Peach Club were headlining the latest Sonic Youths showcase in the NAC auditorium with supports from Frong Bangs and Honey.
A new one to me, HONEY was already playing when I arrived and could be clearly heard from the foyer, her voice strong and confident, though I was only able to catch a couple of her songs in the hall itself.
This was also my first time seeing Front Bangs live, a very confident trio of lads they have a powerful sound with elements of post-punk and Kasabian-esque indie rock.
Peach Club of course are very familiar to me having seen them numerous times over the years. Recently back from some dates in Europe they are particularly keen to return to Gent and were fundraising for it with this homecoming gig in that strange inbetween period betwixt the election and Christmas. For me and a number of others this was our last major gig of the year and Peach Club certainly closed 2019 with a bang, and special mention must go out to singer Katie who was bouncing around the stage in characteristic fashion but with the considerable discomfort of a slipped disc! Charlie on guitar too had only recently recovered from an elbow injury.
I did make it out on a couple of other occasions before the year closed, a lovely Christmas event hosted by Dandelion at The Gatehouse which included some songs from Dark Diversions with Will and some guests from the audience, and Laura Butler’s My Winehouse Amy tribute at Last Pub Standing where she performed a few songs and dj-ed the Christmas Eve away with some ska, reggae, soul and doowop songs Amy would certainly have approved of. Laura is a terrific character and what also impressed me aside from her performance was how she inhabited the whole persona of Amy throughout the evening, I told her afterwards that I really felt the presence of Amy thanks to her. Laura replied: “No! Amy was with us because of you!” and the likes of all those who love her. 
Whatever, Amy’s presence and vibe was strong.
I’m expecting a quiet start to the new year on the gig front but see you somewhere soon on the other side.
Here are just a few of my musical highlights of 2019.
169 gigs, 251 different acts seen, 3 festivals
Best gigs (just some of them) : Starcrawler (NAC, Tufnell Park Dome, Camden Underworld), Acid Mothers Temple, Boris, Guadalupe Plata, Gladboy, Galli, YAK, Bodega, The Wolf Number, Soyuz Rats (all at NAC), Fat White Family, PigsX7, Jim Jones and the Righteous Mind, Part Chimp (Waterfront), The Wash + Phoebe Troup (Warwick St Social), Aldous Harding (Cambridge Junction), Plague Vendor (Tufnell Park Dome), Good Lovelies, Brasy (FolkEast), Jesse Dayton, Dale Watson, Howlin’ Jaws, Budos Band (Red Rooster), Bag of Cans, Floral Image, Olinski Onsomble (Shane’s Shenanigans at the Reindeer).
Most seen: Hot Raisin, Olinski, Phoebe Troup.
Best albums: Devour You – Starcrawler, Designer – Aldous Harding, Walk Through Fire – Yola.
Book: Defying Gravity – Jordan, Face It – Debbie Harry.
Film: Stan & Ollie.
@RShashamane
http://www.facebook.com/1419SonicYouths/
http://www.twitter.com/1419SonicYouths
http://www.peachclub.bandcamp.com/
http://www.facebook.com/peachclubmusic/
http://www.norwichartscentre.co.uk/donations/
http://www.facebook.com/FrontBangs.Music/
http://www.facebook.com/AmyWinehouseTributeOfficial/
http://www.facebook.com/NorwichMusicCityUK/
http://www.facebook.com/NorwichLiveMusicPhotos
http://www.facebook.com/ShashamaneArtPhotography/
http://www.instagram.com/rshashamane/
Norwich: Music City, UK. A Norwich playlist of well over 48 hours of local music on Spotify:
Norwich: Music City, UK 