Jim Bob / Andy Curry / G.T. Turbo

Exactly a month since Carter USM played their final ever show in front of a packed crowd at Brixton academy, Jim Bob is back on the road performing his much loved acoustic show.

To support him tonight is the front man of both local bands the Nosedivers and Boss Caine; G.T. Turbo, who despite his super-charged name sings very lovely folk pop. Many people decide to natter over the top of him unfortunately; the venue itself does not look the sort to house acoustic talent, more rock bands and as Jim Bob later points out “The name suggests to me an x-rated hardcore club; hope you’re not disappointed!”



Up next (and actually listed on the bill) is Andy Curry, a self-titled wannabe thespian. He does not appear nervous at all in front of an increasingly un-sober crowd, though they are still paying little attention. His vocals are very strong, bordering from quiet hushings to croaky bouts of singing. Topics vary too, from songs for girlfriends through to building boats.

Jim Bob will always fill a small venue like this. I wouldn’t expect anywhere larger, as his tours visit many cities so there is not need. He has yet another solo album available, ‘A Humpty Dumpty Thing’. For those out of the loop then this may sound like a shite name for an album, but fans of any of Jim Bob’s work will tell you his lyrics more than make up for any strange song titles.



New single ‘Battling The Bottle’ is a true to life song (“Fighting The Flab/At War With The World”), as most of Jim bob’s songs are, and tracks like ‘The Wheels On The Bus’ (like the school song but with new and improved lyrics, for today’s standard of public transport) go down a treat. The crowd are pretty drunk now, especially down the front, and any whiff of a Carter tune sends them through the roof. ‘Cartoon Dad’ is also a stand out track.

A few other tracks from Jim Bob’s solo back catalogue crop up, like the fantastic ‘Angel Strike’ (the meanings in the title), ‘Victim’ and ‘A Time to Kill’. This is in-between the comical banter slung about from performer to crowd and back again. The chants of “You Fat Bastard” must be wearing thin on JB, but he takes it all in his stride (all 11 stone of it!) and tells us instead of past York shows (“They would only let us play if we put on the flyers that we had a drum machine. I guess by now you guys know that we don’t play drums out of our arses!”). Silent sidekick Mr Spoons is hovering at the side of the stage, getting called a “Bus driver man” and of course a “Fat Bastard”, a bit like everything else that moves here tonight.

The Christmas tree on stage (looking very scrawny) holds on it a little angel with a placard, basically acting on strike. The decorations come with the music “they do not belong to Certificate 18!” JB quickly points out.


No matter whether the Carter songs are played through amps with two guitars and the infamous drum machine, or here in a cosy room with just one acoustic guitar and several ‘merry’ singers. ‘Is Wrestling Fixed?’, ‘Do Ra Me, So Far So Good’, ‘A Prince In A Pauper's Grave’, ‘Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere’, ‘Tattoos’, 'Falling On A Bruise’, ‘Johnny Cash’, and ‘The Only living Boy In New Cross’; many of the hits crammed into just over an hour.

For all those who missed the reunion shows for whatever reason; the songs are still being played live by the man himself (well, one of them) and you never know, you might like his new stuff, like I and many others do.

Also a note about the reunion tour; tonight Jim bob tells us that some people thought that himself and Fruitbat did not look very chummy. This is all crap, they are friends now as much as they ever were. My friends and I thought that they didn’t talk much at Brixton, but you aren’t going to onstage after many years, like the rest of these reunited bands. I am glad that they are pals, and wish them all the best now that Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine has finally, erm......stopped.

FUTURE GIGS