You can all blame Dennis!

The whole Truth and nothing but...

I’ve seen many bands over the years, either as a punter or working alongside them as a DJ. Every so often, I’ll post a blog on some of my favourite gigs, so it’s only fair that I start with the first band I saw, so here is The Truth and nothing but…

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May 1983 and I’m about to get into my first gig. I’d tried before but having possession of a baby face always prevented me from getting through the door of most establishments at the time. But tonight was different, The Marquee in Wardour Street was hosting The Truth, led by the sharp dressed Dennis Greaves and at that point the hottest unsigned band in London. At the end of 1982, Dennis had split Nine Below Zero and gone from Blues to Soul with an equally sharp dressed group of co-horts including Brian Bethell from NBZ on bass, Mick Lister from The Stowaways on guitar, Gary Wallis on drums and Chris Skornia on Hammond organ complete with a Leslie cabinet, truly the most jaw dropping bit of kit for a young Mod to feast his eyes upon. The Marquee was about half full that night but the atmosphere was electric and was no doubt the reason I fell in love with live music. And seeing the magnificent swirling horn in the Leslie cabinet pumping out the sound of the Hammond organ helped too.  I came out of the gig drenched in sweat and watched as some older Mods started up their scooters and set off towards Oxford Street and as I headed towards the tube, my life had unknowingly to me changed forever. A few weeks later, I was back at the Marquee, again to see The Truth, only this time there was a queue outside and it was obvious that The Truth were going places. I was drenched in sweat going in that night, The Marquee was always hot and dingy at the best of times, with it’s black walls and sticky carpet in the entrance leading into the room at the back.  Jerry Floyd was the regular DJ there and he’d play a mix of 60’s mod classics alongside more recent records by The Chords and Long Tall Shorty, before the lights went down and the pounding drums of Stingray went up and drove everyone into a frenzy. A burst of the chorus and the band entered the stage, cheered on by a young, expectant crowd, their set a mix of strong original songs such as Confusion, Exception Of Love and some choice covers ranging from The Equals and Stevie Wonders’ Nothing’s Too Good For My Baby, all delivered with a style as sharp as their tailored clothes. With a record deal in the bag, The Truth set out on a hectic schedule that saw them touring constantly but always finding time to slip in the odd gig at The Marquee, which by now, you needed membership to guarantee entry to see them. The Truth went on to make a few appearances on Top of The Pops,

grace the cover of Smash Hits, head off to the States and record the title track for a film and release the splendid Playground album in 1985 while going through regular line up changes until 1988.  Thank you Dennis, it’s all your fault! 

Originally published on 22nd February 2011.

DJ Wheelie Bag - Off his trolley!

The one deck trolley troubadour! 

Deejay Wheelie Bag at the Spread Eagle. Photo by Dave Edwards.

 London has always been blessed with a wide range of colourful characters, eccentrics and oddballs, from “Jesus” who seemed to be at every gig I ever attended in the 1980’s, especially at the Marquee, the Liverpudlian “preacher” at Oxford Circus telling shoppers to repent their sins, through to the pensioner who used to tap dance in Portobello Road to name but a few. For the past dozen years or so London’s best character has been DJ Wheelie Bag, a man who plays vintage vinyl on a contraption that originally started out as an old ladies shopping trolley. To his family and friends he's plain Denys Avis, though there is nothing plain about him.  Slightly eccentric maybe, definitely colourful, DJ Wheelie Bag has been a by word for fun for those in the know. I first came across him around nine years ago when he had a residency every Wednesday at the Pillars of Hercules in Soho and was soon seduced by his blend of Jamaican Ska, Rockabilly, Rhythm and Blues and quirky rock "n" roll covers from south America. Along with dancing Barbie dolls in bondage gear, there were also general knowledge quizzes with prizes sourced from the Pound Shop in Dalston and games involving rubber bands, balloons and straws.

Hook a horseshoe on the cactus to win a prize! Photo by Dave Edwards.

