Heart of a Punk Soul of a Rasta

Tom Tom Club
Barfly Digbeth
(Library HMV Institute)



Putting the K back in FUN

Do you remember The Tom Tom Club?

Do you remember Fun?

Do you remember FUN natural FUN?

I do!

Well at least I remember the Tom Tom Club I only have a vague remembrance of that fun thing. So off I headed from the backside of Shropshire to the underbelly of Brum; DIGBETH. Getting to Birmingham ALWAYS means I have to pass Shatterford. Not heard of it? Well its there, tweedle it if you like. In close proximity to Shatterford is the residence of Robert Plant. Know him? No I didn't ask if you want to know him, I'm asking do you know him? Yeah that's right The Led Zep Doo Dah Band chappie.

Well tonight, as I drove passed Roberto's place, I thought myself I wonder whether Robert remembers FUN. I bet he's not lying around naked in his manorial gaff sniffing cocaine of the soft parts of a Pilipino stripper; he stopped that kinda thing years ago - allegedly. Also, now it's the close season there's no football for him to watch either (and watching the Wolves can never be considered as FUN anyway). He's probably just sitting in his armchair listening to BLUEGRASS and feeling really really bleeding miserable. So as I past I thought I'd stop, knock at his gate house, and ask if he could come out to play. He could come with me to see The Tom Tom Club - That would perk up the poor old crinkly member. We could have some FUN......together? Then I thought nah! It would give him ideas and before you could say knife he'd be teaming up with Stanley Clarke and Herbie Hancock and releasing a horrid ROCK FUNK JAZZ FUSION album, entitled "Avocado Love Weapon". Best to leave him be. Tom tom Club and FUN ain't for everyone. Shit I'm on the wrong side of the rooooooad!

The Digbeth Barfly; or as the say nowadays the newly sanitised, fumigated and reconfigured HMV Institute Library - This place has lost all its class since they put and extra door on the men's bogs. About a year ago I stood inside this building with the same package of thoughts in my rapidly rotting brain. When was the last time I saw this band? Where was it? All the usual guff. I was waiting to see the Psychedelic Furs back then, now it's the Tom Tom Club. Both bands are teaming up to tour the US of A in the fall. Which reminds me I haven't seen Mark E Smith & The Fall for a while (note to self: Check out Fall dates after finishing writing this unmitigated shit). But now it was time to press erase, wipe the memory clean, it was 9.01pm, the FUN of Plastic Bertrand, The B52's and "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" by the Ramones blasting thru' the PA on a large scale was over. The minute hand clunked to 9.02pm. The last time I saw TTC was on the 19th July 2011.

A very short sequined dress in black for Tina Weymouth and a very short sequined dress in white for Victoria Clamp were the order of the day. [Note to self: when wearing very short sequined dress on an evening don't wear skinny jeans all day - you'll end up with an impression of the seam from the jeans all the way down the inside of you legs - If I was a gentlemen I wouldn't have mentioned it, or been looking in the first place - but I'm not - so PLAY ON its all good!]

"Who Feelin' It?" to kick off, followed swiftly by "She's Dangerous" both from the "The Good, the Bad, and the Funky" LP. Then "Punk Lolita"; dedicated affectionately by Tina W to Ms Deborah Harry of NYC. Two from the eponymous TTC debut followed "L'Elephant" and "On, On, On, On...". TTC were now fully warmed. But Tina Weymouth amp was BOST.

This brief pause for Q&A changed the evening. Even though TTC had started off massively fine fettle, after the communion everyone was suddenly on message. We're in this caper together. Let's make it FUN. Tom Tom Club then ripped thru' the rest of the set with increased gusto putting the K firmly on the end of FUN. "The Man With the 4-Way Hips" and "Suboceana" followed - the sweat began to bead on the brow - the English resolve began to ebb away - oscillation became unavoidable. "Don't Say No", "Wordy Rappinghood", "Genius of Love", "Under The Boardwalk" and "You Sexy Thing" (yes the Hot Chocolate track pop pickers) were rattled off in a solid sublime unashamed outpouring of FUN (with a capital K).

There was a short but perfectly clamorous recess. TTC returned for two from Talking Head times. "Take Me to the River" and "Psycho Killer" (see clip). The world and his wife would no doubt love to read the words "TALKING HEADS to REFORM". Hey it might happen, regardless of what anyone says. The Smiths, The Jam and Talking Heads might all reform on the same day and hold a joint press conference live from Dudley Zoo. But in the absence of the most unlikely, if you can't keep make it REAL make it FUN and Tom Tom Club are still the MASTERS OF FUN……play on.

Click here for GENIUS OF LIVE

{Note to self: Try to think of some witty captions for photo's)
(2nd Note: This isn't UNCUT magazine)