Is there a Spin Doctor in the house?

Why, yes there is!

Chris Barron is the lead singer and songwriter with New York band the Spin Doctors – perhaps best known for their 1992 global hit single 'Two Princes' and the album from whence it came, ‘Pocket Full of Kryptonite’.

The band are still very much a going concern but Chris also plies his trade as a solo performer with a beautifully bluesy style and he was in town tonight to play a gig at The Lomax with fellow New York scenester and all-round diamond geezer, Lach. I first met Lach on my birthday back in January and he welcomed Spokes and me tonight with a ‘family hug’ which was very sweet of him.  He was on top form, playing a generous selection of his own songs - standouts for me were 'Antenna' and ‘Stunned’ – with a couple of judiciously chosen covers. He was coming on like a one man Ramones with his new fuzzbox so it was only appropriate that he should deliver a killer ‘Rockaway Beach’ which he mashed up gloriously with Led Zeppelin’s ‘Rock and Roll’ with the audience on backing vocals.

Chris was also in fine fettle! He has a lovely voice and can pick a mean guitar. He played a selection of songs old and new including Spin Doctors numbers and solo stuff such as 'Until the Cows Come Home' and then brought Lach back on (see my Extra photo) for a finale of covers including 'The Kids Are Alright', 'Femme Fatale' and a brilliant 'Theme From Spiderman' interwoven with 'Spider-Pig' from The Simpson’s movie.

I also got to have a good chat with Chris before the show – when this picture was taken – mainly about the loss of independent venues and creative spaces, in Liverpool and elsewhere, as the developers move in and the powers that be stifle creativity by seeking to control it or contain it in purpose-built but soulless venues… The Lomax is itself under serious threat at the moment and other local venues have gone and are going. It’s a very worrying state of affairs...