The prizes are as quirky as you’d expect, electric scissors, stick on moustaches, flying pigs, Elvis glasses & wig (a bald man actually stole the wig from me on one occasion and disappeared into the Soho night!) and memorably, a bird table!

Now, not only does Denys build the one deck portable machine from scratch, (dimensions were made to fit under the stairs of a Routemaster bus!) he built them to order for his followers and by 2006 I too was the proud owner of a Wheelie Bag along with Smiler who had first introduced me to him. There’s over 30 dotted around the world and this led to the creation of an annual Wheelie Bag Ball, a sort of Miss World competition for Wheelie Bags complete with a miniature replica as the trophy. Originally based at the Irish Working Mens Club in Newington Green it finished at the 100 Club in 2009, though there was an attempt to revive it in 2011 in Euston.

The Wheelie Bag Ball trophy! Photo by Dave Edwards.

In 2009, Wheelie’s residency at The Pillars came to end and as only Wheelie could, he performed a closing ceremony in which around 100 fans gave him a rousing reception as he tore his poster down from the wall and followed him out of the pub into Greek Street, leaving 3 bemused tourists sat in the now empty pub.  Since then Wheelie has been at The Spread Eagle in Camden Town on the first Wednesday of every month and in Crazy Homies, Westbourne Park on the first Thursday as well as various events around the UK and Europe including The Rhythm Festival in August.

There’s also been a DVD about him, a pilot for a pop quiz called Sound Me Out and last year, the first Wheelie Bag Annual hit the shelves. So if you want to see what all the fuss is about get yourself down to the Spread Eagle or Crazy Homies. For more info click here!

Yours truly with DJ Wheelie Bag. Photo by Dave Edwards.

Originally posted 22nd May 2012. 

The Truth live at The Borderline 26th October 2012

They Just Can’t Seem To Stop! The Truth take a Step In The Right Direction back on the live stage.

At the tail end of 1982, Dennis Greaves split Nine Below Zero and formed The Truth, a clean cut pop soul band. If Nine Below Zero had musically been based in Chicago then The Truth had upped sticks and moved to Detroit, swapping blues for soul.  And 30 years after they were selling out the Marquee constantly, they reconvened a mere 5 streets away in The Borderline off Charing Cross Road for their 2nd gig this year, after their appearance on 5th May at 229 Great Portland Street with the original line up of Dennis Greaves, Mick Lister, Brian Bethell, Chris Skornia and Steve Phypers.

Joei Supernova. Photo by Dave Edwards.

 Support for the night came from The Supernovas and the Holloway lads warmed the crowd up nicely with their spikey 21^st century power pop.  Frontman Joei Silvester shoots his guitar at the audience ala Wilko Johnson and spits his lyrics out like a young Paul Weller while the rest of the band keep the pace with a clutch of riffs the Buzzcocks would be proud of.  Crowd pleased, job done and time for a well earned beer before the theme from Stingray drums up the audience as The Truth take to the stage to great applause. They start with From The Heart and right from the off the crowd are singing along, I look around and there’s a sea of smiling faces and for a moment I’m back in the Marquee all those years ago.

Dennis Greaves. Photo by Dave Edwards.

Even Dennis Greaves seems a little overwhelmed at the welcome but leads the band straight into Love A Go Go before Mick Lister takes over vocal duties on Is There A Solution from the Playground album. All the favourites are there, debut single Confusion, follow up A Step In The Right Direction, Playground and I’m In Tune, all sounding as fresh as they did back in the day. The Truth built their reputation as a solid live act and did nothing to tarnish that reputation, getting the audience involved with Nothing’s Too Good For My Baby and the traditional set closer Just Can’t Seem To Stop. An encore was guaranteed and they came back for Everlasting Love and finished as always with a fine take on The Equals I Get So Excited.  It may have taken a couple of years to get this gig on but I can honestly say it was well worth it and judging by the reaction of the band as well as the audience, I think we can safely say it won’t be so long before we get see The Truth live again.

Dennis Greaves and Mick Lister in tune! Photo by Dave Edwards.

With Mick Lister and Mark Notton. Photo by Dave Edwards.

Originally published on 31st October 2012.