GIG OF THE YEAR 2001...so far
THE MUFFIN MEN with JIMMY CARL BLACK at The Torrington
Saturday 19th May 2001

Gig of the year is an awful lot to live up to. In fact at a secondary level this was the sort of gig you wanted desperately to be as good as the levels of your expectation. And incredibly the reality turned out to be even better than expected, hence gig of the Year.

The tragic death of frank Zappa a few years ago seemed to have robbed the world of a mix of musical genius, and sardonic humour. Zappa's uncompromising attacks on all things "stupid" was almost as extreme as the completely of some of his music, and the originality of some of his "project/object" configurations. But as this gig showed a rare combination of musical genius - in the form of the Muffin Men - and irreverent humour / basso profundo and percussion from Zappa's original Mothers drummer Jimmy Carl Black, has given the world the best possible home for the continuation of the Zappa musical heritage.

Enough of the history, this was live music at its very best. OK so you have to be a Zappa fan I guess, but prior to the legendary Jimmy Carl Black taking the stage to a rapturous reception, the Muffin Men played some of the most dazzling music its been my pleasure (and everyone who filled the Torrington to the max) to hear for years.

Quite simply the Muffin men were awesome in the true sense of the word. Mixing lightning time changes with staggering solo's clever improvisation, bags of humour and their own little additives in the form of Beatles / Hendrix phrases, the Muffin Men were simply extraordinary.

Aside from the instrumental crowd pleasers such as "Peaches En Regalia"; and a truly magnificent "Big Swifty"; Jimmy led the band into a Bo Diddley inspired "Indian of the Group" a full blooded "Trouble Every day", pausing only for a doowop "Love of My Life" and various wonderful inanities.

Guitarist Carl Bowery was truly stupendous mixing dexterity with an beautiful tone, while the flugel horn player Andy Frizzel added amazing dancing steps to some incredible playing that would have thrilled Digby Fairweather.

No Muffin men gig would be complete without a mention for founder member, Bootle's finest Roddie Gilliard on vocals, guitar, bass and more humour. In short it is rare nowadays for a band to fully justify some of the receptions they get. In the case of the Muffin men, the incredible end of gig reception was worthy of 120 minutes of sheer musical brilliance!!!!