Paul Hallam and Terry Rawlings know a thing or two about music to say the least; Paul being a renowned DJ of many years in the 60s/Motown/Northern Soul clubs, and Terry an accomplished and respected music writer (his recent book on the death of former Rolling Stone Brian Jones, "Who Killed Christopher Robin?", has just been made into a film due for release later this year). But not only that, the pair know a thing or two about running pubs, being two of the owners of Filthy MacNasty's Whisky Café in Islington.

When they, together with a small consortium of friends, took over the management of Filthy's just over two and a half years ago it had a notorious

reputation to say the least. A former haunt of such rock & rollers as ex-Libertines frontman Pete Doherty (yes, he of more recent Kate Moss fame), the pub had attracted a lot of criticism from local residents about noise and rubbish in particular, but the new owners went about (in Paul's own words) "toning down everything but the charm", and indeed they seem to have done that very successfully.

Earlier this year Paul and Terry decided that they'd like to expand their operation, this time with a pub that had a licence for live music. They had

considered plenty of premises in the Kingston and Richmond area before being offered a pub formerly known as The Hobgoblin and The Spotted Dog in London Road, Twickenham - another place with a bit of a bad reputation… but once again the Boys have come good!

Since opening under the banner of Filthy MacNasty's II back in June, on an initial three month contract, Paul and Terry have not only encouraged a whole host of local talent to take to the stage, but they also have a knack of attracting some big names down to do a turn. So far artists such as

former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock, Squeeze's Chris Difford, Inspiral Carpets frontman Tom Hingley, former Mother Earth and Paul Weller guitarist Matt Deighton, and Ocean Colour Scene's Simon Fowler (see review in this month's issue) have all played to crowded audiences at Filthy's II, and that's all happened within the space of only a couple of months.

Based upon this success Paul and Terry have just had their lease extended until next year, when the brewery have promised a substantial refurbishment. And after that? Who knows… But what I can tell you is that there are many more big name guests in the pipeline, so my advice to you would be "get it whilst it's hot" - and Go! Magazine will be keeping you up to date on all the forthcoming attractions. Watch this space!

Filthy MacNasty's II, 11 London Road, Twickenham
Tel: 0208 891 2505

Ocean Colour Scene Frontman Plays Filthy's

Of all the bands that sprang to fame amidst the Britpop explosion of the mid-90s, how many can you say are still together and continuing to make great music?  OK, so the likes of Oasis and Blur are still grinding them out… and Supergrass have recently released a new album to some critical acclaim… but surely one of the best loved and most enduring of this crop of bands must undoubtedly be the magnificent Ocean Colour Scene.

Released at the height of 'Cool Britannia', "Moseley Shoals" was one of 1996's biggest selling albums, spawning a batch of hit singles including the unforgettable "Riverboat Song", which most will remember as the theme tune to the TFI Friday TV show. This year saw the release of OCS's fifth studio album, the interestingly titled "Hyperactive Workout For The Flying Squad", and their live shows still play to capacity crowds - testament to the fact that their blend of 60's influenced rock/pop and undoubted talent for quality song writing has ensured that they have gone from strength to strength whilst most of their contemporaries have long fallen by the wayside.

What an absolute honour then, that OCS frontman Simon Fowler decided to grace us all with a low-key, informal, acoustic performance last Sunday night (21st August) at Twickenham's new live music venue Filthy MacNasty's Too.

This was bound to be a popular one - by the time Simon took the stage at 9.30pm the place was packed - I battled to get as near to the stage as possible, but the place was RAMMED. Accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, he played for about an hour; his crowd-pleasing set comprising of a whole host of OCS favourites both old and new. It was great to hear such songs as "The Day We Caught The Train", "The Circle" and "Profit in Peace" performed stripped down without the usual backing of the band - Fowler's voice was strong and tuneful, and the crowd of adoring fans sang along to almost his every word. He seemed in excellent spirits, having taken the time before hand to mingle and chat with fans, and this warmth exuded during his set - with a twinkle in his eye and a wide grin, he interacted amusingly with the crowd in between songs, often in the style of Billy Connolly - nice to see that someone of his calibre could have a laugh and not take themselves too seriously - brilliant!

A particular mention must also go to the support band "The GetGo", who have recently secured a regular spot as Filthy MacNasty's resident band, and who I'm reliably informed are attracting a lot of attention from The Industry. If you like your gritty, bluesy-rock in the style of The Stones/The Faces/The Black Crowes, then I would highly recommend that you check them out!

Words by Ozz