Boston Music Room, Tufnell Park, London 24.10.19
New bands for me tonight and a new venue. A dip into some current New York Emo indie punk with ‘Oso Oso’ and ‘Prince Daddy and the Hyena’. Support band tonight are indie punky popsters, ‘Fresh’ from London.
I’m here with my partner’s son Ben to celebrate his birthday and help with my late 70s and 80s music rehab program, maybe. 😁 Yes tonight I am the oldest one in The Boston Music Room – no doubt – but does a ‘Grey Haired Gig Goer’ care? Naaaah. Gig 64 of 2019.
‘Oso Oso’ are basically Jade Lilitri (not his real surname), from Long Beach, as the only permanent member, touring with his latest accomplices. Touring jointly with them, and alternating the headline spot, are ‘Prince Daddy and the Hyena’ from New York. Three and two albums each respectively and exploring the UK this year with some gigs selling out including this one at the 250 capacity Boston Music Room.
The mutually supportive arrangement extends to joining each other on stage during their sets and even the occasional stage dive and crowd surf.
The athleticism of the younger-than-my-average audience was impressive on the off-stage gymnastics front. My feet are rooted to the floor though as I prop myself up against a pillar in old-man-with-dodgy-ankle stance. I was especially in awe when one of the Oso Oso band members disappeared and moments later appeared, at speed, from the back of the stage and straight off the front for a high scoring crowd surf.
Kory Gregory’s rasping vocals are archetypal US newer punk style and at its most hoarse. This is their trademark. (That lad must do some gargling in the morning.) The audience participation, indeed the other band’s participation, was infectious. How could you not enjoy this I thought and I don’t know their stuff at all.
I detected an audience reshuffle for the slightly more refined but no less energetic Oso Oso.
The surfing continued – my YouTube clip.
..and by the end everyone had piled in for the last song.
Support band – Fresh
This band was a really good start to the night. Poppy, punky and jingley jangley indie – Fresh – upbeat smiley tunes with edge. I liked this a lot.
If you left Altered Images, The Primitives and The Wedding Present in a studio for a while this is what might come out. I shall explore further.
A YouTube taster: https://youtu.be/KZ2bSRcf8p8
The Boston Music Room
To be honest I’d not heard of this place. More of a local destination in the main perhaps but The White Stripes, Blur and Sham 69 have all played here.
Opposite Tufnell Park tube station is the Boston Arms – a very spacious heart of the community feel old bar with screens, big TVs and good Guiness. Out of the pub door and upstairs is the Boston Music Room and this is next to another sister venue, The Dome.
Good range of ales in cans (including Roadie Signature IPA), bottles and on the pumps in the Music Room. The Aces and Eights Saloon Bar, over the road junction, is a pre-gig alternative – pizza and good ale range on pump and in the fridges.
Back in the Music Room small mirrors adorn the varied wooden clad pillars to ensure no out of sight hiding places and there is some saloon bar seating with tables to the side if you need a seat.
(I’m now hanging around in a flat in Tufnell Park resting my dodgy ankle. After 40 hours of this I’m hoping to get down to the Roundhouse later.)
Gigs with Ivan 