After a year of retreat, regrouping and - yes! - rehearsing, we give you the new ROOM. Live for the first time as a four-piece at Fontana's NYC (www.fontanasnyc.com), with the help of Mr. Quentin Jennings (of The Dylans, Melomane and C. Gibbs Review fame) on keyboards for a couple of songs. We have a lot of new songs we'd love to play to you and are not as loud and obnoxious as we used to be (Old age set in? - You'll be the judge.)

ROOM (www.myspace.com/roomtheband) take the stage at 10pm and are followed immediately by ANTON SWORD & THE WE OURS (www.antonsword.com). With the help of his band, Anton has "rocked up" his set and they've become a tight group with - dare i say it? - catchy melodies.

Come on down - Tuesdays are the new Thursdays since Paul Wallfisch made Thursdays the new Saturdays with his Small Beast!

Map of Fontana's Location

First the Sword, then the Beast

Take it easy on Thursday cause you will have a busy evening - there are two shows you should not miss. First go to Rehab to see the refortified Mr. Anton Sword. Not only is he married now to the lovely Yael Marmon, his band has got a name, and a good one, too: the We Ours. Moreover, Jessica traded the cello for a rocking bass, Kristofer's addition get sharper and more daring with every show and drums are helmed by New York's female Ringo Starr, Kristin Mueller. We hope that spells 'goodbye flowery poetry and hello sardonic edge". It is eight bucks, but we hear that Rehab is in the process of being sold and who knows what will become of that place then. Anton and the We Ours are going on an extened European tour in May. The show starts at 9pm, followed by the Interpol-esque Get Help.


Then - it's the new Thursday thing to do - head down to the Delancey where Paul Wallfisch is letting loose his Small Beast, this time with a habitué on this blog, Pierre De Gaillande. The Paris-born singer/songwriter has translated the chansons of the great Georges Brassens into English - painstakingly precise - and will present the witty words and tunes with Christian Bongers on bass and Dave Spinley on Clarinet. Pierre has grown a mustache for this occasion while Christian has shaved off his Father Christmas beard. They will start at 11.15pm, preceeded by Cherie Lily, former lead singer and songwriter for New York City bands SPANK and FLuRT, who recently sang on Lee Scratch Perry's Grammy nominated new album and Barma Ljova who has been arranging music for the likes of Yo-Yo Ma, the Kronos Quartet, Matmos and Jay-Z.

I'll Be Damned...it's C. Gibbs Again!

So, reading up on the Damned while listening to their great new record "So, who's paranoid?" (see review in the right sidebar below) I followed up on singer Dave Vanian's side project "The Phantom Chords" and came across this little live video of the band performing at Hootenanny 2003 - and guess who is playing bass? Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Christian Gibbs here, on stage with Vampire Dave! Meanwhile, do check out the new Damned CD, it shows both Vanian and the good ole Captain in top form, with a bunch of proper, finished and vital songs.