Andy Allan (Hank); Hank Dogs

OK, boys and girls, a toughie this morning: After Sid Vicious' death, this FABULOUS South London guitarist/bassist took over Sid's instrumentals for the Sex Pistols and subsequently The Professionals. He then formed a SUPERB acoustic folk trio in '92 with his ex Joanna "Piano" Pace, his daughter Lily Ramona and their dog(!). Artist? Group?

Hank Dogs - Bareback. - YouTube

Hank Dogs - 18 dogs - YouTube

Answer: Andy Allen of Hank Dogs (named after Hank the Dog, an integral part of the band!). Albums: Bareback (1999) and Half Smile (2002). The interplay between Andy's acoustic guitar and a Spanish-style trumpet in the song "Bareback" is genial - worth a listen!

I first heard about Hank Dogs in the late 90s on NPR (before NPR went to the dark side of The Force). Their two CDs are for the ages. I am Facebook friend with all three members and they are as nice as can be. Andy runs and hosts Easycome, "the longest-running acoustic club in London". Piano is a dedicated animal advocate and Lily is an indie folk singer/songwriter. Bucket list: if and when I get back to London I would love to see them live.

I always played music in my operating room. I have both CDs on my iPod. Every so often I would have a Hank Dogs fest. I used to tell the O.R. Staff, "when I grow up, I want to play guitar like Andy" and "if I could fingerpick like Andy I wouldn't be here".

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