Made my way down to Mornington Crescent last night to watch the first screening of Oil City Confidential, the film about Dr Feelgood. I'd already attended the gala premier last year, so I knew what I was seeing. The show was followed by a gig featuring Wilko Johnson with a special guest appearance by Alison Moyet. The gig was beamed out live to 7,000 people in 50 cinemas around the country.
Given that I'd already seen the film, there's probably no surprise if I say it was superb. Julien Temple has done a great job catching the vibe of the time and the feel of the band. I saw the Feelgoods just after Wilko left. They were probably the greatest R&B band Great Britain has ever produced and they were as tight as a ducks (expletive deleted).
The set by Wilko was, well a set by Wilko. If you like rythm and blues, raw and ready you'll like Wilko. Alison Moyet joined the band for a few numbers and really shone. I always thought there was more to her than we saw with her various pop incarnations. I'd love to see her gigging for a full set with a Wilkoesque band. That really was a highlight. Best gig I've seen this year (mind you it's the only gig I've seen this year).
Finally a word about the venue Koko. This used to be the Camden Place and before that the Music Machine. I went to the Camden Palace a couple of times with a Swedish girlfriend who was a new romantic and into dancing, but it wasn't my scene. I must have been to the Music Machine a hundred times. I've seen all manner of great punk/new wave bands there, including The Vibrators, The Monochrome Set, The Yatchs, The Boys. They used to do all sorts of really cheap deals whcih made the gig affordable for a schoolboy doing a paperwound. I loved the place. It had all sorts of tiny little bars on all sorts of levels. Last night was like indulging in a night of passion with a beautiful woman who you haven't seen for a long, long time. It was great. Go and see the film, and if you see any gigs you like at Koko, go and see the gig !
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