They call me back door santa

Did another funky rhythm & blues / fuzzy garage night at the lovely Engine Room in North Shields, this time throwing in some CHRISTMAS-RELATED TRACKS. Probably ended up 50/50ish in the end, skating devilishly close to breaking the 'No Wham, no Carey' rule.

Here's what got played:

1 - Ella Fitzgerald - Sleigh Ride

2 - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - God Rest Ye Merry Gents

3 - Otis Redding - Merry Christmas Baby

4 - Donny Hathaway - This Christmas

5 - Foolish Relics - Christmas in Hollis

6 - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

7 - The Classic Brown - It's a Wrap

8 - The Not Fur Longs - Toys Don't Cry

9 - The Bakesys - Random Festive Words

10 - J.B. Summers - I Want A Present For Christmas

11 - Tom Dyer & His Queen's Pajamas - No Lou This Xmas

12 - Sugarman Three - Soul Donkey

13 - Olympic - Blasnivej Kiki

14 - Ill Boogs - Gypsy Rock

15 - Huey 'Piano' Smith & His Clowns - Second Line

16 - The Funk Brothers - Winter Wonderland (instrumental)

17 - Amos Milburn - Christmas Comes But Once A Year

18 - Santa's Little Helper - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

19 - Barrence Whitfield & The Savages - Hey Miss Glynis

20 - Bettye Swann - The Heartache Is Gone

21 - Tabby Thomas - I Don't Care

22 - Big Man and the Night People - Night Creeper

23 - The Detroit Cobras - Can't Do Without You

24 - The Yardbirds - Heartful of Soul

25 - The Swaggerlies - All I Want For Christmas (Is To Be Left Alone)

26 - Across 35th - Do You Wanna Build A Snowman?

27 - Louis Armstrong & The Commanders – ‘Zat You, Santa Claus?

28 - Bobby Smith - Bess's Boogie

29 - MC5 - Sister Anne

30 - Morning Reign - Can't Get Enough Of It

31 - The Kinks - Brainwashed

32 - The Dirtbombs - I'm Qualified To Satisfy You

33 - Clarence Carter - Backdoor Santa

34 - The Allergies - It's Almost Here

35 - Futureman feat Adam Montague - Father Christmas

36 - Betty James - I'm A Little Mixed Up

37 - Ike & Tina Turner - Why I Sing the Blues

38 - Les Cooper And His Soul Rockers - Wahoo

39 - We The They - Holiday Lines

40 - The Fleshtones - Champagne Christmas

41 - The Ronettes - Frosty The Snowman

42 - Patti Page - Boogie Woogie Santa Claus

43 - Guns of Nevada - Liquor In My Stocking

44 - Flamin' Groovies - Golden Clouds

45 - Billy Preston - Steady Get'n It

46 - The Len Price 3 - If I Ain't Got You

47 - the Werewandas - I've Got A Great Big Christmas Tree

48 - Ego and the Appropriators - Christmas Wrapping

49 - Big Boss Man - Christmas Boogaloo

50 - Guts feat. Leron Thomas - Man Funk

51 - Arrested Development - People Everyday (metamorphosis mix)

52 - Buddy Guy - Man Of Many Words

53 - Bobnoxious - Police Nabbed My Dad

54 - The Wedding Present - Step Into Christmas

55 - Delakota - C'Mon Cincinnati (M Organs village mix)

56 - Back Chat Brass - All Star

57 - Lou Rawls - Good Time Christmas

58 - The Marshall Brothers - Mr Santa's Boogie

59 - Ramones - Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)

60 - The Dollyrots - Santa Baby

61 - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - White Christmas

62 - Oscar McLollie & His Honey Jumpers - Dig That Crazy Santa Claus

63 - Champion Jack Dupree - Shim Sham Shimmy

64 - The Bacarrudas - Christmas Fun

65 - The Step Daughters feat WANK - Fairytale of New York

66 - El Vez - Feliz Navi-Nada

67 - Chuck Berry - Run Rudolph Run

68 - Andy B And The World - Santa Baby

69 - Vixoria Drift - All I Want For Christmas Is You Killing In The Name (RATM vs Mariah Carey mashup)

70 - Lucy Dacus - Last Christmas

71 - The Squirrels - Joy To The World

72 - The Discount Dandies - Silent Night

73 - Nolan Porter - Keep On Keepin' On

74 - The Beatstalkers - You Better Get A Better Hold On

75 - Wild Billy Childish & The Musicians Of The British Empire - He's Making A Tape

76 - Mark 'Porkchop' Holder - My Black Name

77 - Big Joe Turner - Christmas Date Boogie

78 - The Robins - The Turkey Hop

79 - The Weisstronauts - Jingle Bells

80 - MJ Hibbett & the Validators - Easy Christmas

81 - The Fastbacks - Oh Come All Ye Faithful

82 - The Vandals - Oi To The World (evening session session)

83 - Eels - Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas

84 - Half Man Half Biscuit - It's Cliched To Be Cynical At Christmas

85 - Jimmy Witherspoon - How I Hate To See Christmas Come Around

86 - The Nic Nacs - Gonna Have A Merry Xmas

87 - Charles Brown - Merry Christmas Baby

Have a good one. FUNK LAGOON WILL RETURN IN 2026.

