Keep playing football, keep working (though not too hard), keep listening to good music, keep moving, keep eating, keep breathing, keep a little spare change in your pocket just in case, keep cool, keep that flaming dingo away from me, keep in touch. I could keep going forever.

That started out with the intention of being my new mantra for life but I seem to have got carried away there.

It's very hard to contain a good thing. Stopping the runaway freight train of an idea is harder than starting it off in the first place.

Where I was going with that before I lost confidence in my own idea was a lead into the progress of The Transmission, my favourite local band, who played their first London date last Friday, November 2 at The Kings Head in Fulham.

It marked the start of busy month for the band who played Flaunden village hall the following night and have two forthcoming gigs at The Flag in Watford on the 15th and 29th of November and a showcase gig at The Half Moon in Putney sandwiched between these local appearances.

The Kings Head gig not only marked the start of a long month it also signalled the step up to the bigger and more high pressure venues London offers.

Some nerves were on show as well; the band didn't quite drop into their usual assured rhythm.

New Queen was given the take two treatment, but its moments like this that build confidence not knock it. And no one seemed to mind as the second time around it sounded as it should, a short hard-hitting song with staccato vocals.

This was one of the shorter sets The Transmission will play but they gave the crowd present six of the best, including the aforementioned New Queen, Just Paranoid and Sonic.

Sonic ended the night for them and it's a good choice to play out with, a track that starts off with Byrdsy guitars and soars into an aggressive crescendo before a stylish instrumental exit.

By the end of the month I'll have seen a lot of these boys and that's no bad thing, and I reckon the second Flag gig will be a memorable one.

And now for something completely different. Last week saw the visit of two of dance music's hottest female vocalists to Watford. Last Thursday, November 1 saw the visit of Amanda O' Riordan, better known as Angelic to Destiny nightclub. With her third release Stay with Me on its way she's a hot property in the uplifting house stakes.

Following Angelic's performance was the appearance of sexy US singer Wendy Phillips.

She was in town to help promote her debut UK single Stay, which is the new trance track that looks sure to establish the female Sash in this country.

November 6, 2001 17:30