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The Flamin' Groovies - Mean Fiddler, Harlesden, London 1987-10-25 (1987)

Track listing:
  1. Teenage Head 3:17
  2. Call Me Lightning 3:33
  3. Feel A Whole Lot Better 2:51
  4. I Can't Hide 4:16
  5. A Million Miles Away 5:18
  6. Step Up 5:31
  7. I Can't Stay Away 4:52
  8. Shakin' 6:11
  9. Milk Cow Blues 5:23
  10. Shake Some Action 4:57
  11. Slow Death 5:31
  12. In The Usa 4:32
  13. Baby Please Don't Go 4:48
  14. Jumping In The Night 5:56
  15. Slow Down 4:12
  16. Bittersweet 4:39
  17. Talahassie Lassie 3:37
  18. Louie Louie 5:05
  19. Almost Grown 2:03
  20. Kicks 3:42

Notes

Uncirculated master recording

The recording isn't great to be honest but, if you're a Groovies fan, you'll want to hear it.


This was almost a perfect gig. The Mean Fiddler was/is a great place to see live music anyway. Sid from the Long Ryders (who was at this show seriously the worse for wear through drink!) said that it's as close as north London comes to having it's own honky-tonk. It was jammed to capacity and, as you can hear, the band were smokin' I can't hide and Shake some action are - probably - the two greatest pop songs written by anybody ever and both were played that night.

The Groovies that night were Cyril Jordan -on voice, his famous Dan Armstrong plexiglass 6 string and a (10 string Rickenbacker. Don't know why but he always removed the two 3rd strings from his 12 string guitars.). George Alexander was playing a pink electric bass and was singing too. The guitarist - Jack Johnson - was singing (you can hear him on Step Up) and playing a beaten to feck white Strat.

According to Andy Kershaw, they were due to record a session the next day for his BBC show. They were also scheduled to play a show at the Town and Country in Kentish Town the following week. The recording session never took place and the Town and Country show was called off. There rumours that there had been shady dealings with the money from the tour and certain financial obligations not being met and certain parties being chased through the streets of London by other parties...