We've been a fan of James Fletcher's ever since he was the drummer for Filmstar back in the mid-'90s, and our passion endured through projects such as the Women, Satisfaction and MPhase. When he sat in for Matt Costa, The 88 and Scott Weiland, we definitely swooned. And now, with his solo project the Booze & Clocks, we are hooked. This is probably his most intimate project to date, given that he takes the lead on vocals, composes the songs and has complete creative control.
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The crowd was just as enthused. There was a healthy gathering of friends and well-wishers, and they paid rapt attention throughout the set. Mitch Townsend, Michael Rosas, Bob Thomson and Oscar Fuentes made a perfect ensemble–playing guitar and singing backup while the drummer sings lead is not easy to pull off, but Michael did so effortlessly. And James emerged as the clear front man, even from behind the kit.
James and Michael bantered easily, with occasional commentary from the audience to keep things going. Amazingly, the sound had the energy of a live performance combined with the warm sound of the record, and they played almost all the tracks–and then some. Could there be another Booze and Clocks record in the works, perhaps? We hope so. And if you haven't heard the record–well, you can find the title track here.
Personal Bias: Anyone who is willing to lug a rhodes to a gig is a winner in our book.
The Crowd: Healthy in size and enthusiastic in vibe. Primarily ranging from late 20s to early 30s, all fashionably dressed.
Overheard in the Crowd: “Do you have seven-inches?” shouted in response to James' offer of a free CD.
Random Notebook Dump: Awesome mustache on James Fletcher. Successfully straddles the line between '70s cop, '80s porn star and contemporary man about town.
Set List:
“The Badger”
“Booze and Clocks”
“Mother of Mother”
“Right down the . . .”
“Some Summer”
“Don't Say a Word”
“Keep Breathing”
“Layers of Gloom”
“For the Trying”
“The Mooring Slides”
“Play for Me”
“Wind-Whipped”
