Bookings

To book the band call our manager Dave at Werewolf Artists Management Inc. on 07970 667 008 we have very competitive rates and always do a good job of entertaining the masses.

We promote gigs on venue Facebook pages, our Facebook page and on this here website. We send posters to the venue a month in advance and spread the word amongst local music lovers. For extra money we’ll run around the car park nekkid save for a guitar hanging to preserve our dignity.

Give us a try – you won’t be disappointed. And… you can pick what we play by going on the set list page. If you want a particular type of music for your crowd we’ll do that for you.

If you’re a regular visitor to these here pages especially a few versions back you might remember these stories. Seeing as we needed to put some newish stuff up we thought we’d paste back in some old stuff.

Who won the war anyway?

A long time ago when Sven’s glorious eleven beat Germany en route to the finals we had a gig in Doc Browns in Middlesbrough. The singer/banjo player thought it would be good for a larf if he introduced the songs in a German accent i.e. ‘Zis iz for our brave boys who lost in Munich tonight’.

Most of the crowd were in on the joke but halfway through the night a loads of drunks came in and cottoned on some berk up there might just be foreign. ‘Oi ees a f***king German!. Oi you you ******** ****. At this point there was much mirth in the crowd and the singer thought taunting was the best option, culminating in ‘Be qviet Tommy, for you zer var is over!’ At which point it looked like an angry mob were going to storm the stage and carry out an execution on Corporation Road.

After resorting back to proper English they calmed down. Phew – vot an escape. Which wasn’t a tunnel under the pub by the way…

A bit louder???

When we supported Wilco johnson at The Studio in Hartlepool not only did we warm up the crowd for Canvey Islands finest but also ended up being equipment provider as the boys used our back line. They only travel in a car apparently.

We set up and soundcheck and soon after Wilco and the gang walk in. He takes one look at the Marshall half-stack and goes, ‘ I can’t work with that!’ After much searching for alternative equipment by the venue he reluctantly gets up to the DVD gear. There then follows a conversation between three of us with Monty (Wilco’s drummer) as go-between. Vaughan offers to set up a clean sound for WJ and Wilco’s hitting a few chords on his trademark battered Telecaster through the Marshall half stack.

Me – I’ll put in on a bright setting for you
Monty – He’ll put in on a bright setting for you
WJ (To Monty) – Hmmmmm, can I have it brighter?
Monty (To Me) – Can he have it brighter?
Me (To Monty) – How’s that?
Monty (To Wilco) – How’s that?
WJ (To Monty) – Can I have it louder?
Monty (To Me) – Can he have it louder?
Me (twiddle twiddle) How’s that?
Monty (To Wilco) – How’s that?
WJ (To Monty) – Can I have it a bit louder?
Monty (To Me) – Can he have it a bit louder?
Me (twiddle twiddle again) How’s that?
Monty – How’s that?
WJ – Yeah that’s OK
Monty – Yeah, that’s OK
Me – Phew!

Now, you have to remember that I’m crouched next to the amp and cab, WJ is a foot away and Monty is looking over the top of the amp. There is no eye contact from WJ at all, I think it was playing through a Marshall that pissed him off as he likes Fender tones. After the gig they were top blokes and the bass player Norman Watt Roy was a real gent. Lovely guys. RIP Wilco.

Don’t get into the music business pt. 1?

Who could resist the offer of joining the Tyla Gang? Historically a world-wide selling band, a top 10 million seller hit in Germany and thousands of die-hard fans around the globe! With a new album just released, major interest from an American independent label (re reading the emails would make a good short story in themselves) and the promise of a month on the east coast supporting Paul Weller what more would a muso want!

Well, after a couple of weeks rehearsals the new Gang (DVD plus our leader Sean) troop off down south to do three gigs to see how things bed in. The first night is in the 100 Club in Oxford Street. Everyone but everyone has played there and you are treading the same boards as Beck, Clapton, Page et al so let’s see how their arse twitches after getting up after us. Well, the night before was a sell out for a Ducks Deluxe reunion (the gaffer was in the band before the TG days and solo artist fame) and our night is half full of ‘Gang-heads’.

Now some people say what’s the best gig and what’s the worst gig you’ve ever done?. This could be contender for both. It’s a horrible carry in for the gear. The dressing room is tiny and that night the support band drank all the beers bought for us by the promoter. Vaughan forgot the intro to the first song but we battled back to what some may judge to be a solid away win.

We meet Tony Platt (yes, the famous Tony Platt who worked with AC/DC) who is going to produce the next album we are going to record in Ireland. Post gig we leg in down to the nearest pub and sink 3 pints of Guinness each in about two minutes. The next night we play a blinder (really!) but it’s to about seven people in Southend. What a shame we didn’t record that night instead of the night before. The third gig is cancelled by the venue so we drive back up the M1 with our tails between our legs.

In summary, the US label goes pop so no new album, the distribution firm in the UK goes pop so the 1,500 CDs we made and paid for ourselves bounce back like a boomerang and the Ducks are a better financial return so that’s a no brainer career decision for Mr. T. But we have three days in a van of constant laughs, fish and chips on Southend front and the gaffer making tea in the B&B for the troops.

A great experience even if it all went tits up. Mr. Platt was a top bloke and commented we would have been fine in the studio so that was a bonus for him to say that. We finish up with no album, no tour, no band and 1,500 copies of the album in a warehouse after being returned by the distributor who was supposed to get them out in the shops.

That’s rock and roll for you.

If you fancy the longer read here’s a sheet that goes with the Sean Tyla Back In The Saddle album sold on Amazon.

Afternote
RIP ‘The Gaffer’ Sean Tyla (1948-2020)