overyourhead

Billy Mackenzie Tribute...

Last night Darren, David, Paul and I went to the Billy Mackenzie Tribute at the Shepherd's Bush Empire. It would have been Billy's 50th birthday so lots of bands got together for a bit of a party and a benefit night in aid of Sound Seekers.

The acts were there I guess because they were either Billy friends, fans or collaborators. We didn't get too much of the maestro's oeuvre in the end but enough to keep the interest up.

On the bill were Electric Soft Parade (a rather over long prog rock set I thought), British Electric Foundation (their first ever gig believe it or not with highlights being Claudia Brucken on backing vocals for Temptation and a haunting version of Party Fears Two), OneTwo (OMD + Ms Brucken = fabulousness), Claudia Brucken & Andrew Poppy (ZTT is alive and well my friends), Subterraneans (obviously real Billy fans and I loved their version of No) and Apollo 440 (their first gig in seven years and who came closest to actually sounding like Billy).

It was a great night and left me wanting more. Well, more Claudia Brucken to be honest.