The Penny Black Remedy at Charlotte Street Blues
The Penny Black Remedy – Charlotte Street Blues – 7 May 2010
Words and Photo’s by Imelda Michalczyk
The Penny Black Remedy could well be one of London’s best kept
secrets. And the packed out Charlotte Street Blues Bar, tucked away
behind the bustling, tourist-ridden Tottenham Court Road, knows this
only too well.
Tonight marks the launch of the band’s second single “You Have Wasted
Your Life, Now Please Stop Wasting Your Money”. The title of which
alone gives some heavy indication as to how tongue-in-cheek the
quartet’s songs are likely to be.
The Penny Black Remedy take to the stage and charge through a set including “Bring Back
Brando”, “I Drank Myself Sober” and “95 Charing Cross Road”, turning
themes of death, obsession, drinking and brothels into catchy,
clap-and-stomp-a-long, crowd-participatory meltdowns.
Much of the set is drawn from their debut album “No One’s Fault But
Your Own”, released last year, but there are a number of unrecorded
tracks, which are welcomed just as warmly. With a sound that draws its
influences from country, ska, punk, Balkan folk and possibly just
about anything they could get their hands on, The Penny Black Remedy might well
initially seem to sit in the expanding gypsy punk/Gogol Bordello-famed
arena, but the twisted, darkly humorous lyrics, ridiculously catchy
choruses and soaring vocals make them unusual and intriguing.
Singer/guitarist and songwriter Keith M Thomson throws himself into
the role of frontman and entertainer – pulling faces, jumping and
joking between songs. He even gets the crowd to turn around at one
point and, with their backs to the stage, sing to anyone at the back
of the venue who might not have joined in yet.
The band’s hardcore fans already seem to know all the words to the
songs, but with an excess of choruses that seeming to consist of easy
to remember lines or simply just ‘la la la’, there’s no excuse for
even newcomers to avoid singing along at some point during the
evening.
Joint vocalist Marijana Hajdarhodzic adds a depth and richness to the
sound, and the band are joined for some tracks by a saxophonist
borrowed from London ska-punk band Danny Fontaine & The Horns of Fury.
During “You Have Wasted Your Life…” everyone is showered with money
from the above, which on closer inspection is The Penny Black Remedy“>-branded illegal
tender claiming to be worth ‘four pennies’.
With festival appearances including a just confirmed slot at this
summer’s Glastonbury, The Penny Black Remedy“> may not be a secret much longer. Catch them
while you can…
May 14th, 2010
[...] more! You should also check out this great article about the launch party for the single from Clink Magazine, a review with some great photos of the [...]
August 16th, 2011
[...] still more! You should also check out this great article about the launch party for the single from Clink Magazine, a review with some great photos of the [...]
August 17th, 2011
[...] still more! You should also check out this great article about the launch party for the single from Clink Magazine, a review with some great photos of the [...]