Americana Special! Live @ The Gallery Cafe

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On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair, warm smell of colitas rising up through the air. Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light… A coyote howls at the moon way off in the distance. Knocking back whiskey from a flask at the wheel of my ’68 Ford Mustang. Soothed by the earthy roar of the V8 under the hood. My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim… I had to stop for the night.
Fortune was in good favour for this road weary traveller on Friday night for it’s Americana night at The Gallery Cafe in Bethnal Green. So all the hill-billies and the hicks, the ranchers and the cowboys that have wound up on the wrong continent and have a yearnin’ for the land of the free could hang up their ponchos and kick back to the sound of home.

First up to crack the bull whip, Trent Miller and the Skeleton Jive and these boys look like they’ve just been dug up. They play a set of gothic country spirited songs that fall on our ears with the weight of gravestones and the meloncollie of mourning. Millers cracked vocals moan lament and are followed by a slow and haunting violin. Miller and the Skeleton Jive have a Tarantinoesque take on Americana, forging a convincing authenticity from the exploitation of some of the best stereotypes the genre has to offer.

photos by Craig Thomas (http://craigthomas83.blogspot.com)

http://www.myspace.com/skeletonjive

Serving up cheeseburgers and fries with a side order of bluegrass are self confessed ‘pre menstrual redneck waitresses’ The Jolenes. Their candy apple red dresses and loud mouth attitudes promise to get the blood flowing. They play classic songs with the bluegrass twang of banjos and scratchy violins with such a vibrant energy it is hard not to love them, but their lack of a drummer unfortunately left the gung ho spirit falling a bit short of the mark. The quartet sorely need the four to the floor heartbeat of a kickdrum and snare to tie together the sound and put some power behind their feisty punches.

photos by Craig Thomas (http://craigthomas83.blogspot.com)

http://www.myspace.com/thejolenesuk

Coming from the bayou to pedal their wares are The Snakeoil Rattlers. With bottleneck guitar and mandolin in hand they sing the songs of the whiskey soaked renegades of this world. These guys are so darn authentic they rooted down on the stage like they could have been there for a hundred and fifty years. Fetch your six shooter and saddle up. The Rattlers will take you all the way out west.

photos by Craig Thomas (http://craigthomas83.blogspot.com)

http://www.myspace.com/snakeoilrattlers

Great Scott! Marty, hide the DeLorean! We’re back in 1955 and The Muleskinners are slicking back their quoiffeurs to play at the Under The Sea Dance. From here on out you’ll know that when you see a furry leopard print double bass being carried towards the stage there will be some serious jive dancing going down. The Muleskinners will make you realise how lucky you are that there is still bands playing honest to goodness rock n’ roll.
By the end of the night The Gallery Cafe was so packed you couldn’t have swung a cat but the groove was just too much for some, tables were shoved aside and the beat was obeyed. I’ve never seen so many people jiving in such a small space, it was a sight to behold and a night to remember.
It may have been a cold and foggy februrary night in old London town but in a small cafe in the East end it was a bone dry, sun scorched desert eve with a fired up crowd getting ready to hoe down. Yeehar partners!
http://www.myspace.com/muleskinners1

To find out more about the events at The Gallery Cafe visit :

http://www.stmargaretshouse.org.uk/
http://www.myspace.com/gallerycafe56