Spooooooooky

 Played a Halloween party ON Halloween!

1 - Japan - Ghosts

2 - Nina Simone - I Put A Spell On You

3 - John Smith - Axe Mountain

4 - Ash - Halloween

5 - The Free Association - Le Baggage

6 - These Trails - Of Broken Links

7 - Amon Tobin feat Kronos Quartet - Bloodstone

8 - Calexico - The Book And The Canal

9 - Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells Opening Theme

10 - Morcheeba - Blindfold

11 - Annie Lennox - Love Song For A Vampire (from Bram Stroker's Dracula)

12 - Sunforest - Magician In The Mountain

13 - Julee Cruise - Falling

14 - Themselves - Another Part Of The Clown's Brain

15 - DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - A Nightmare On My Street

16 - Love Bug Starski - Amityville (The House On The Hill)

17 - Kip Tyler - She's My Witch

18 - Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity - Season Of The Witch

19 - Fleetwood Mac - Black Magic Woman

20 - Flight of the Conchords - Demon Woman

21 - Leather Angel - We Came To Kill

22 - The Budos Band - Burnt Offering

23 - The Bacarrudas - Dracula's Castle

24 - The Frantics - Werewolf

25 - L7 - Pretend We're Dead

26 - RJD2 - The Horror

27 - Eels - Fresh Blood

28 - Runaways - Finders Kreepers

29 - Titus Jones - Down With One More Disease (Lady Gaga vs Disturbed vs Britney Spears mashup)

30 - DJ Shadow - Organ Donor (Extended Overhaul)

31 - DJ Lobsterdust - It's Fun To Smoke Dust (Queen vs Satan mashup)

32 - MXPX - Scooby Doo, Where Are You?

33 - Alkaline Trio - Your Neck demo

34 - Meat Loaf - Hot Patootie / Bless My Soul

35 - Misfits - London Dungeon

36 - Scottie Stuart - Nightmare

37 - The Revels - Intoxica

38 - Little Esther Phillips - Mojo Hannah

39 - Leroy Bowman - Graveyard

40 - The Birthday Party - Release the Bats

41 - Avalanches - Frontier Psychiatrist

42 - Stevie Wonder - Superstition

43 - Duran Duran - Hungry Like The Wolf

44 - Orbital - Doctor

45 - Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me

46 - DJ Giac - Zombie Lady In Heaven (Damiano David vs The Cure vs The Penelopes mashup)

47 - Adamski - Killer

48 - Ashnikko - Halloweenie V: The Moss King

49 - Harry Belafonte - Zombie Jamboree

50 - Ronnie Cook & The Gaylads - The Goo Goo Muck

51 - Claudine Clark - Walkin' Through A Cemetery

52 - AC/DC - Highway To Hell

53 - The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil

54 - Bobby 'Boris' Pickett & The Crypt Kickers - Monster Mash

55 - Backstreet Boys - Everybody (Backstreet's Back)

56 - Rob Zombie - Dragula

57 - Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams

58 - DJ Touche - Vampires

59 - Ray Parker Jr - Ghostbusters

60 - Michael Jackson - Thriller

61 - Voodoo Love Orchestra - Fever

62 - R Dean Taylor - There's A Ghost In My House

63 - Warren Zevon - Werewolves Of London

64 - Mark Ronson feat Tiggers & ODB - Toxic

65 - Sabres Of Paradise - Wilmot's Last Skank

66 - Max Romeo - Chase The Devil

67 - Outkast feat Kelis - Dracula's Wedding

68 - The Cramps - Human Fly

69 - jimmylin - Toxic Bad Guy Look What You Made Me Do (Billie Eilish vs Taylor Swift vs Britney Spears mashup)

70 - Lady Gaga - Abracadabra

71 - Ne-Yo - Beautiful Monster (Low Sunday Terrified edit)

72 - Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll (A-Trak remix)

73 - Nelly Furtado - Maneater

74 - Rihanna - Disturbia

75 - Shakira - She-Wolf

76 - Electric Six - Danger High Voltage

77 - Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear the Reaper

78 - The Automatic - Monster

79 - Zombie Nation - Kernkraft 400

80 - Grimes - Oblivion

81 - She Wants Revenge - Tear You Apart

82 - MXPX - Scooby Doo, Where Are You?

