Lugosi Revisited!
2019 has begun, and what will the year hold out for us all!
Rounding off 2018, was my regular trip to the Tyne Bar for The Boneshakers' Boxing Day gig, and as with all previous years, they were brilliant - the best of blues!
For 2019, the music continued when I saw three bands in one night! At Think Tank in Newcastle we were treated to epic blues with the Gerry Jablonski Band, with awesome support from The True Blues Band.
It was great seeing Gerry again, an all round top man and first rate blues guitarist. A real character to know!
The evening was rounded off with a trip to Billy Bootleggers to see The Kentucky Cowtippers. I knew them when they were teenagers and it was 18 years since I last saw them. Amazing stuff.
Also try the hot apple pie moonshine - just don't down it in one!!!!
In terms of film, I watched both Stan & Ollie and Bohemian Rhapsody; both excellent movies. Stan & Ollie was my own personal favourite since I've been fans of the comic duo as a kid, and this was such a fitting tribute to the two masters of comedy.
The movie screenings continued with the Gateshead Silent Film Festival at St Mary's Heritage Centre. The first film delved into horror with The Phantom of the Opera starring Lon Chaney. An impressive effort, although I felt it lack the power of the German Expressionist movies I've previous seen.
The second was another trip to memory lane with Harold Lloyd in Girl Shy, a screwball comedy with real heart. As a kid I used to watch the Harold Lloyd compilations on TV. What a shame we don't get these films on the telly anymore. I've got a couple of book talks lined up to start the years. Firstly I have two local talks, but the big one is on the 18 March for the Darlington Film Club.
Its a screening of Bela Lugosi's classic Dracula, and it will be held at the Music Forum in Darlington (where I met Victoria Price). I'll be doing a talk after the film so please get along. Thanks to James Watson for sorting it out.
Lugosi must be looking out for me!
That's it for now. Roll on the warm weather!
