London music scene by TOMAS BRICKHILL 3-08-06

ly their 4th show out in Leytonstone at The Loaded Dog (East London’s finest music venue – apparently). For a while there was some worry about whether the band would be able to reach a suitable height to round off the night. However, they came onto stage and thundered into their first few tunes and soon had the crowd behind them all the way; by the end there was a group of girls jumping up and down singing ‘Bata mwana; tsike banana’ without the faintest idea what it meant.
On July 4th it was over to the Hoxton Bar and Grill to rock out with Mann Friday, who look more and more polished and professional every time I see them. East London could probably see more of this band, and on a good night they can pull a decent crowd there, but this was not one of those nights – and it was a shame because the band played an excellent set for the small crowd that turned out to see them.
Two days later, it was across to The Orange in West Kensington to see Bushguru. This gig was a bit of a let down, not really the fault of the band I felt. There were several problems with the venue’s sound, and for most of the gig a lot of the music was almost drowned out by a crackling electrical buzz which made it very hard for the band, and as a result, they never really got into their stride.
The highlight of their performance, was a moment of inspiration when their drummer, Wil, swapped his snare and toms for an ngoma whilst not missing a beat on the high hat and kick drum – maybe a little technical for the less musically knowledgeable – but the point is that this band has more to offer.
The last performance I made it to was the Tha Tha Ensemble on the 23rd at Viva Viva in Hornsey. There was a touch of genuine quality African inspired jazz in this performance, particularily when the band strayed into more improvised parts of their show. The Ensemble looked relaxed and at home in this more intimate venue, and lead bassist Les joked with an appreciative audience as he showed off a little by re-tuning his guitar for each number. A cracking finale with the ‘hammered dulcimer’ being let out of it’s cage – we’ll definitely be seeing more of this band.
Find out more about all the bands mentioned on their websites:
Water Ship Down – www.tsuro.co.uk
Mann Friday – www.mannfriday.co.uk
Bushguru – www.bushguru.com
Tha Tha Ensemble – www.myspace.com/thathaensemble
If you’re in a band playing in the greater London area and would like a review of your next show in the Zimbabwean please e-mail unitkmusic@gmail.com