2nd (Virtual) Headbang - 27th May, 2020

The lockdown continues and this meant another virtual Headbang last night, but it's not all bad because it gave Rob Dunnachie the chance to join us for the first time - all the way from Maryburgh, near Dingwall, becoming the 16th person to "attend" a Headbang since records began back in November, 2003. Phil Bates was also able to join us again from Ullswater in the Lake District.

Otherwise, it was pretty much a full house - Dave, Colin, Malcolm, Steve, Jeb, Andy, Gerry (hot-foot from work!), Aidan - and me. Only Gary - who has an aversion to Zoom - was missing.

Apologies first - I forgot to take the screenshot team photo last night.

It had only been 3 weeks since our last (virtual) gathering so there weren't many 'GENARIANS or OBITUARIES  to go through - just the following tracks were played:

Stevie Wonder	Living for the city
Bernie Taupin (Elton John)	Border Song

(Little) Richard Wayne Penniman	Medley
Phil May	Midnight to Six Man/Don't bring me down
Eric Weissberg	Duelling banjos

It was pretty unanimous that Little Richard should be the one who would go down in rock history as the most missed.

The next theme was NOTABLE ABSENTEES. This was the 4th time this theme has been used and it is reserved for reasonably well known artistes who have never made an appearance in any of the 46 themed Headbangs we've had in the last 16 + years. Here's what was played:

Alan Price	I put a spell on you
Judie Tzuke	Stay with me till dawn
Blues Traveler	Carolina blues
Mogwai	Summer
Keane	Somewhere only we know
Wizz Jones	Black Dog
Sonics	Have love, will travel

Another straw poll produced a split vote - Alan Price got three votes and Wizz Jones one, but Keane came out on top with seven votes.

The 4th theme of the night was UNPLUGGED, inspired by MTV's programme of the same name, but not restricted to MTV appearances exclusively - the principle being a mostly acoustic performance. 11 tracks were played:

Allman Brothers Blues Band	Melissa
REM	It's the end of the world
Eric Clapton	Layla
Paul Simon	Mrs Robinson
Neil Young	Needle and the damage done
Nirvana	Come as you are
Jimmy Page & Robert Plant	Gallows pole
Alanis Morissette	You oughta know
Slash & Myles Kennedy	Sweet child o' mine
David Gilmour	Wish you were here
Jack White	Sugar never tasted so good

We were each then given 2 votes - REM, Paul Simon, Page/Plant, Alanis M and Jack W didn't receive any votes and the Allman Brothers got just one 2nd place. Neil Young got 4 points from 2 first places and Nirvana got 6 points from 3 first places, but the three acts out front were:

• David Gilmour - 8 points (all from second places)
• Slash & EC - 7 points each (3 first places + 1 second place each)

The 5th theme was a short ONE HIT WONDERS section - the 5th time this theme has been used at a Headbang - and there's plenty more to come in the future. The tunes played were:

Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs	Woolly Bully
Sir Douglas Quintet	She's about a mover
Rare Bird	Sympathy
4 Non Blondes	What's up

Last theme of the evening was another new one - AMERICANA - the 106th different theme we've used in the last 11 + years. Seven tracks were played:

Jayhawks	Waiting for the sun
Drive By Truckers	Danko Manuel
Ray LaMontagne	Jolene
Lucinda Williams	Jackson
John Hiatt	Master of disaster
Wilco	Random name generator
Long Ryders	Looking for Lewis and Clark

Again, each of us had 2 votes and every act got a mention. The Jayhawks, Ray LaMontagne and the Long Ryders got 2 votes each, and John Hiatt got 3 and Drive By Truckers 4, but there was a clear winner and runner-up:

• Lucinda Williams - 13
• Wilco - 7

A quick review of the themes returned a unanimous verdict - UNPLUGGED was the best.