Saturday 25 June 2016

St Paul and the Broken Bones @ KOKO Mornington Crescent, London

Nearly two years after I first saw them at EOTR Festival, so when the chance to see them again at my favourite venue KOKO in London's Mornington Crescent, the tickets were soon purchased. A mixed audience of young and old were all in a relaxed mood started to fill the venue, many gathered on the outside terrace overlooking the southern start of Camden High Street, and for us a quick drink outside the Lyttleton Arms opposite overlooking the whole scene.
The magic wand search outside failed to flag up I was carrying two cameras which was a blessed relief and inside, with the surprisingly good Yola Carter sounding like Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes warming up the not sold out crowd.
 Made our way down to the stage level and secured a good location near the front. It began to fill up and looking back up at the three levels of stepped balconies, so did the auditorium. To a musical fanfare the Broken Bones came onto stage, plugged in and started up with Paul Janeway walking onstage after a minute or two to a tumultuous applause.
And what a show they gave. So good to hear a horn section in a band, just adds to the depth and gives so much more of a funkier sound.
Janeway strides around the front of the stage like the preacher he could so easily have become, clambering up on the wings rather precariously and singing (or is that hollering) his lungs out. A sort of white man's James Brown.
Three encores, including John Lennon's I want you, and it was all over. Everybody was beaming at the end knowing that they had just witnessed one great live act.
Two videos made, including two of the encores, Early Number and Encore