The Boys Are Back In Town

I normally hate going out on Sunday nights but this is the bank holiday weekend and so I convince myself that it's more of a virtual Saturday.

Liz has gone off with her chums to see Rotherham battle it out with Dagenham at Wembley for the right to play in League One. I've had a few texts asking if I was going and wishing Liz luck but for me the season is well and truly over and I'll not be there. Besides, I have other plans.

They started with a visit to the Southampton Arms in Gospel Oak, an area of north London stuck between Kentish Town and Hampstead which I'm not very familiar with.

The pub has recently popped up on the beer radar recently as having a great choice of beers and ciders - so Steve Duffy and I popped in earlier last week when he was in town and we were impressed. I decided to make another visit with Geoff, our Argyle chum, who was also keen to try it.

Five ciders were available including the lovely Yarlington Mill from favourite Gwynt y Ddraig plus about six beers from various microwbrewers including Whistable Oyster Stout, Otley 01 and Runner, a beer from the Truman Brewery.

Truman's was a major brewer based in Brick Lane but after over 200 years of brewing it closed down in 1989. Now a couple of East End beer enthusiasts have resurrected the name and their recipes and are brewing at the Nethergate brewery (though they aim to return to London). Runner is their first production run - a darkish session beer which was very nice. Watch this space.

For me, there are a couple of minor niggles with the Southampton Arms - unless you ask for a straight glass you'll be served in a jug and they also seem to encourage piano players to come in and tinkle away annoyingly.

From here it was a short walk to the Junction Tavern which was having their 13th beer festival over the course of the long weekend. The place was packed when we got there and all but one barrel on their stillage had been drunk with just five beers on draught.

After a couple of pints I leave Geoff and head on down to Camden for the main event of the day - the mighty Punishment of Luxury are playing the Underworld.

My sister and niece have come down to stay with me for the weekend so that they can go to the gig but they preferred shopping and a tapas bar to drinking with me so we all meet up outside.

This is the band's third London gig in less than a year and I still can't believe that they're back together. They're busy setting up as we enter - no roadies to help them out, they've got to do their own humping.

(left) Jimi Giro and Nevilluxury

I have a quick chat with bassist Jimi Giro who tells me he hadn't got home to Newcastle until 4am that morning after playing in Southport with another band. That's rock and roll, I tell him sympathetically.

The set-list is much the same as for the other gigs though they've clearly been rehearsing as they've tinkered around with the arrangement of a few songs.

There didn't look to be much of a crowd at first but people soon started to move down to the front of the stage and towards the end the crowd were really jumping.

Someone threw an empty plastic glass that bounced off singer Brian Bond's head but he barely flinched and carried on like a true pro. I'm sure he's had much worse thrown at him 20-odd years ago.

The band encored with two of their singles - Jellyfish and what the band described as their one ballad, Brainbomb, which was anything but. The only way to finish their set.

During the gig Brian announced that their album, Laughing Academy, is to be re-released later this year which is great news.

They have another gig in December this year - this will be in Stockton and has been arranged by Mission Impossible editor, Steve Harland, who is also a huge fan of the band. I only hope it coincides with a home game or something will have to give...