Bob Log III – picture by Ian Bourn / Scene Sussex

Bob Log III in Brighton at The Hope and Ruin 24/03/2018

STAY SICK PRESENTS: Bob Log III – Looking kinda like a cross between Elvis, Evil Knievel, and a Top Gun pilot, but hell he plays guitar. The Bitter Pills and Young Francis were guests at Brightons Hope and Ruin. I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I had heard rumours about this “One Man Band” and his shows. I really didn’t expect what we got!

Bob Log III

is an American slide guitar one-man band. During performances, he plays old Silvertone archtop guitars, wears a full body human cannonball suit, and a helmet wired to a telephone receiver, which allows him to devote his hands and feet to guitar and drums. The spectacle has been described as a blues punk guitar dance party.

He tours over 150 shows a year in more than 30 countries. Bob Log’s version of quick Delta blues is a continuation of the sound that he and Thermos pioneered in the duo Doo Rag. The major differences are: greater emphasis on guitar showmanship, fingerpicking, and one-man-band-style drumming with his feet. He tours the world and usually stop for just a few dates in the UK. This was a rare chance to see him as he beamed into Brighton for a sold out show at The Hope and Ruin.

Log describes his on-stage setup in the song “One Man Band Boom”, introducing himself to the audience as, “Bob Log the third, one-man band, Tucson, Arizona. Heyeeeh! Lemme introduce the band to ya. On cymbals, left foot. Over here on the bass drum we got right foot. Shut up! This is my left hand that does all the slide work, right hand does the pickin’. My mouth hole does most of the talkin’.” Hopefully you get the idea!

I had a couple of words after he had completed his stage set up involving electronics, drum pads, inflatable duck and dinghy. And there are no photos here as requested, without his face / head covering. You’re welcome.

An AC/DC styled blues riff blasted at us out of the amplifier but Rob was nowhere to be seen. The packed in crowd straining to see one, where he was and two, where this music was coming from. Then the man appeared from the back of the venue, the crowd parted to let him through. He was in a gold lame jump suit that looked as if it had been rescued from a 70’s glam band after show party and wearing a gold glittering helmet. So he kinda resembled an Elvis, Evil Knievel,  Top Gun pilot topped off with a telephone molded onto the front of a silver coated visor.

We never saw his face, sometimes a glimpse of his chin as he tried to re hydrate himself or setting his equipment. We got an hour long set of both the weird and the wonderful. Hell, this guy can play a guitar. Balloons were tossed into the audience and returned inflated which Bob used as a percussion accompaniment. He climbed into a rubber dinghy, which had been set at the back of the stage, and now crowd surfed while laying down some electrifying guitar/fret work.  Another song he invited audience members to sit on his knee for “selfie time” – all the while playing that guitar and bouncing his knees for the percussion. Songs were fired at us in quick succession and interrupted with Bobs anecdotes and quips. All topped off with regular high fives with the crowd.

There is a fun fueled atmosphere being generated, all glued together with a wicked sense of humour and a debauchery drenched set from Bob Log, including Breath Play and Boobs n Scotch!  My advice – go see him play, and you will leave the show a different person and with a huge smile on your face. What a performer. And did I mention he plays that guitar like a man possessed?

Bob Log III is on Facebook

The Bitter Pills

Guests of Bob Log were local band The Bitter Pills.

The Bitter Pills is a Fuzz and Blues band based in West Sussex. I had not seen these guys play before and there is just the two of them.

Guitar And Lead Vocals – Nico Blake Sc’erri
Drums – James Murrell

These guys have some decent tunes behind them and between the two of them put out a great noise. They put in a fine 30 minute set, well played guys. Hope to see them play again soon, and are definitely worth keeping an eye out for if you see they are playing near you.

The Bitter Pills are on Facebook

Young Francis

A regular and a favourite of Scene Sussex is local one man punk band Young Francis.

Young Francis – Pic by Ian Bourn / Scene Sussex

Young Francis – Young Francis was born in Germany and learned punk rock by watching Ramones videos on TV.  He plays guitar by hand, drums by foot and sings by mouth. No effects, no pedals, no loops, no tricks. Young Francis sings 2 minute songs about girls and hanging out.

Chatting pre set it was great to catch up as he has been so busy touring and playing, he has new music in the final stages of mixing for release and hopes to get back out into Europe for more dates.

Young Francis is a great showman and delivers a top performance of his own compositions. The set kicked of with Julia, Suzi and Gimme a Kiss. Young Francis then broke out the percussion instruments into the crowd for a full on participation slot. Brilliant! This guy has grown so much since I first saw him. He is a confident performer and now interacts even more with his audience, drawing them in and making them part of his show. There was some new material in the set which came to a barnstormer of a close with Girls Like You. His punk rock guitar is top notch and now with an additional amp it gives his sound more depth, edge and colour. Well played! Again check him out if you want see him play while you have the chance! He is a busy man.

Young Francis is on Facebook

Stay Sick

Stay Sick are promoters based in Brighton. They have been around for a while and it was great to finally meet up and put a face to the name. A lot of thought had gone into the planning of this night and it was a sell out. I was outside and saw the queue building outside the Hope and Ruin and I reckon they could easily have sold another 30 odd tickets to folk turning up on the door. Great night, well organised and enjoyed every guitar fuzzed second. Thank you Stay Sick.

Established in 2008, they continue to spin the best dancing music from surf to 60s, oddball R&B to filthy rock’n’roll, garage to punk 7inches at a time. Now a Brighton institution for the ones in the know, these Cramps obsessed guys have put on such greats as Billy Childish, Kid Congo from the Cramps, Monotonix, Eighties Matchbox B-line Disaster and Thee Oh Sees. With bands from Japan, Germany, USA, France and even Croatia (to name but a few), STAY SICK has made it their mission to track down, kidnap and present you with the best bands from all over the globe.

Stay Sick are on Facebook

Please note all original images / video are copyright, please do not copy. If any of the featured artists/promoters/venues want copies of the images – or more if available – please just get in touch.

All original pictures / video – copyright to IANB/MEDIA WORKS/ SCENE SUSSEX – Ian “The Lens” Bourn 2018.

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