Ian Mitchell's Bay City Rollers Saturday March 11th, 2006
w/ Special Guests The Banana Convention

Ian Mitchell has a distinct vibe, upbeat, funny and just a bit naughty. He’s all about, goofin’ on some gormless back-door Charlie, doin’ the bend over and take a look at this and is sooo full of swagger and blarney that ya just can’t help but get caught up in it all. I’m convinced he can get away with MURDER – or get himself murdered - by grousing in that sparkling rapid-fire, almost indecipherable Irish banter. Ian’s got the ancient soul of a leprechaun and just the right touch of the devil, like a mutated bastard son of Darby O’Gill and one of them little people, still, you can’t help but to get on board and ride his train. At one point during the show Ian lowers his axe, looks around, spies the crowd turnin’ the concert into a bonafide dance party, gets a shit-eatin’ grin on his face and says somethin’ like,
“Hey, laddie-buck, are ya actin’ the maggot or are ya just a wanker? You canna be a bogtrotter – all u birds are a bit flah and gone in the ‘ol head but itsa a bit of a gas…are you ready to rock?”
Say YEAH!”
”YEAH”
”Say YEAH”
”YEAH”
”Say them culchies got knickers the size of Cork…ha-ha …just slagging you”
”Huh?”

My guess is that Ian can handle himself despite his “fragile” size...or maybe because of it. He could talk himself outta anything. He’s like a diminutive Dickensian rogue full of all the bluster a pint of Irish Whisky can heat up. He sure does have a tilt to his kilt. But he also knows when to keep it in his knickers - and he can rock. This bubblegum act ain’t bubblegum at all - it’s good solid rock n’ roll with plenty of well crafted Bay City Roller songs. But before Ian ever sashayed up to the microphone, there was an opening act with a strange name - the Banana Convention, self-professed purveyors of bubbalicious bubblegum music that rocks so hard that you’d think you were listening to Alex Chilton, with his trusty sidekick, Tripp, the legless bass player, doin’ a metal version of Sugar Sugar. The audience was primed and ready when the Banana folks, complete with their dancin’ Banana ape, opened the show with Wake Up, an original song from their recently released EP, The Ghetto Diamond(s). It is a type of band introduction song like Peter Noone and Herman’s Hermits used in their 1972 reunion tour. It went like this,

”Did you miss me?
Yeah
While I was gone
Did you miss me
YEAH
While I was gone
Well, I didn’t miss you at all, no
I didn’t miss you at all

Ahh yes, Peter could always have a bit of a crack at your expense….and I loved it and I love the Banana Convention. They have an incredible other-worldly pulsating energy, based in a great rhythm section, but sent into the stratosphere by the lead singers Afro-Dytee and Mama NuJahn. Percussionist/vocalist Oily McBride orchestrates the stage antics and contributes considerable testosterone to the energy quotient and guitarist Josh Jekel is a underappreciated talent whose imaginative riffing and lightnin’ quick and clean solos elevates this band beyond the droll and normal. The Banana Convention is not just a vocal showcase for the singers; it’s a tight-ass band, an instrumental force-of-nature. Between mouth watering originals like Monkey Love, Ooo La La, and Coming to Get Ya, they kicked in some incredible covers, done Banana-style, such as Incense and Peppermints and Crimson and Clover. Deeee-licious. They were so good that they had the crowd up and dancin’ and clamoring for more. A triumphant tour-de-force!

Before I introduced Ian & the Rollers, I had a little contest. Whoever could guess Ian Mitchell’s real name would win a brand new, never-been-opened “Best Of “ Bay City Rollers CD (I bought it earlier that day from my pal Bill at Records and Tapes Galore – only $16.99). Though I had no clue if Ian Mitchell’s name was really Ian Mitchell, I decided it would be Egbert James O’Toole… damned if nobody came up with it. And after considerable delay and crowd restlessness I had to concede that Egbert James was the right answer – ‘cos I said so - and that I would be forced to keep the disc for myself. Anyway, Ian and the Rollers finally hit the stage and rocked us mercilessly. One hit after another…Rock and Roll Love Letter, I Only Wanna Be With You, Money Honey, Shang-a-Lang, You Made Me Believe in Magic, and, of course, Saturday Night. Ian encored with an inspired version of (Bang a Gong) Get It On by his old friend Marc Bolan. As his fans danced the night away, Ian jumped down on the dance floor and joined them in a communal “shake your groove thing” rite of passage. A good time was had by all...

Peace
Bo White
3/19/06