14 Carat Grapefruit go down like a led zeppelin

Not the band, but the airship made of lead.

The early part of my Thursday evening was spent reminiscing and projecting in the company of Patrick Begley of the Dipsticks at the Spread Eagle pub in Camden, which was a pleasure, and then it was up to the The Enterprise in Chalk Farm, where 14CG were playing for LondonTourdates. I hadn't set foot upstairs there for over 10 years. It now has a stage with lights and a small PA. With its red velvet curtains, I felt a bit like walking into a scene from a David Lynch movie. The band playing as I walk in are Eights 'n' Aces. As in Guns 'n' Roses, and The New York Dolls. They are great if a little too in-yer-face for such an intimate space.

After an interview for LondonTourdates, 14CG take the stage and open with the a cappella Costas. It was clear from the off, that they, those few gathered here, weren't getting it. Now I can't understand how you can see 14 Carat Grapefruit as anything other than hilarious. But they could. I was laughing; Ande and Andy, of Milk Roar and Probing Cranks, respectively, were laughing. And we've heard the jokes numerous times before. But much of the room was not. The awkward silences between songs didn't help, as these left room for Otto's newest admirer to voice her disapproval of what she apparently considered to be racist and sexist lyrical content.

My guess is that Olive from On The Buses as she was dubbed by the band, doesn't care to know about 14CG's appearance at the Xmas Punk-Rock-Til-You-Drop night at the Hope & Anchor on 17th December. Just a guess.