----- Original Message -----
From: "Jose Espinosa" <bopmachine@hotmail.com>
To: <rockabilly@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, April 19, 2004 10:47 AM
Subject: [rockabilly] Review: Randy Rich and the Poor Boys / Glitzorama Ball
London


> Hot dog! I'm not one for writing reviews often, but I gotta say this night
> put the motion in my fingers...
>
> The venue was the Glitzorama ball held in the St. Boniface Social Club in
> Tooting (way south London). The SBSC is a fantastic venue for live music
> with a proper stage and a massive dance floor. Usually a social club or
> working man's club is a big put-off for me as I am used to seeing bands in
> night clubs. The SBSC, however does feel like a night club! It's got an
> atmosphere about it that makes it perfect for rockabilly. The wait staff
are
> friendly and the Drinks have got to be one of the cheapest on the scene.
>
> Tiki Stew started the night off playing a mix of boppers and jivers for
the
> gently trickling in crowd. Stew always plays a nugget or two that will get
> me to a record store. Next up was Big Dave who immediately went to the
> "harder" side of rockabilly and rock and roll that appealed to all the men
> folk. By this time the crowd was finally starting to get into the swing of
> things as it were. Next on the decks was DJ Tracy Dick. I may be a little
> biased as she is my wife, and we share the record collection, but how does
> she always manage to play something I haven't heard that is fantastic?
> Playing ONLY 45s she got the crowd moving with an excellent select of
> boppers and jives, even a few strollers. By this time the crowd was round
> and ready for the act...
>
> Randy Rich and the Poor Boys took the stage and immediately launched into
an
> action packed set of authentic sun-styled rockabilly. The look, the sound,
> the moves all screamed salacious gut level primal music. I'm not talking
> loud or fast, I'm talking TALENT that doesn't have to be loud or fast to
be
> primal and savage. This is my new favourite band, and I have seen a few.
> Highlights for me were "She's Wild" (penned by the band) and Yellow Flash.
I
> know Randy has been around the scene for a while, but it is beyond this
> Mexican why he isn't on everyone's must see, must have list.
>
> After delighting the crowd (who chanted for 12 more songs!) with a 2 song
> encore Randy handed over the entertainment duties to DJ Tojo from
Scotland.
> He manned the CDs and instantly had the by-now-warmed-and-ready crowd
> dancing. Unfortunately he suffered from several difficulties of the "CD
wont
> play or is skipping" variety (funny my records never skip like that and
they
> are 45+ years old!). Tojo is always the consummate professional however,
and
> always recovered with song that managed to re-catch the crowd.
>
> Although there were quite a few people who were mesmerized by the band, on
> the whole the night didn't have the turn-out it should have. I think it
was
> a combination of things - the newness of the venue, the distance and the
> timing with VLV just having passed. The next show there should be more
> packed (as the venue and the talent deserve). In my opinion it's one of
the
> top places to see a rockin act. Cheer's to Trev and Dave for delivering
> another top night.
>
> Post-Note: I got up the next morning and dropped my new Randy Rich CD in
the
> little used CD player, and was not disapointed. The CD captured the band
> perfectly. If it was on black vynil I wouln't have been surprised to the a
> Sun Records label on it. I may just have a one-off 45 pressed of She's
wild
> so I can have the full-on experience and it can find a home in my record
> changer.