tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15999111004764453882024-03-05T16:48:03.994+00:00Blues AliveSupporting live blues!
Blues Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07369535716797976746noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1599911100476445388.post-70249913694017221502013-05-14T11:06:00.001+01:002016-10-16T23:35:34.979+01:00A Riff Too Far<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #d5a6bd;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The Robben
Ford Band at The Arches Theatre, Glasgow
on 29 April 2013</span></span></b></span></span>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Driving
west along the M8 to Glasgow,
I was thinking to myself why it was that I wasn’t particularly excited about
attending the evening’s Robben Ford concert at the Arches Theatre. The
gathering clouds reflected my mood, gloomy and full of frustration at the long
awaited and overdue spring. It had been a long winter and the promise of
spring was exasperated by the persistent cold weather. It might need a little
more than a rock guitar virtuoso to drag me out of my </span><span class="hw">melancholy</span>.</span></b>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>The Arches
Theatre</b> is based in Victorian brick railway caverns right in the heart of Glasgow city centre,
beneath the central station’s railway bridge. There are four arches in all, but only arch no’s 1 and 2 were
required for the gig configuration, with access to the other two arch spaces
being restricted by a loosely hung curtain at the interconnections.</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">These are
big arches, big enough to comfortably park a couple of steam engines or railway
carriages in (maybe that was what they were originally built for?)</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“We have
lots of variety” one of the staff members told me. “Last week we had a major
car launch here.”</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The audience space was laid out in a seated concert configuration. The audience was </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">predomintally </span></span> composed of middle-aged males, with the odd female attendee dotted here and there. With the
ongoing low temperatures, the seating area was chilly. Unfortunately, there
would be little in the ensuing performance to warm me up.</span></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #d5a6bd;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: small;">P</span>oor sound quality</span></span></span></span></span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The venue
is generously equipped with overhead stage lighting racks, some back stage
light columns, and two banks of expensive looking speaker cabinets, one either side
of the stage. But the prospect of a good aural/visual experience was
immediately dashed when the band struck up.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Ford’s guitar, piped through those
PA stacks, was too bright and had so much reverb that it was difficult to distinguish
one note from the next. I gave up trying after the second number.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The bass
guitar sound was equally ill-defined. Most of the time it sounded like <b>Brian Allen</b> was playing the
notes slightly off key, further compounding the poor sound quality. And his
bass solos (there were a few) were jelly on an oily boat deck in a force 8.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>Tony Moore</b> provided the backbeat which was uninspiring. Just straight rock style drumming that seemed to be driven from
the bass and toms, with little subtlety on the drums or cymbals to indulge the listener's finer rhythmic aesthetic.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Ford’s
vocals were feeble and passionless, with lyrics that seemed to be past their sell-by date, retaining little of whatever emotional expression had inspired them in the first place.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">In one song, Ford bemoand his implied relationships with all and sundry in a desperate bid for individual freedom. "I just
want to be nothin’ to nobody, free like a bird.” In another he denigrated a life of late nights, boose and gambling with “my mama told me not to be
staying out all night long drinking and gambling.” In the chill of the auditorium, these sentiments missed their mark by a mile.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The
exception to the evening’s proceedings was a dazzling display on the Hammond organ by band
member <b>Ricky Peterson</b>. There is one thing about so-called “blues” keyboard
players that I’ve noticed over recent years – most of them can’t play a decent
12-bar blues solo. But Peterson was off the top of the scale, whipping up Jimmy
Smith-like solos at the drop of a hat. And he had fire in his soul.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #d5a6bd;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: small;">Monkeys at the controls</span></span></span></span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">To be fair, forces outside the onstage personnel also had an impact on Ford's lacklustre performance.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“I’ve never
seen such a weird light show” one attendee remarked disgustingly to his
companion after the show.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I had to
agree. At one point during Moore's drum solo, the lights were shut down<span style="font-size: small;"> completely</span> for almost 8 seconds, leaving the audience (and more importantly, the drummer) wondering what was going to happen next.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Despite the expensive set-up, no doubt financed by generous Scottish government arts grants, the Arches' management must have employed a couple of monkeys
from the zoo to operate the audio and light controls.</span></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #d5a6bd;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">An unlit candle</span></span></span></span></span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ford's problem is that he has become a victim of his own success. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It's
not always easy to maintain an emotional connection with your
instrument and material when you're constantly on the road, playing
night after night to a predominantly guitar-geeky audience. </span>I</span>t
seems that this constant gigging has become a daily (or nightly) chore,
with Ford's acclaimed guitar technique feeding an endless stream of
riff-hungry wannabe guitar players and awestruck admirers.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But an unlit candle, though elaborately adorned and embellished, <span style="font-size: small;">is</span> merely something you may look at and admire for a few
seconds, then move on.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A lighted candle on the other hand is a completely different dynamic.
