Don't Let the Sunlight Fool Ya

It was so good to be back in Leeds on Saturday with James, I can't begin to tell you. We were there to see the mighty Slackers at the Brudenell Social Club. I remember taking a teenage James to see them many moons ago when he was still living at home. Though I've seen them countless times, that visit to The Rig in Nottingham was the Number One Son's only live encounter with them. Nearly 20 years later and the band are still as razor sharp as ever; nobody does New York ska/bluebeat/reggae/dub/soul quite like this Manhattan sextet. Fact.

...

The Slackers - Don't Let the Sunlight Fool Ya (2022)

Slackers

Despite reports to the contrary, I did not pull Steve's first born from a burning building: one more thing we have in common. However, we did share a few festive flagons of frothing ale earlier in the week. Our evening was rounded off in a hipsters bar where the beers were long on price and the staff short on common courtesy: our beards and/or turn-ups obviously didn't meet with current hipster regulations.
If I make but one New Year's Resolution it will be to make sure Steve and I see more of each other next year than we did this. Maybe a return trip to New York could be on the cards - twenty one years since we were last there together. And maybe, if the planets align, we could catch resident New Yorker Vic Ruggiero at The Knitting Factory. Or some other hipster venue. I think I'll start growing my beard now.

Vic Ruggiero: Always Something In My Blindspot

Still Bill

Bill Withers' name has cropped up a couple of times just recently. Don't worry, he's not died: Bill's still with us.

Firstly, he came out of retirement recently to write a couple of tunes for his old mate, George Benson. And secondly, The Slackers, those New York ragamuffins, are dropping in a mesmerizing version of Ain't No Sunshine to their current set list. You could argue that covering a Bill tune is like shooting fish in a barrel. And I'd have to agree with you. To a point: I can still remember Les Gray and Co. topping the hit parade with Lean On Me : I think the jury are still out on that one.

Any road up. It's Friday, so a Friday tune is called for. Here we go:

Bill Withers: Lonely Town, Lonely Street


And, before I forget, here's The Slackers playing live in Sacremento. Have a good weekend.