Monday 5 November 2007

Gig: The Bear, North Moreton, Oxon

Order of Play: Loopy, Elvis Wannabes, Loopy

The Bear. A pub in North Moreton. It receives the CAMRA's Pub of the Year Award for 2007. What better way to celebrate than to get Loopy to pop out some banging toons.

Only to be sabotaged by four very different impersonations of Elvis Presley by the boys. Well, Giles, very sensibly, opted out of this latest piece of baffling buffoonery while the others each sang a song from the Elvis discography.

The first set suffered a little from guitar-string breakage and the fluidity of the set collapsed. But Eg was on home turf and the locals seemed to enjoy watching, as if at a zoo, the five pop gods stand around looking embarrassed. Ad's Purple Platforms and Hot Pink Leather Flared Hipster Pantaloons seemed to keep their eyes focussed.

Plenty of people watched and as the evening drew on more ventured on to the dance floor.

Then the four Elvi went on. At first it looked likely to be cancelled due to a skipping CD Walkman until a local lad stepped in to nip home and get his. Like a Lamb to the Slaughter.

Felix began with Always On My Mind. Ad howled out Heartbreak Hotel. Tom camply savaged The Wonder of You and Eg saved the whole idea by swivelling his hips in the direction of two young ladies who immediately rose to the challenge and danced to his interesting rendition of Suspicious Minds. It was almost as if they had been paid.

The second set continued with a full dance floor until the end. Many appreciative folk thanked the band afterwards. Which is nice.

Oh yes, and there was free beer. And food.

Gi's car battery, the Pair of Pants joke, Firework Night, Phoebe, Jessie and Shelley running out as Father and husband Eg, started his Elvis song. Shocking.

Set:
Whatever came to mind at the time.
Elvis set - to be available in a forthcoming popcast.
Fea: Always On My Mind
Ad: Heartbreak Hotel
Tom: The Wonder of You
Eg: Suspicious Minds