This Easter, wedged between the anniversaries of Christ's death and his resurrection, came a small but impassioned event celebrating another less well known but, arguably, more significant anniversary: that of the birth of Gareth Watts, bassist and lyricist of Tokyo Beatbox.
Backed by a nostalgic video montage including footage of Stuart Pearce and Peter Cook, Tokyo Beatbox defied the odds (and the nascent objections of the Royal Oak owners) to give the small congregation an evening to remember.
The performance sported a rare outing for New Pirates favourite 'Murder Rupert', including guest appearance from none other than Pirates frontman himself, Steve 'SRB Promotions' Barraclough.
In a barnstorming rendition of an eerily prescient song attacking Rupert Murdoch, Gareth declared his own genius in writing it a full 10 years prior to the current ongoing News International scandal.
After the band had rifled through a number of Beatbox standards, it was a pleasure to be able to join them in a reprisal of my own past role as 'guitar botherer extraordinaire'.
Thoroughly enjoying the chance to blast through a rendition of The Manics era defining early single Motown Junk, it was the first time I'd performed since a fateful axe smashing finale to a headlining night for the New Pirates at The Shed in Leicester some 8 years prior.
Bedecked in fairy lights, the microphones were grasped for one last chorus in homage to that particular obsession of the birthday boy. Manic Street Preachers have very much defined him; in turn, there can be few more faithful MSP disciples.
Set list
Backed by a nostalgic video montage including footage of Stuart Pearce and Peter Cook, Tokyo Beatbox defied the odds (and the nascent objections of the Royal Oak owners) to give the small congregation an evening to remember.
The performance sported a rare outing for New Pirates favourite 'Murder Rupert', including guest appearance from none other than Pirates frontman himself, Steve 'SRB Promotions' Barraclough.
In a barnstorming rendition of an eerily prescient song attacking Rupert Murdoch, Gareth declared his own genius in writing it a full 10 years prior to the current ongoing News International scandal.
After the band had rifled through a number of Beatbox standards, it was a pleasure to be able to join them in a reprisal of my own past role as 'guitar botherer extraordinaire'.
Thoroughly enjoying the chance to blast through a rendition of The Manics era defining early single Motown Junk, it was the first time I'd performed since a fateful axe smashing finale to a headlining night for the New Pirates at The Shed in Leicester some 8 years prior.
Bedecked in fairy lights, the microphones were grasped for one last chorus in homage to that particular obsession of the birthday boy. Manic Street Preachers have very much defined him; in turn, there can be few more faithful MSP disciples.
Set list
