What a day, in fact. Not just a gig in London, but a whole day trip and get together with my oldest friend, Stuart. Other commitments meant that it would be a there-and-home-again round trip on the Sunday (although thankfully, I booked the following day off work to recover...and I needed it).
I drove to Chippenham, jumped on the train, standing nearly all the way (I reserved a seat, which is a pointless exercise these days to be honest), and arrived at Paddington, to be greeted by Stuart. We haven't seen each other for a while, but time never makes a difference, we just click straight in.
Rather than the drab and stuffy Underground, we decided to get to Camden on foot, about 3/3.5 miles away via the Regent's Canal Towpath. I've been to London many, many times and this was the first time I'd ever been along the canal. It wasn't raining (not yet, anyway) and we chatted and walked, walked and chatted.
We passed Little Venice and London Zoo, getting back onto the street and into Primrose Hill park. Stuart had brought along London's Hidden Walks by Stephen Millar (Volume 4, to be precise), promising that "Every street has a story to tell". As do the parks, it seems.
We passed Shakespeare's Tree without much comment and headed to the top of the hill, which affords fantastic views of London...and rows of tourists taking photographs, if you turn to face the other way. According to H.G. Wells, this was also the site of the largest Martian encampment when they invaded us in The War Of The Worlds. Every day's a learning day.
But it didn't end there. We took in 3 Chalcot Square, where Sylvia Plath lived for a year.
A little further
along, Chalk Farm Bridge, where Ted Hughes met a man with a fox cub in
his jacket, who tried to sell it to him. At this point, we were clearly
walking in circles quite a lot, more focused on talking than reading the directions properly, and finding ourselves after 10 minutes of walking at the top of a road, staring at a familiar junction at the other end and half-heartedly wondering why we didn't take the more direct route. But that's missing the point, isn't it? We were having a great time.
So, although very close by, we missed the bronze statue of Amy Winehouse and, er, Duck World and found ourselves at Camden Lock Market about two and a half hours after we'd set foot from Paddington station. Still another three or four hours or so before the gig though, so no problem!
...but the sightseeing was now pretty much over, we needed food.
Not a problem in Camden Lock Market, of course. We got a couple of meals to go from a Indonesian street food stall and found a place to sit on steps just on the other side of a barriered outdoor seating area for a Wetherspoons pub. It was steadily drizzling with rain at that point, though Stuart and I had hot food, good company and plenty (still) to talk about, so we were very happy.
In a spooky coincidence, given that my Dubhed post that day had recollected our trip to Preston on 6th October 1990 to see Pixies live in concert, our ad-hoc lunch was soundtracked by a nearby busker playing...Where Is My Mind? by Pixies. How cool is that?
What was less cool was the steadily increasing rain. It was time to move on. Casting my eyes around for a bin, I instead clocked a man a few feet away with his dick out, pissing against another side of the Weatherspoons enclosure, before rejoining his friends at a nearby table. I mean, the pub and presumably the toilets were about ten feet away...! It reminded me of a similar experience in Tokyo, where besuited, sozzled men casually urinated in the streets at night.
Being much more civilised, Stuart and I used the facilities at the legendary Good Mixer, just around the corner. It's probably the first time I've been in there for about 25 years...the pub, I mean, not just the toilet. Stuart and I stayed there for a drink and more chat until finally it was time to head to the Electric Ballroom.
It's deceptively small on the outside but as soon as we entered, it was down the stairs, round the corner and through the door into the vast interior space. After grabbing another drink (no alcohol for me, I must stress, as the designated driver) and a brief recce, we then headed upstairs, which in fact is where we stayed when the show began in earnest.
To be honest, I was a little surprised by the crowd of predominantly white people, mostly male, of a certain age and wardrobe, though the balcony area was a tad more varied and perhaps a stronger indication of people who had been with either or both bands since 'back in the day'.
We found ourselves with a fantastic vantage point directly facing the stage, which was just as well as it was time for The Ruts DC to kick off proceedings.
These days, The Ruts DC is a three piece with founder members Dave Ruffy (drums), John 'Segs' Jennings (bass) and Leigh Heggarty (guitar), the 'new boy' since 2011 or thereabouts. For three men in the mid-late 60s, this was an incredibly, wonderfully tight performance that would shame bands half their age or more.
