Afghan Herores Night At The Queen's Head, Bristol, 12 November 2011

Well it's that time of year again. Another of Hazel's birthday bashes, this year (as last, indeed) it's in support of Afghan Heroes and, of course, you're invited. Once again we're at the Queen's Head, Fishponds Road, Bristol, a joint famed for it's friendly atmosphere and remarkably cheap drinks. You really can't not love it.


Parking is available
The boat has well and truly been pushed out this year and, in addition to an Afghan Heroes stall manned by Denise Harris - the lady who founded the charity - there'll be four (yes, four) bands on. Who are they? Read on. In no particular order...


Why do they get through so many guitar players?
The Fraser Road Race Band are Shepton Mallet's second most popular export after cider (Blackthorn, Natch and countless other chemical follies come from there, you know) and are substantially better for your well-being than is the otherwise obscure market town's primary export. Unless you're a guitarist, that is, in which case you may mysteriously disappear after being exposed to them, but that's another story.

Axial View are blissfully unaware of the Curse Of The Vanishing Guitarists, so may have a slightly different line up on 12 November than they do on subsequent gigs.


Thankfully they appear to have guitarists to spare
The band, experienced giggers despite their youth, hail from Blackwell and Portishead and have an EP out shortly. Think Buzzcocks/Green Day and you'll be in the right ballpark. You can read more about them on their Facebook Page.

Variety being the spice of life, there'll be a break from the relentless onslaught of testosterone-fueled rock'n'roll'n'brew in the form of the oestrogen-fueled groove of the Sisters Of Swing. Time to grab yourself a mint julep and get dancing to classics like Chatanooga Choo Choo and Tuxedo Juction.


Women. What can't they do?
Rock Bottom will be familiar to regular patrons of the Queen's Head, who may be pleased to hear that the band have promised to drop the Walt Disney sing-a-long for this particular occasion. So you should just be in for some good-time Pub Rock. Just as it should be.


Men. What can they do?
And finally, whether you can make it on the 12th or not, spare a thought for those that Afghan Heroes is there to support.

Update: Many thanks to everyone who came along! Over £730 was taken for Afghan Heroes at what was a really great night. Cheers!


Axial View

Sisters Of Swing

Fraser Road Race Band

Rock Bottom

More photos when I get them.

Joe Trohman Squier Signature Telecaster

At the risk of making this blog look like a Fender love-in, here's yet another new model from those rogues in California. And a right cracker it looks, too. It's the Joe Trohman signature Tele and it's a Squier, so it should be affordable. If you think it looks cool (and it does) wait till you see the spec.



We've got a 22 fret board with a very cool 12" radius, twin humbuckers in neck and bridge positions and a Strat single coil in the middle. Control layout is a tad quirky with a five-position rotary selector and an upper-bout kill switch, but there's loads of potential here for someone handy with a soldering iron. You also get proper traditional Tele through-body stringing.

I don't know if it's been a deliberate response on their part to the awful economic state of things (though I suspect it must be), but Fender really have put some great guitars into the just-about-still-affordable end of the market of late. Fair play to them, as they say around here.

Gig Alert - Monday 17th October - Sisters Of Swing

Go and catch the gals at the Pill Music Festival. They're on the same bill as "Whispering Pauline McDade and Her Pleasant Pluckers", apparently. Awesome I suspect.


Look like a chirpy bunch, don't they?
Where's it at? Pill Memorial Club Dance Hall from 19.00. Half a dozen acts for a fiver - sounds good value to me.

Gig Alert - Friday 21st October - Rock Bottom

Rock Bottom are back at The Star in Tickenham on Friday 21st October. It's a bit of a drive to get there, but the pub's a friendly, lively place with plenty of food on offer in addition to a decent range of brews. Big car park, too. Why not come along?

Another New Fender

This looks interesting, a revival of the Marauder in the apparently entry-level Modern Player series. Note the "triple bucker" bridge pup...


No prices yet, but "entry-level" sounds good to me...

Update: there are now a few ads out offering these, going rate around £340. Not bad. Far Eastern or Mexican, I wonder?