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MYsTerioUs<br />
wheels<br />
It’s berlin, paris… <strong>Lewes</strong> for the pogues drummer<br />
When I call Andrew Ranken he sounds knackered,<br />
beca<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g>e he’s j<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g>t had a l<strong>on</strong>g journey back from his<br />
latest Pogues gig, in Moscow. Andrew is the Anglo-<br />
Irish band’s drummer, and was so in the barmy old<br />
days of Rum, Sodomy and the Lash, too.<br />
So is it still, er, rock and roll, <strong>on</strong> tour with fr<strong>on</strong>t man<br />
Shane McGowan, a notorio<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g>ly heavy drinker? “Not<br />
as bad as it was,” he replies. “Not for most of <str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g>, at<br />
least. Or not very often.” And was touring with the<br />
band back in the 80s as chaotic as it’s been cracked<br />
up to have been? “Worse than you could possibly<br />
imagine.” In what way? “I couldn’t tell you without<br />
getting into trouble.”<br />
Andrew is coming to <strong>Lewes</strong> with his other band, for<br />
which he’s the lead singer, Mysterio<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g> Wheels. It’s a<br />
homecoming, of sorts: he went to school at Priory,<br />
and so did three other members of the band. He<br />
still comes here regularly to see his late girlfriend’s<br />
mum, the grandmother of his first s<strong>on</strong>. He’s looking<br />
forward to this gig, beca<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g>e he hasn’t played <strong>on</strong>e<br />
in <strong>Lewes</strong> for 40 years. So l<strong>on</strong>g ago, in fact, he can’t<br />
remember where it was, though he thinks it might<br />
have been the scout hut.<br />
So should we expect a Pogues-like riot of a c<strong>on</strong>cert?<br />
“You can expect to dance, beca<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g>e we play dance<br />
m<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g>ic, and we always get people <strong>on</strong>to the floor.<br />
But the m<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g>ic is very different from the Pogues.<br />
Mysterio<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g> Wheels has been going, in <strong>on</strong>e form or<br />
C I NGE MI GA<br />
another, for thirty years, and we’ve always been a<br />
blues band, more or less. We do <strong>on</strong>e Pogues s<strong>on</strong>g,<br />
Amadie, from the sec<strong>on</strong>d-to-last album, but it’s not<br />
characteristic of the band. It’s more of a rockabilly<br />
number. We also do a bit of Country.”<br />
Having looked at the itinerary of the Pogues tour, I<br />
w<strong>on</strong>der how difficult it is to flit between drumming<br />
with a <strong>on</strong>ce-massive band in big stadiums, and<br />
singing for a much less famo<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong>e in places like the<br />
C<strong>on</strong> Club. Berlin, Moscow… er, <strong>Lewes</strong>. Isn’t this<br />
a bit of a comedown? “Not at all,” he says. “I like<br />
playing with different people, in different bands.<br />
And <strong>Lewes</strong> is <strong>on</strong>e of the m<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g>ical capitals of the<br />
world, as far as I’m c<strong>on</strong>cerned. It’s produced a lot of<br />
famo<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g> m<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g>icians.” Like who? “Well, j<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g>t looking<br />
at my year at school, there was Wreckless Eric. And<br />
there was Pete Thomas, drummer for Elvis Costello.<br />
I’ve got to menti<strong>on</strong> John Whippy, as well, who <str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed<br />
to play with the Elevators, and was <strong>on</strong>e of the very<br />
special guitarists. Sadly, he passed away recently.”<br />
Finally, the name. Mysterio<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g> Wheels. What’s that<br />
all about? “We’ve had a few names over the years.<br />
Mysterio<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g> Wheels actually comes from something<br />
my s<strong>on</strong> Danny said when he saw band member<br />
Sim<strong>on</strong>’s car. He was three years old at the time. He<br />
found the hub caps fascinating.” We’re not quite in<br />
Pogue Mah<strong>on</strong>e, territory, then, but there you go. AL<br />
C<strong>on</strong> Club, 10th Sept, 8.30pm, £3, members free<br />
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