Urban Voodoo Machine are bringing their Snake Oil Engine to The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea

Led by the raffish figure of Paul-Ronney Angel, this rag-tag bunch which has featured anything from eight to a dozen members have been together for 20-or-so years, enjoying the good times and enduring the tragedies that have littered their history.

And this weekend they’re back in Portsmouth for a date at The Wedgewood Rooms in Southsea.

For Angel it means jumping back on a plane. After living in London for 30 years, he recently moved back to Oslo in his native Norway. However, with much of his band and music-related business still taking place here, he often makes the commute.

Ever the romantic, he recalls his original arrival in the UK: “I came to London in 1992 with a guitar in one hand, a bag of cheap suits in the other, £100 in each sock and a rock'n'roll dream.”

And now? "I'm back and forward like a maniac – there's a lot of Ryanair,” he says with a distinctive rasping chuckle.

“My wife's from Norway as well, and we have a son who's 10 now and we just wanted to spend a bit more time with family and stuff like that. My dad died a couple of years ago, but her parents are getting older, it's just that kind of thing.”

But with modern technology, keeping in touch with the rest of his bandmates back here is easier these days.

“The world's a lot smaller now – you're in contact on the internet and on the phone and a flight to Oslo is probably cheaper than a train from London to Portsmouth!

"It's nothing to do with Brexit though, I was allowed to stay,” he laughs.

The band are currently polishing up a new covers album which is due out later this year.

"We're just putting the finishing touches to the new album at the moment,” explains Paul-Ronney. “It's a covers album and it's called Other People's Children because I think of my songs as my children – and well, these are other people's...

“There were a few covers out there, kind of tucked away on limited edition releases or digital B-sides and there were about half a dozen songs floating out there.

“We're taking them and we remixed and remastered them and we've done a bunch of new ones, so there'll be 11 songs altogether.”

But before that’s out, they’ve got a few UK dates to play, and it will be their first time here in Portsmouth since the release of their last album, $nake Oi£ Engin€.

“The songs (from Snake Oil) fit really nicely into the set – Empty Plastic Cup, Living in Fear and stuff like that. We've got five original albums to take from, so people always ask, why didn't you play ‘that’ song? and in a way I'm glad that we haven't been cursed with any hits because some people have to play this song or that song. There's a few songs that we always play, but we've got enough material to mix it up, which is quite nice, you know?”

They will also have a special guest with them at The Wedge. Former Blockhead and Wilko Johnson bassist, Norman Watt-Roy, who played on the last album, will be joining them.

But they won’t have another part of the extended Voodoos family with them this time – Tomi-Rae Brown. Angel recorded an EP with the powerhouse vocalist – James Brown’s widow – in 2020, and the duo played a memorable socially distanced gig in Southsea in 2021.

"She's singing with our producer Alex McGowan's band, Future Shape of Sound now - that's her main gig.

“I actually co-wrote the next Future Shape of Sound single as well, and that's coming out in September, so we're all a happy family and helping each other out here and there!

"When we get together, it's a party.”

One of Snake Oil’s songs, Gonna Riot Tonight, has gained extra resonance in light of recent events. When we speak, the riots which broke out in several cities across England are fresh in the memory.

"There's no mentions of Greggs in that song,” laughs Paul-Ronney, referring to news stories of people looting the popular bakery chain during some of the riots.

"Last time I came to London, I flew into Stansted and I got off the train at Tottenham Hale. I saw there was a Gregg's there and I popped in to get something and there was a security guard on the door – I had to go past security at Gregg's!

"That's crazy, isn't it?

"I don't know what's going on with the UK at the moment, but I'm watching the news and stuff and it's just gone crazy – it's gone far right and it's just nuts. I don't get it.

“Where are they coming from? What's their point?”

Mercifully the swift justice meted out to the perpetrators seems to have cooled things down.

"And they can't spell!” he adds, referring to the awful spelling and grammar common on social media posts. “I’ve had a few on my Facebook that I've had to just remove!”

Does he think there could be more material for songs in there?

"Oh, definitely. I'm always keeping my eye on what's going on in the world.”

And he promises that whatever’s next for the Voodoos, it will remain true to their singular path.

"Even though musically, stylistically, it's inspired by all the styles of music, I don't think about going to the liquor store and sitting on the porch, you know what I mean? I don't pretend I'm a black American dude from the 1930s.

"I might have a permanent address in Oslo but I feel like a Londoner. I've lived in London for 30 years. I'm a Londoner. I'll always be a Londoner!”

They play The Wedge on Saturday, September 7 supported by Black Kat Boppers. Tickets £18. Go to wedgewood-rooms.co.uk.