The Lottery Winners – The Standard Mower – Saturday 16th January

So, Thawday is here. Latics get back on track with a 2-0 win at Wolves and The Pie At Night (or should it be Late Night Lobby for this edition) celebrates by slutchin’ it’s or his way to that big white pub on Chapel Street , Leigh, named , I think, after a B and Q budget grasscutter or a big plough or something. A rock pub in my book , it sells “Newky Brown”, which of course is all you need to be called a rock pub.

Anyhow , they’re a busy local originals band with a pretty decent sing-a-long faithful around these parts. Tonight, as with most gigs of this fashion I assume , the originals stuff is outnumbered to keep the Landlords/Cover lovers happy. On Leadmon Thom’s own admission the cash doesn’t go to charity but in fact “all on food.” Which I’m sure isn’t true because they probably like a pint too and quite rightly. Rob , also on guitar, joins in on frontal activities and the band is completed by a sweetly harmonising girl-and-girl rythym section. Katie on Bass and Alex the Drums.

The set is ripped open with tribute to fellow Leyther Pete Shelley and The Buzzcocks’ Ever Fallen In Love. There’s about 70-80 in the narrow lounge, mainly students sharing 2 passionberry ciders or whatever , a few aging-rockers and a few no-mans-landers (like me) who can’t let go of one or embrace the other yet. A bit of Elvis is followed by Misery Loves Company, the first of the self penned stuff and is full of Futurehead-butting woah woah bits. Also served up is Vampire Weekend , The Smiths , a couple of Blur tunes , a Queen Medley , Beatles…. oh yeah and the most upbeat version of Love Will Tear Us Apart ever in rendered in Lancashire. An ambitious originals band may find it tough playing others’ music week in week out and although it didn’t really show (apart from Jet’s Are You Gonna Be My Girl , which Thom “Fucking hates playing” ) what did show was their passion for their own. Pillows , Leaves and Paper Plate Faces amongst a couple of others are perky , well written and played Indie Pop tunes that you instantly warm , tap and nod to. A quirky look , cheeky on stage banter , but a lot more than just good fun. Top , top night. I’ll be looking out for an all Lottery Winners set some time in the near future. Check out both the myspace and youtube links below whilst I try and clear any memory of Maximes on a Friday night circa 1991. Newky Brown anyone?

Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/thelotterywinnersmusic

Watch this
Paper Plate Faces Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTbmiUefwPU

and this
Lovers Lane Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kfv2FLnEKWc&feature=related

And look, no mention of Hitting Jackpots, Bonus Balls or Rollovers. Sorry

See ‘um.

Tallkenny