Friday 15 February 2008

Top 5 Fat blokes in Rock

This was inspired by my trip to see Les Savy Fav at the Astoria last Sunday. I should know by now that Sunday gigs are never a good idea. It's a quiet day with the family, a chance to catch up on jobs, go for a walk or to the park, maybe just chill out ahead of the week ahead. Les Savy Fav are, I suppose, a cult band. They've been around for something like 13 years without ever breaking big or selling out. This was a rare trip over to the UK on the back of an album that many (myself included) believe to be their career best. I wanted to go but I was struggling to make myself leave the comfort of home. I wrote a top 5 a couple of weeks back on gigs I'd wished I'd seen that reminded me you don't always get another opportunity. You never know what's around the corner and if I didn't make the effort I may never have the chance to see them live again. I forced myself out of the house, a little later than originally planned, and made it up to town with about 20 minutes to spare before they hit the stage. Grabbed a can of Red Stripe (£3.50 - bargain!) and found my way down to a good spot near the front but outside the mosh pit (Sunday's are for taking in the whole show in laid back "too cool for school" style. Mosh pits are for the livelier days of the week). They were fantastic, playing a great set of old and new songs alongside blistering covers of the Pixies "Debaser" and Archers of Loaf's "Wrong". Vocalist and front man Tim Harrington, spent as much time in (or on) the audience as he did on stage, changed his outfit more often than Madonna and proved himself to be a role model for fat bald blokes with beards everywhere. I made the right choice. I'm glad I made the effort and I'm very glad I've now seen Les Savy Fav. The next time they come over I'll be going again ... unless it's on a Sunday.

In honour of Mr Harrington then, my top 5 fat blokes in rock;

1. Frank Black (Pixies and solo)

2. Tim Harrington (Les Savy Fav)

3. Chris Goss (Masters of Reality)

4. B.B. King

5. Van & Gary Lee Conner (Screaming Trees)

It's a very 90's rock-centric list (B.B. apart). I suspect I've forgotten some decent contenders and I reckon if I tried a bit harder I could put together a fat blokes super group.

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