The Good Mixer, Camden, London
The Good Mixer, Camden, London – Thursday 22nd August 2024
Sometimes it’s good for us to play venues that have a certain mystique or history about them. It just makes us want to say “we’ve played there” and it’s better than being on the merry-go-round of playing the same venues every 3 months. We’ve never been a band to be satisfied with doing that!
Tonight, we’re playing at The Good Mixer in Camden, London. Eddie had got us the contact details for the promoter and we immediately got ourselves booked in. This is something that’s right up our street.
The Good Mixer was the scene of great Britpop shenanigans back in the early 90’s. It seems that back then every band member drank there, and some bands even formed there. Then, later on, it became Amy Winehouse’s favourite watering hole when she lived around the corner. The place definitely has history.
Ted picks me up on the night. We’re travelling light. Drum kit, PA and backline are all provided tonight. It takes us a while to fight through all the traffic to get there though. Ted seems to enjoy being regaled with my stories of gigs I’ve played at various venues, or of places that I know where serial killers have lived, worked or been arrested. I’m pretty sure Ted was enjoying himself anyway!!
Eventually, we arrive right outside the venue and spy Buzz and Eddie casually perched outside with an already amassed group of people. Ted finds a parking spot right there so we decide to leave all the stuff in the car, we can see it from where we are and, having looked in at the venue, there really isn’t any room to store anything anywhere. It’s pretty small. Rusty and Jonny arrive not long after.
We have decided to forego a full soundcheck tonight and will just be plugging in and going for it. It seems the right thing to do at this place. We’re very adept at adjusting to our surroundings and still being able to pull off great performances.
The first band The Barking Poets kick off the proceedings and the first thing we notice is that it’s very loud. It’s also very hot. Lots of people brave the heat though and the venue is packed, both inside and outside. It’s obviously a cool and popular hangout.
The Paisley Daze play next and I have to say I like them, they’re a 3-piece with passion, energy, harmonies and a powerpop stance. Nice.
We’re up next. We decide to forfeit our normal mics and stands, there just isn’t the time or space to set them up and the soundman Lenny didn’t look too pleased when I had first mentioned them to him when we got here. We’ll go with the mics already here, it will be a lot easier.
We squeeze in (as I say, there’s not a lot of room and there’s no stage as such, there’s just a drum riser) and after playing a little instrumental section for Lenny to get the levels right we go for it. The place is still packed, bolstered by some of our regular followers, and it is rocking. We’re not as loud as the other bands and people seem to enjoy this fact, there’s some dancing, there’s cheering, there’s laughter and there’s enjoyment. We’re having fun and so are the audience.
Because my guitar is on a wireless system I am able to go just where I please, this involves dancing with the crowd and even venturing outside to play on the bench right behind the stage window. This causes much merriment. The place is buzzing. Our new original tunes “Showdown At The Ace Café” and “Two Faces Of Love” go down really well and we finish with a track from our debut album, “Everybody’s Screaming”, which gets a cheer when it’s dedicated to its inspiration, Screaming Lord Sutch. The only honest politician this country has ever seen. Then, we’re done. We’ve blasted through it.
We pack up, drenched in sweat. We sell CD’s. We talk to photographers. We talk to gig reviewers. It has been a truly great fun evening. Something that The TR5’s are all about.
Unfortunately, we don’t get chance to see much of the last band, The Serenity Club, we need to get on the road. Ted and I are dropping Eddie off on the way back and it’s quite a long way.
Eddie even gets the “so-and-so the serial killer was caught there” treatment on the way home. Oh, how we laughed!
Lucky