COCKS

Went to The Stab in the Dark yesterday to see MJ Hibbett and The Fighting Cocks and a good time was had by all, despite everything. I walked there from work, and probably could have had better weather for it, but was nice and easy. The pub is an odd sort of place, think it's recently come under new management and they're really making an effort to appeal to everyone, so there are hundreds of signs on the wall advertising all sorts of events. Last night there were four bands playing, and a charity quiz going on in the next room. No decent beers on, so I stuck to fairly tasteless "IPA Smooth", as the last thing I wanted was a messy cider night stuck in the wrong part of Islington.

As we were in early, and the bands were on late we gave the quiz a go, and did fairly disastrously. Still came away with a booby prize of a bottle of wine and a hand knitted condom wallet, bear in mind we were flitting in and out hoping the bands would be on before closing time. Hoping in vain...

The first band looked promising, though too folky to be on a bill with the Fighting Cocks, though we were struggling over the geography round and couldn't take much in. Next band were a pain in the crack, did A LOT of talking themselves up, how they weren't from London, and the shoddy promoter let things over run badly.

Mark was on top form, a welcome return for "Red and White Sockets", and he squeezed in a despite being pressed for time he squeezed in "Bands From London Are Shit", written about an earlier incarnation of the 'Cocks, and "Fucking Hippy" surely aimed at the promoter.

The Fighting Cocks have changed line-up again radically since the last time I saw them, but then that's what they do. This one is a PERMANENT line-up, four cartoon babes and the one rock in the formation, Matyi. This was more of a fun outing for them, as it was new axe-meistress Asha's birthday, but still the tunes were there. They could do with more time and more space, but I do recommend.

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