of exhibits had some link to money in some way. best bits were some of the designs for coins, below. But as for the rest, a few paintings which depicted, say tax collectors, and some modern "artworks" which related to money, but of zero artistic merit. Four rooms of which only one had anything of significant interest. You can tell I wasn't impressed! Possibly the worst value for money of any exhibition I have visited in the last half century.

The rest of the Ashmolean is ever so good!

When I first spied this in the silver cabinet I thought it was an early representation of tennis. Actually its a bird catcher!

Martyrs Memorial

My old college, St Johns, originally called St Bernard's

Late afternoon was a nice time to visit the parks

Keble College

Sheldonian Theatre

Bridge Of Sighs

Bodleian Library

Note here a "tower of the orders" - each floor has a different type of pillar, one for each classical order, Doric, Ionic, Tuscan, Corinthian and Composite. A bit of architectural showmanship, especially as it is on basically gothic building

Radcliffe Camera

St Mary's Church