In the Autumn of 2005, as darkness gathered once again and the leaves began to fall from the trees, Inkubus Sukkubus, now once again a three-piece band, played their first gig for many years in the university town of Oxford. This seat of learning has also for a long time been a seat of paganism, enquiring minds encouraged to study being a fertile breeding ground for new and alternative ideas.
The venue itself, "The Wheatsheaf", was a two-storey pub accessed down a narrow passageway off the main thoroughfare, a place heady with atmosphere as we arrived well into the evening. Needless to say, in such a well-educated part of the workd, they'd managed to come up with yet another alternative spelling of the band's name - this gig was advertised as featuring "Inkubas Sukkubus", suggesting perhaps that Adam should take the lead and play all the melodies on the bass?
The support band were "At Risk", a local group, heavy, rocky, and quite good. Unfortunately due to insane traffic in London earlier in the day we arrived just as they played their last track, but what we heard was pretty decent.
The venue itself, "The Wheatsheaf", was a two-storey pub accessed down a narrow passageway off the main thoroughfare, a place heady with atmosphere as we arrived well into the evening. Needless to say, in such a well-educated part of the workd, they'd managed to come up with yet another alternative spelling of the band's name - this gig was advertised as featuring "Inkubas Sukkubus", suggesting perhaps that Adam should take the lead and play all the melodies on the bass?
The support band were "At Risk", a local group, heavy, rocky, and quite good. Unfortunately due to insane traffic in London earlier in the day we arrived just as they played their last track, but what we heard was pretty decent.
Adam and Rob Sherlock
Adam's sister Kate, on Merchandise
Is this another dodgy tribute band?
The Guardians of the Venue
Collectors might be interested to note that the band have copies of "The Web Album" for sale at gigs once more - this is the album that was formerly available from MP3.com.
After a swift soundcheck and once appropriate preperations had been carried out (or in this case, carried over from the bar!), we were off once more. Some may have wonfdered if going back to a single guitar might have been a step back from the rather good twin-guitar sound we'd been enjoying through the summer, but no fear, Tony simply turned the "rock" dial all the way up to eleven, and seriously went for it on stage - the result was electric!
Tony rocks!
Part way through, Candia randomly decided to dedicate a track to this lass, much to her delight!
By half way through the set, the audience was getting seriously into the music, especially this chap, who managed to dance and headbang all the way to the end of the set. You could feel the rising atmosphere, as yet again Inkubus Sukkubus delivered a superb performance.
A high point of the eveneing was definetly the wonderful electric rendition of the new acoustic track, "Dia de los Muertos", dripping with atmosphere, and with an underlying Spanish theme that stays with you long after you've heard it. Definetly another Inkies all-time classic in the making.
ROCK!!!
Needless to say the gig ended on a real high, as Tony's pose above shows! Then it was time to meet and mingle, though eventually the bouncers decided enough was enough and attempted to chuck everyone, band included, out!
Chatting to fans
Clare got Tony to sign her Screaming Dead LP
Yes, that does say
"My name is Tony McKormack and I poke badgers with spoons"...
Batteryhenge.
A polite veil will be drawn here...
..and here too!
Send more paramedics!!!
And this is where we keep the ones who fail their exams.
And so at last we left Oxford behind and headed back through the darkness to refined Cheltenham, and Adam's house for the night.
Rob blew up the air bed.
Aha, to sleep on genlty wafting alcohol fumes...
Adam's extremly stylish living room.
This is where the paintings are kept.
The ones of the band, done by the same artist
who painted that Dorian Gray chap...
Rare vinyl, an early Screaming Dead album.
Adam, Laura and Kate, drawn by Kate
Adam. "These aren't the bottles you're looking for..."
Next morning. Well, afternoon, really!
Now that's what I call a rug.
Adam has a truly beautiful house.
Pyromancer, um, looking strange...
Rob, powernapping again (taken by Adam)
Following a night of deep political discussion on a variety of fronts, when we all finaly emerged the next day, it was for a pleasant drive through the hills to the lovely town of Cirencester, where Tony and Candia had been invited to participate in an arts festival. Amongst other exhibits were a series of alternative coffins made by a company in Nottingham which specalises in unusual funerals.
Veterans of the Northern Goth Scene will be interested
to note that the infamous "Wendy House" (Leeds' largest
Goth club, held in a huge venue) appears to have shrunk...
The Arts Centre
Candia, with pink friends
Coffin for a rock hero?
Packed for departure
Gone skiing
Northern Angel and Wicker Man
Loud guitar!
Rob's choice. They do say it gives you wings!
Tony contemplating the afterlife
This was impressive...
...and facilities for drawing were provided.
Tony, Candia, and a very nice camera
No-one's home!
From the egg we came, to the egg we return.
Back outside, there was more interesting art to be seen in the form of this striking bronze sculpture by a local artist. The animals are not what they at first seem, and the whole thing is made from scrap machine parts, for added surealism.
While we were leaving the centre, we bumped into Trevor, the sound engineer from "The Beast With Two Backs", who also features heavily in the Whitby 2003 gig review.
News exchanged and the mandatory group photo taken, Adam then suggested we all retired to a little country pub he knew, very picturesque, and well off the beaten track. Unfortunately food was not available, however a very pleasant half hour was spent chatting in the beer garden, watching the stream flow past and admiring the almost magical setting.
Finaly, we all returned to Cheltenham for a couple more drinks and a bite to eat. While walking round the town Tony pointed out the location of his very first recording studio, before we all settled into a very nice little pub for the rest of the afternoon. Jagermeister was passed round, and tales told, all too soon it was time to bid farewell and take to the road once again.
Pyromencer, and the final Jaegermesier. Cheers!
Tony and Candia were attending another event in Cheltenham that evening, so we bade them farewell and returned to Adam's house, where at his suggestion, Rob Sherlock and I tried our hands (well, voices) at singing a couple of the band's acoustic tracks, including "Conquistadores" acompanied by Adam on acoustic guitar. I can tell you all now my admiration for Candia's singing has gone up even further - it's a lot harder than it looks to sing in time and in the right places!
Adam and Laura also had business to attend to that evening, so we thanked them both for their kind hospitality (I know I've said it before but all three bandmembers, and every one of their other friends that we've met, really are some of the nicest people on the planet), and headed back to the road and into the gathering darkness.
The moon rose clear into the inky sky, with barely a cloud to be seen, we soon found ourselves speeding through darlking woodland, moonlight flickering through the trees as we raced onwards to the East. On a whim, we turned off the main road and headed up to the Rollright Stones, finding the circle calm and deserted, brilliantly lit by the light of the full moon directly to the south. We paused a while, drinking in the peace and power of the place, silently adding our own small sparks to the centuries of solitude that enwrap this ancient circle. At length, we were fulfilled, and took to the road once more, eastward and home.
On behalf of us all I'd like to thank Adam, for putting us up, and Tony and Candia, for putting up with us. That truly was one very magical weekend.
Review by Pyromancer, Samhain, 2005
For more information on the "Crazy Coffins" exhibition, there is a website at www.crazycoffins.co.uk.
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