Nemesis rock out at The Fox and Duck

It had been a long day, in the afternoon I went to three exhibitions across London and in the evening I sent to see a play in Southwark, but that was not going to stop me seeing Nemesis play the local pub the Fox and Duck as the day closed.

I know Nemesis via their drummer, Chris York, who also plays in a progressive rock covers band but this is the first time that I had been able to catch them live.

Seeing the play first meant that I had to miss the start of this gig too but when the 65 rolled past just after 11pm I was pleased to see that it was still in progress.

So I was rather surprised after walking back from the bus stop to the pub to see several people outside, more surprised to see one of them pretending to play a guitar while standing on one of the tables and even more surprised to learn that he was the lead guitarist and he really was playing it using wireless technology.

The surprise must have been greater still when the guitarist, Jonny D, went back in to the pub without his guitar to be followed a few moments later by local musician Eugene (Hoaxwind and Nutloaf) playing it.

There were other Hoaxwind/Nutloaf people who I knew in the audience so it was quite a social night as well as a musical one. They were there because one of them has a brother who plays in another band with Nemesis' bassist Ian Morris. This could do with a Pete Frame family tree.

Nemesis impressed me. Their selection of songs was very much to my taste with rock classics like Smoke on the Water and they played them in their own style.

Despite the late arrival I caught an hour of good music before the curfew fell a little after the official 12am. The closing song was Rocking in the Free World which I sang along too with great gusto and little talent.

It goes without saying that Nemesis have been added to my select list of bands to see whenever I can and next time I'll try to get there for the start!