Stagger Mon 10-11pm on Cambridge105fm

Bob Log is a bayou one man band, he plays blues and slide guitar, a kick-drum and a homemade foot cymbal and is one of the most entertaining live acts your ever likely to see. Decked out in a black skintight cannonball suit and a motorcycle helmet he kicks off the first of his ‘party tunes’. Fast picking blues and slide guitar combine with distorted vocals as he whips up a party atmosphere. The music and banter are contagious and on another otherwise dreary Thursday night The Portland parties.

To show our appreciation Bob asks for ‘liquid applause’ and drinks arrive on the front of the stage throughout the show. One of these drinks is a scotch and after taking a slug he kicks into ‘boob scotch’. This is followed by an invite for audience members to put their boob in his scotch, we get a volunteer, our very own Rachel Stagger, and Bob responds in kind raising a pint to his chest before handing it back. The audience participation doesn’t end there; we’re invited to sit on his knee during ‘I want your shit on my leg’. We also get a rousing rendition of ‘clap your tits’ again participation is encouraged and not just from the women in the audience.

It may not be to everyone’s taste, the lyrics are scatological and boobs seem to be a theme that runs through his work, but there is no denying he’s a great guitar player and entertainer.

In Bob’s own words ‘that’s what rock’n'roll is. You take a guitar, turn it up, make the ladies dance, and have a good time’

Graham Coxon – The Junction 24th April 2012

The last time Graham Coxon played Cambridge it was in support of his ‘psych-folk’ album’ the spinning top’. Because of the complexity of the guitar playing, he spent most of his time sat on the floor of the Soul Tree. This tour is in support of a very different album, the 8th of his solo career ‘A+E’ and this time there was no sitting down. It was a high energy, unrelenting set.

The night kicked off with ‘Advice’ the opening track of the new album and it set the tone for the evening. They sped through ‘Don’t let your man’ and a blistering ‘Standing on your own’. It was the new songs that really impressed, ‘City Hall’ pulsated with post punk menace, ‘Meet & Drink & Pollinate’ chugged along and then exploded, ‘running for your life’ bounced along, a joyous noise. By the time the main set juddered to halt with ‘ohh yeah yeah’ I felt exhausted, the pace had been frantic. The crowd were obviously loving it, we had a stagediver and cries of ‘Graham you’re so cool, we love you’.

The encore was more of the same, highlights being ‘what’ll it take’ and ‘Freakin out’. The last song of the night ‘tripping over’ was the only real change of tempo. This was a joyous show; Graham and band are obviously having a ball playing this new material and it shows. Who would have believed that the shy, introvert of ‘Leisure’ and ‘Modern Life is rubbish’ would become a bona fide punk pop, guitar hero?