83 - Richard O'Brien, Patricia Quinn & Nell Campbell - The Time Warp

84 - The Interrupters - Bad Guy

[“fine, I’ll play your non-spooky requests”]

85 - Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag

86 - Busted - Crashed The Wedding

87 - Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton - Islands In The Stream

88 - Outkast - Hey Ya

89 - The Table - Flashtrain (Ozzy Osbourne vs Irene Cara mashup)

90 - Toots & The Maytals - (Take Me Home) Country Roads

91 - Taylor Swift - Shake It Off

92 - Mark Ronson feat Amy Winehouse - Valerie

Louie Louie Louie Louie

Back once again, at a new venue (well, not entirely), it was nice to play a set in Shields, at the excellent Engine Room. Intended vibes were rhythm & blues, garage rock, bit of mod and psych, bit of ska and funk, that kind of thing.

What got played (including, partly via requests, some slightly off-theme choices and FOUR VERSIONS OF LOUIE LOUIE) was:

1 - Aaron Neville - Let's Live

2 - Betty Bibbs - Pounds Of Soul

3 - Etta James - 842-3089 (Call My Name)

4 - Ironing Board Sam - Man Of The Street

5 - Lee Dorsey - Give Me You

6 - Jimmy Reed - Baby What You Want Me To Do

7 - Amos Milburn - Down The Road Apiece

8 - Barrett Strong - You've Got What It Takes

9 - Tabby Thomas - Popeye Train

10 - Jean Dushon - Second Class Lover

11 - Sugarman Three - Saddle For Two

12 - Huey 'Piano' Smith & His Clowns - High Blood Pressure

13 - The Syn - Grounded

14 - The Marmalade - Mess Around

15 - The Scenics - Do The Wait

16 - The Beatles - Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey

17 - The Bees - Chicken Payback

18 - The Byrds - Born To Rock & Roll

19 - The Sonic Dawn - It's Tomorrow

20 - Witch - Introduction

21 - Jimmy Fraser - Of Hopes & Dreams & Tombstones

22 - Ike & Tina Turner - Crazy 'Bout You Baby

23 - Grey Oblivian & The Tip Tops - Watching My Baby Get Ready

24 - Goat - Golden Dawn (Live)

25 - Aretha Franklin - Save Me

26 - The Zombies - She's Not There

27 - Melanie & The Edwin Hawkins Singers - Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)

28 - The Budos Band - Long in the Tooth

29 - The Kinks - Sittin' On My Sofa

30 - The Dirtbombs - Do You See My Love (For You Growing)

31 - Steppenwolf - Rock Me

32 - The Flies - Stepping Stone

33 - The Wedding Present - Pleasant Valley Sunday

34 - The Jam - Town Called Malice

35 - Flowered Up - It's On

36 - Small Faces - Lazy Sunday

37 - Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs - Wooly Bully

38 - The Sonics - Don't You Just Know It

39 - The Yardbirds - Putty In Your Hands

40 - Willie Egan - Can't Understand It

41 - The Mar-Keys - Pop-Eye Rider

42 - The Meters - Funky Miracles

43 - Rufus Thomas - Walking The Dog

44 - The Bamboos - Tighten Up

45 - Billie Gayles with Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm - I'm Tore Up

46 - Professor Longhair - Boogie Woogie

47 - Fats Domino - Mardi Gras In New Orleans

48 - Lloyd Price - Froglegs

49 - The Human Beinz - Nobody But Me

50 - The Prisoners - Whenever I'm Gone

51 - The Knickerbockers - Lies

52 - The Eyes - I'm Rowed Out

53 - Kameleoni - Sunny Cry

54 - Os Mutantes - A Minha Menina

55 - The 5678s - Pinball Party

56 - 13th Floor Elevators - You're Gonna Miss Me

57 - Super Furry Animals - (Drawing) Rings Around The World

58 - Ros Seresyothea - Chnam Oun Dop Praya Mauy (I’m 16)

59 - The BellRays - Making Up For Lost Time

60 - Nazz - Open My Eyes

61 - Barrence Whitfield & The Savages - Katy Didn't

62 - Joan Jett and The Blackhearts - Don't Abuse Me

63 - T Rex - 20th Century Boy

64 - Toots & The Maytals - Louie Louie

65 - The Specials - You're Wondering Now (Kid Jensen Session)

66 - The Slits - I Heard It Through The Grapevine

67 - The Sonics - Louie Louie

68 - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Purple Haze

69 - ZZ Top - Sharp Dressed Man

70 - Jefferson Airplane - Somebody To Love

71 - Solomon Burke - Everybody Needs Somebody To Love

72 - Flamin' Groovies - Slow Death

73 - The Prodigy - Smack My Bitch Up

74 - Herbie Hancock - Bring Down The Birds

75 - The Animals - The House Of The Rising Sun

76 - The Kingsmen - Louie Louie

77 - The Detroit Cobras - Stupidity

78 - The B-52's - Deadbeat Club

79 - Motorhead - Louie, Louie (alternate version)