Gig - Tongue and Groove

Phil Rhodes, the flamboyant lead singer of Tongue and Groove, the best cover band you’re ever likely to see, put so much effort into his performance at the New Year’s Eve Ball at the All Saints that it took him nearly six months to recover. “That’s not a joke,” he says, down the phone. “But I’ve got a bit of a history of suffering for my art. Like the time I broke both wrists after jumping onto the stage from a balcony (I still managed to complete the gig). Or the time I abseiled down a zip-wire onto an exploding stage with my feet on fire. Or when I fell into a sandwich counter while doing a stunt and ended up in Holborn Police Station for the night.” At the Pells, any such antics will, of course, be performed in water. “I’m planning a big finale in the pool, hoping not to die of electrocution in the process,” he says. “And I can promise a skinny-dipping encore. Though I’ll keep my underpants on.” His Superman underpants, of course.

Tongue and Groove choose the songs they cover to fit in with their glam, extravagant image. They do Bowie, T Rex, Gary Glitter, and some of the electric Bob stuff. “There are some Bond themes creeping in, and a funk section, with songs like Jungle Boogie. We also cover the Kaiser Chiefs and a couple of Scissor Sisters songs to keep things up-to-date.” The gig, postponed last month because of the ghastly weather, is a fundraiser for Southover Bonfire Society. Go. AL