Preview

East of Ealing, making their return after two years, are unlike any other band you've heard - a roots rocking 5 piece that has the crowd up and bopping from the word go. Original and dynamic, an East of Ealing gig swiftly becomes a world party. Who else would add a dash of Celtic to Cajun, Reggae to Russian, Tex-Mex to Techno, Dub to Dervish, South African to Samba and Greek to Groove. No musical straight jackets here!

Stephanie Graffitti, red haired, red hot playing on the Zeta electric fiddle doubles on mandolin and vocals. Steph has performed in the USA, Europe and MGM TV in France. Double necked acoustic guitar wizard Big Mac belts out vocals and harmonica and has worked with Ralph McTell, Dorris Henderson, McGuinness Flint and The Levee Breakers. Double bass and squeeze box merchant Jim Bean (ex Disney) along with the powerhouse drums of Paul Castleman provide the kick ass rhythm that fuels East of Ealing. Both have played all over the UK and Europe with all kinds of lineups and into all kinds of trouble! Magliite Mik (aka Sluggy) electric and acoustic guitar supremo adds another exciting dimension to the EOE sound, whether playing intricate picking style or rockin' out!

EOE went down a storm the last time they were here, and we've been asked regularly to bring them back, so here's your chance to see them!

Review

Since their first Talbot airing back in '01, this Brobdignagianally (it's in the dictionary) diverse and versatile London quintet have been a priority on our Must-Have-'Em-Back-By-Public-Demand List, and they delighted another plentiful crowd on their much-looked-forward-to return visit, generating permanently dense dance-floor action, many a fixed grin, and brisk bar-takings.

EOE are no spring chickens. Indeed, Mac McGann (he of the covetable vintage double-neck acoustic guitar and blues-wailing harps) was active on the metropolitan folk scene before many of the audience were a glint in anyone's eye ... only decades and decades of accumulated playing, listening, and absorbing could possibly account for the dizzying stylistic journey that is an EOE evening: from Balkan to boogie, from African to dub, from Celtic to cajun, from ska to Tex-Mex - all these bases are touched, and many more besides. Stephanie Graffitti is an authoritative lead vocalist and, above all, a seriously dynamic electric violinist, evoking a Balkan gypsy wedding one moment, summoning up the ghost of Papa John Creach the next; and when she's not doing that, there are mandolin and African thumb piano duties for her to perform, and she shakes fruit, too (percussion, that is) (That's alright, then. - Ed.). Jim Bean's double bass keeps him busy (and us bopping), but when he's called upon to play (superb) accordion, both lead guitarist Micky Parker (who deploys a mean fuzz lead tone when requires) and powerhouse drummer Paul Castleman are qualified to take over on electric/acoustic bass guitar. Versatility, that's the name of the game.

Any EOE number is a thoroughly satisfying treat, but I'd single out 'The Great Unknown' for its fiendish neo-Balkan work-out, the entirely logical segue out of 'Zorba The Greek' into 'My Old Man's a Dustman', the Africanization of London West-Three in 'Acton Township', the swampy 'Bon Temps', and the authentic sixties London R'n'B of 'Scarecrow Boogie'. And I haven't even mentioned 'Funky Munky', or 'Tin Cans', or 'Zanzibar', or 'Skokian', or 'Dub Train', or 'Repulo', or 'Aloha' (Yes, you have. - Ed.). The list, as they say, goes on ...

'Big in Brentford' is EOE's modest promo claim. If there was any justice, they would be recognized as the national treasure that they surely are, but they can undoubtedly add Tregaron to the list of places where they've made many friends and followers. Wherever East of Ealing play, it's party-time. And not a pooper in sight.