I just about
missed out on punk, so I didn't get into The Ruts until the 1980s, but
their fusion of punk, dub and politics felt in synch with but very
different from The Clash. in 2024, this is not the sound of old men
trying to recreate and relive their youthful glory. The songs have evolved though without losing the energy and sense of urgency, and lyrically remaining sadly just as relevant in today's troubled times.
I'm very familiar with The Ruts' debut album, and more so with the 21st Century remixes and reiterations of the Rhythm Collision mini-album than the original, though I don't think it would matter if you knew the songs or not, the audience was fully engaged from start to finish and vociferous in their appreciation.
When Leigh gave his final thanks to the Segs and Dave, it was a surprise to realise that an hour had flown by. An exhausting yet exhilarating set.
Providing a perfect contrast, Misty In Roots were laid back by comparison though to equate that as being lacking in energy and power would be a grave mistake. Founder members Walford 'Poco' Tyson and Anthony 'Tsungirai' Henry were present and correct; the other seven members packed onto what now looked like a tiny stage have cumulatively amassed a few hundred years' service with the band and everyone gave a consumate performance.
Whereas The Ruts DC's set was short, snappy and spiky, Misty In Roots allowed the groove to unfurl, Poco coming in and out of the music, songs flowing from one to another, never losing momentum. Stuart and I picked our spot well, as the people around us were also getting into it, though I think it would be impossible not to move when the music was this infectious.
I'm relatively unfamiliar with Misty In Roots' music beyond seminal debut Live At The Counter Eurovision 79, a John Peel Sessions compilation CD and various songs scattered across subsequent albums. It didn’t make any difference: the band had me and the audience in the palm of their hand for the next hour.
Misty In Roots return for an encore, more extended grooves and to be honest, I'm not sure how many songs. All I know is that again, it all feels over too soon, as the lights go up and it's time to go home.
Back to Paddington - a rather speedier return trip via Tube, then on the 11.30pm train to Chippenham, and a drive home, getting in and to bed in the wee hours of Monday. A week on, I'm still aching and still buzzing from the experience.
Neither The Ruts DC or Misty In Roots have been updated on Setlist and I certainly wasn't keeping track of the running order, but I'm pretty sure that all of the songs in today's Dubhed Selection were played at the Electric Ballroom.
Rather than two separate selections, I've instead gone for a single, 13-track, 55-minute set, alternating between The Ruts DC and Misty Ruts.
To coin a cliche, all killer, no filler!
1) You're Just A... (Rough Mix): The Ruts (1979)
2) Poor And Needy: Misty In Roots (1983)
3) Jah War (Album Version): The Ruts (1979)
4) Babylon's Falling (John Peel Session): Misty In Roots (1979) 5) Babylon's Burning (7" Version): The Ruts (1979)
6) Ghetto Of The City (Live @ Cirque Royal/Koninklijk Circus, Brussels, Belgium): Misty In Roots (1979) 7) Staring At The Rude Boys (Single Version): The Ruts (1980)
8) West Livity: Misty In Roots (1985) 9) Human Punk (Live @ The Marquee, London): The Ruts (1979)
10) Wondering Wanderer: Misty In Roots (1989) 11) In A Rut (Single Version): The Ruts (1979)
12) Musi-O-Tunya: Misty In Roots (1985) 13) Something That I Said (John Peel Session): The Ruts (1979)
1979: Babylon's Burning EP: 5
1979: In A Rut EP: 11
1979: Live At The Counter Eurovision 79: 6
1979: The Crack: 3, 9
1980: Staring At The Rude Boys EP: 7
1983: Earth: 2
1985: Musi-O-Tunya: 8, 12
1989: The Midas Touch EP: 10
1990: The Peel Sessions Album: 13
1995: The John Peel Sessions: 4
2019: The Crack (Expanded Edition): 1
Misty Ruts (55:50) (KF) (Mega)
Note: all of the photos are mine, with a few exceptions (and belated thank yous).
The in focus close ups of The Ruts DC and Misty In Roots are courtesy of Tim Newburn The pics of Leigh Heggarty and Walford 'Poco' Tyson were taken by Marcus Austin
