The Frombelows

I was up in London last week for a stupidly busy week of work. Fortunately nobody from Cardiff was there to see me wearing a DJ on Wednesday evening for the first time ever (makes me look 10 years older - not to be repeated in a hurry).

I was hoping to get out from some dancing on Thursday night. Unfortunately My Place - where Super Mario teaches, just down the road from where I was working - hasn't started back again after Christmas. I went a couple of years ago (he was away so it was 'just' Susanna teaching) and had a good time.

I was on my feet most of the time last week and having trouble with my dodgy toe so I wasn't really inspired to travel further afield. Got back at 9.15 Saturday night in no fit state to join the gang in La Tasca : (

I did, however, pick up Los de Abajo's 'Los de Abajo vs. The Lunatics' while I was up there. It's a cracking CD. Only one pure salsa track: they are very eclectic with styles including cumbia, a bit of chachacha, some tango and a lot of Mexican ska. They're a political band - Los de Abajo means 'those from below', and the first track is 'La Resistencia' with a voiceover by 'Zapatista Insurgent Commander Esther' - but a lot of the CD is great fun, with Spanish lyrics that are occasionally hilarious. There's also the storming 'El Manicomio Esta En Los Manos de Los Locos': a Spanish version of a well-known Fun Boy Three hit from the 80s. (Whoever is first to correctly tell me the original English title wins a dance with me on Saturday night. Second prize is two dances....) I wish I'd been able to get to see them in Fiddlers where they played a couple of months ago.

Also, Phil Heath (see the Salseros link on the right) is running a Tsunami benefit gig on Saturday 28th in the Claverton Rooms. Apparently it sold out last year so you probably need to buy tickets in advance. I'm planning to go.

A quick reminder that O'Neills is closed until the end of January for refurbishment. Shame, as I could really have done with some dancing last night.