Now you have something that reaches beyond itself, beyond its elementary
components and craftsmanship; something that illuminates, tempers
its observer’s mood, changing the ambience of its surroundings<span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Similarily, without <span style="font-size: small;">this</span> flame, this passion for <span style="font-size: small;">the </span>music, the musician is simply <span style="font-size: small;">a </span>mechanical robot<span style="font-size: small;">, and </span>the observer is untouched<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">In my view running up and down scales on the fret-board
to impress an audience hardly counts as music. Surely the whole point of any
instrument is as a vehicle for expressing human emotion that connects with the
listener.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Whilst no one can doubt his ability, Ford appeared to be detached, dispassionate and adrift in an emotionally barren landscape. </span></span>It would appear that, for this guitar virtuoso, it was simply a case of a riff too far.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">So I asked
myself the question "What’s the point?"</span> </span>I might as well have paid the £25.00 entrance fee to sit and watch some road workers digging up a
pavement in Glasgow city centre. And hopefully, <b>Ricky Peterson</b> busking nearby to thrill on that
Hammond Sk2 keyboard.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="color: #d5a6bd;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Personnel</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b> </b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Robben Ford</b> - Guitar, vocals<br /><b>Ricky Peterson</b> - Keyboard<br /><b>Brian Allen</b> - Bass</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Tony Moore</b> - Drums</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #d5a6bd;">Postscript</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Perhaps the following video illustrates what Ford may have been trying to achieve in Glasgow's chilly auditorium, and what we missed - a warm and intimate atmosphere with relaxed musicians. The song is the jazzy instrumental "</span><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">On That Morning</i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">" from the album </span><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">"Bringing It Back Home", </i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">featuring the same band as appeared at the Glasgow gig (with the exception of Harvey Mason on drums). In fact it could be the theme song to my review!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="157" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4kln-Kuq6mE" width="280"></iframe>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>References</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">If you want
a couple of examples of what I’m talking about check out the following YouTube
videos.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The first
clip is from a concert in Paris 2013. Look at Ford’s expression. I would say he
looks bored and disinterested, avoiding eye contact with his paying audience by staring into space; just going through the routine – another day at
the office. As the song goes:</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> “<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">You never turned around to see the
frowns on the jugglers and the clowns</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> When they all did tricks for you</span>”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><i>Like
a Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan</i></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf2UMQec5Go">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf2UMQec5Go</a> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This next
video sums up nicely what the sound was like in Glasgow. I watched this full concert video
(some video footage is missing) in the comfort of my home on a Friday night to
confirm if my negative impression of the Glasgow
gig was mood related or not. If you manage to stay awake (my wife fell asleep
while watching it) you’ll get my point after a while. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55hnF0unkdg">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55hnF0unkdg</a></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">Keep in touch! Get regular updates on the latest gig reviews via my<span style="font-size: small;"> Facebook page</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Click the link below to go to our Facebook Page and "Like"</span></span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/bluesaliveuk">Blues Alive (UK) Facebook Page</a> </span></span></span></h2>
</div>
Blues Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07369535716797976746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1599911100476445388.post-89806541001108918962013-04-26T10:51:00.002+01:002013-09-10T21:45:57.782+01:00Gathering No Moss<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Grainne Duffy <span style="font-size: large;">a</span>t the Malt Shovel Tavern</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">27 March 2013</span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span></b></span></span></div>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>Scanning through
the list of performers booked to play the Malt Shovel Tavern throughout the
first half of 2013, it is noticeable that acts with female members are in the
minority. Of the 26 bands booked, only six feature female members. </b> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Guitar duties were shared with sidekick Paul Sherry</span></i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">A quick
piece of stat maths illustrates the current situation:</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">- less than
a quarter of the bands booked (23%) contain any female members</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">- only 1/6<sup>th</sup>
of the bands booked (15%) are led by a female performer</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It’s the
type of result that would have the equal rights movement up in arms in any
other field of endeavour. Then again, we are talking about “the blues”! It’s my
personal observation of audience numbers that blues is a genre of music that
generally appeals more to men than women.<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: small;">Of course </span>I’m not
suggesting that this is representative of the blues music scene as a whole. In
fact, it’s quite difficult to locate any meaningful data source for such an
analysis. But it does serve to illustrate an interesting demographic, albeit
one based on a minute slice of the blues music industry’s pie.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">So it was
inspiriting to welcome a relatively new female-led entrant on the UK blues
circuit for their first outing at the Malt Shovel Tavern’s Wednesday night
blues gig.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Feather Weight</span></span></span></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Despite her
“blues” ranking, Grainne Duffy has a strong propensity towards Rock and Americana musical genres,
and it could be argued that she is not a blues performer at all. But all three music
genres sit well together, and she is clearly following in the footsteps of
another great blues/rock/Americana performer (and incidentally one of Grainne’s
favourite artists), Bonnie Raitt.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Bedecked in
casual canvas boots, black leggings and black </span>Bob Dylan print t-shirt, the young Irish <span style="font-size: small;">si<span style="font-size: small;">nger/songwriter</span></span>
belied her online publicity as a hard-nosed blues heavyweight, the kind of
tough-faced individual you might expect from an inner-city council estate.
