On to Las Vegas

Despite some cold and wet weather, we were able to fit some more sightseeing into the New England leg of our road trip. We had a look at Plymouth, where the Pilgrim Fathers landed, but it was snowing  lightly so we didn't linger, had a look at Cape Cod and finished off at Buzzards Bay where I bought some cheap LPs. Next day the weather was even worse, so we found a sports bar with the football on and watched a West Ham game, and on another screen the soaking wet runners in the Boston Marathon. On our last day we went to Salem, where the 1692 witch trials resulted in hundreds of locals being accused. The town is doing nicely out of it with several museums and witch related shops.
It was good to get to Las Vegas where the weather was warmer, although I certainly wouldn't recommend Spirit Airlines, who flew us there, which is basic and uncomfortable. Makes Ryan Air look good. This is my fifth Viva Las Vegas and as ever it is full of people covered in ink and dressed as though the fifties never ended, many of them overweight, but some looking drop dead gorgeous. The first day was pretty quiet with just a handful of bands appearing, including the Doowop group Freddy Velas and the Silvertones, who were pretty good, the Moontones, also quite promising, the rather dull Knockout Kings and Cherry Rat, featuring a good looking blonde singer. During the day we fitted in a trip to Wax Trax Records, which has rare vinyl to die for and where Elton John regularly shops, and a visit to an Irish bar, where brunch was really good and had football on the screens, this time Burnley v Chelsea.
Day two at VLV was busier, but still not great. Highlights included the Starjays from Seattle who were more than competent, and Chris Casello, former guitarist in Jack Scott's band, who was funny and also brought on the very lovely Tammi Savoy for a couple of numbers, This Little Girl's Gone Rocking and Voodoo Voodoo. Local band The Delta Bombers, all black shirts and beards, proved very popular but to me they were tediously loud and basic, while Robert Gordon sang covers such as Dreamin' and The Wanderer and came across as little better than a decent pub singer. Then there were the B Stars, a pleasant enough swing band, Justin Curtis, a Johnny Cash clone, and the Century's a below par rockabilly outfit. So overall a fair day, but not outstanding. The big names are still to come of course, but the festival is, as ever, packed and looking promising. Photos will follow when I get home.