ASSEMBLY CHOPPER SHOW / LONDON TATTOO FEST 2018 One of the coolest things about playing in a band is that it can lead to you to interesting and unexpected places. One such was the gig at "The Assembly" custom chopper show after show party in the Leake Street tunnels underneath Waterloo Station.
The venue itself, a splendidly alternative labyrinth of Victorian tiled burrows, the main concourse of which has been completely given over to graffiti artists to spray their magic on every available inch of wall- and ceiling-space has gained the nickname "Banksy Tunnels" (keeping the Bristol connection!) after the 2008 "Cans Festival".
And on this day the bewilderingly wonderful street art was augmented by hosts of wickedly wonderful motorcycles, gleaming angular beasts standing in proud lines, longing for the open roads for which they were lovingly created.
A hot day in London, traffic at near-standstill due to an unexpectedly pro-Trump rally, was spent admiring the sights along this surreal underground just yards from the London Eye, before tearing into our set at the after-show party. The dancing and cheering that followed merely confirmed what we had already surmised - a right good time was being enjoyed by all!
But the day was probably most memorable for one of those strange synchronicities that occasionally befall and befuddle us. Shortly after we arrived we were wandering through the exhibit tunnels, looking for co-organiser Ella, when we meandered into a concourse area where a gent was playing old vinyl LPs. The instant that we walked in, Ken in the lead, the first notes of "Split part 1" sounded out, as if announcing our arrival - spooky! The look on the DJ's face when he saw Ken a moment later was priceless!