to Episode 504 of The Paranoid Squirrel Rock Show. On this week’s show I head

up to Camden for this year’s Camden Rocks; 200 bands spread over 20 venues and

if you bought the “Super Early Bird” ticket it would’ve only set you back £20.

The first band on my “To do/to see” list were London SS, the band who in 1976 would

give us The Damned, The Clash and Chelsea. Only guitarist and ex-Hollywood Brat

Brady survives in the band from those days. After the London SS I wandered up

the road from Dingwalls to see Alive With Eyes who were playing the downstairs

Bar at The Barfly. The band are a four piece London based band that are

stupidly young, I’m sure all of them are still at Secondary School. However for

a young band they certain know all about Power Pop. Doubling back on myself I

head for The Crowndale to see The DeRellas but never make it as I get side

tracked by classic era Quireboy and sometime Peckham Cowboy Bassist Nigel Mogg and

together we put the world to rights before watching ex Cherry Bombz vocalist Anita

Chellamah along with Timo Kalito and his son play The Cuban. Following on

straight after is the first of three sets from Ginger Wildheart who feature GWB

drummer Ai on Tambourine and Toshi on acoustic Bass. Technically difficulties

result in 15 minutes of Tambourine, Bass and vocals only with The Cuban crowd

leading the vocals. Timo and Nigel re-emerge along with Marc Eden for some

serious South London Action as The Peckham Cowboys. It’s the turn of The Dublin

Castle to acquire my feet as I see Black Foxxes who were recommended to me by

their Record label Boss and my one time employer. The Pacific Northwest meets

Devon. Reckless Love are up next at The Electric Ballroom and as much as I

think their new album “InVader” sounds like a demo/work in progress CD, live I

think the band are at the top of their game. I forgot how stupidly hot The

Proud Gallery could become as I waited for the third and final Ginger Wildheart

set. Fortunately the Kettling Policy of last year had been rescinded. This time

around Ginger had no guitar issues and even managed to get Ai to play a

cymballess drum kit for “Suckerpunch”. Former Wildheart Bassist Danny McCormack’s

new band The Main Grains were up next and hearing Danny play reminded me how

much I’ve missed seeing him live. Camden Rocks highlight of the moment? Ginger

and Danny giving each other a great big hug. My last port of call was back at

The Cuban for The Godfathers with Black Bombers and Walter Lure Bassist Darren

Birch standing in for the currently unavailable Chris Coyne. The Godfathers

were for me, thee band of this year’s Camden Rocks.