For over sixty five years London's 100 Club has hosted performances by musical giants - the Sex Pistols, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and B.B. King to name but a few.
The big '100' sign that forms the backdrop to the stage has witnessed numerous musical revolutions - from the birth of punk to Britpop.
Tonight, the big 100 sign is the background to Chicken Legs Weaver, Sheffield's raucous blues interpreters. In
terest in the band is growing - both in their home city and beyond.
The crowd is diverse, ranging from BBC Radio 2's Mark Lamarr to assorted young professionals. At 10pm the band saunters on stage. All three members are clad in black - with knee-high Doc Martins (bassist Jane Howden), trilby hats (frontman Andy Weaver) and black neckties (drummer Mik Glaisher).
Chicken Legs Weaver are cowboys, Goths and crime fiction characters, all rolled into one. Set opener John The Revelator, a traditional American folk song, epitomises CLW's attitude this evening - no nonsense, no hanging about, no unnecessary banter. Starting off with nothing more than rough-edged vocals and tribal drumming, the song gradually builds up with big guitar licks and rumbling bass.
The song's eerie chant: "Tell me who's that writing, John The Revelator," knocks the crowd for six. The set is varied in pace, spanning both the band's albums - Silk Ripped Dress and Nowhere.
Moody numbers, such as the aforementioned opener, are contrasted with riff-driven, groovier songs such as Street Cleaner, a definite crowd favourite this evening. Jewis Lum is particularly stunning; with the song's introduction ("My name is Jewis Lum") drawing the audience into a world of frenzied, climatic slide guitar, fast drums and driving bass. The experience, like the rest of their headline set, is visceral, pure and raw.