Quite the reverse, this affable blues singer from Co Monaghan was light
footed and free moving, and with her Gibson Les Paul slung across her shoulder,
she skipped through the two one-hour sets like a feather-weight.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Expressive Nuances</span></span></span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Grainne’s vocal tone and style was at times uncannily similar to her
hero Bonnie Raitt, but her delivery lacked power and emotional conviction. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Take </span>for example her cover
of the Etta James classic “<i>I'd Rather Go Blind</i>”. Grainne has adopted
this song as a kind of vocal showcase, but it’s a difficult number to deliver convincingly at the
best of times because of the prerequisite emotional charge needed to make it fly. And when you’re doing it night after night, that’s a big ask. Her rendition
was certainly theatrical, but didn’t connect emotionally. </span>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Guitar duties were shared with sidekick Paul Sherry, who
discharged his guitar remit with energy and enthusiasm. Paul is an
accomplished all-round guitarist, and whilst he placated the attendant guitar nerds’
insatiable appetites for flashy animated guitar solos, Grainne kept her guitar
work fairly simple, doing what she was comfortable with as opposed to trying to
impress. This worked really well, allowing her to concentrate on her guitar
tone, and carefully picking out solos that supported and extended the song’s
chord structure, adding colour and expressive nuances to her vocal work.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Test Of Time</span></span></span></span></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The band ploughed through their set list, each number
followed its predecessor in a well-rehearsed sequence, and with the exception
of a requested “<i>Wild Horses</i>” to open the second set, the band deviated little
from an apparent preset course.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The majority of the songs covered were
from her current CD “<i>Test Of Time</i>” which was released last year<span style="font-size: small;">, and o</span>ne of my favourites of
the evening was the funk-reggae styled “<i>Sweet Sweet Baby</i>”. By all accounts this <span style="font-size: small;">is </span>a
popular gig number with her fans, and Grainne sponeously encouraged the audience to sing
along. Obviously, her expectations were a little overreached, as I doubt than
very many Malt Shovellers would be familiar with her material. A few enthusiastic respondents <span style="font-size: small;">t</span>ried to muddle through with her on the chorus lines. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tipping Point</span></span></span></span></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Overall, Grainne’s performance fell a little short of the immediacy, de<span style="font-size: small;">pth of feeling</span> or intimacy needed to produce a first-class show, and despite her obvious
vocal talents, her <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">phlegmatic </span>delivery
failed to engage emotionally. Don't get me wrong! I certainly enjoyed the gig, and overall the performance was
well above the standard expected, the band was a tight unit that worked
effectively together, and there was a raft of talent on show. But it just never reached that tipping point, after which everything becomes "WOW". As one friend might have put it, she didn’t
quite “float my boat”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“I would like to have heard a bit more from the guitar guy”
one punter complained afterwards, reflecting on the fact that Sherry was merely
a member of the backing band, supporting and enhancing Grainne’s performance as
opposed to spotlighting his own musicianship. But there was enough there to
betray a more-than capable level of southern rock guitar prowess.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">When all’s said and done, the Malt Shovel gig was just one part
of a whistle-stop tour of the UK
by the band, and these rolling stones weren’t gathering any moss at this little
Northampton
venue. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #e69138;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Rising Star</span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The band was very well received by the capacity crowd, and
this <span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">fledgling <span style="font-size: small;">singer/songwriter</span> from Castleblayney </span>was treated as somewhat of
a celebrity by a few of the attendees lining up to have their photo taken with
her during the interval; something the Malt Shovel Tavern<span style="font-size: small;"> is
certainly not used to.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But maybe a little stardust had already rubbed off on Grainne <span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">from her previous engagements as the
opening act for world-class luminaries such as Van Morrison and Robben Ford;
not to mention playing Glastonbury?
Then again, maybe those happy snappers predicted a rising star, and were
already on the pop memorabilia trail?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">With a
voice like Grainne’s, the future looks bright. But will it be bright enough to
take her beyond the reach of venues like the Malt Shovel Tavern? Probably, but I for one hope she’ll be back again in the not-too distant future.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">Keep in touch! Get regular updates on the latest gig reviews via my<span style="font-size: small;"> Facebook page</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
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<![endif]-->Blues Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07369535716797976746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1599911100476445388.post-17410775242343078192013-03-11T13:59:00.000+00:002013-09-10T21:46:34.609+01:00Taking The Blues By The Horns<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #d5a6bd;"><span style="font-size: large;">Debbie Giles' Midnight Train <span style="font-size: large;">a</span>t the Malt Shovel Tavern</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #d5a6bd;"><span style="font-size: large;">6 March 2013</span></span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Debbie
Giles’ Midnight Train is a well known act on the London blues scene and beyond; and the band
is no stranger to The Malt Shovel audiences. Founded by a meeting of minds at
the Maryport Blues festival in 2009, the band draws its inspiration from a mixture
of funk, rock and blues music.</span></b> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHZXdBQOcOUj_t_8Bw6eP-jZ9jepp9CidjgXnEzLs7aTjdRMlHEVGKAYlYt_KRRYzFZv13HsVMkzJjyLfMjeNjWdi0lhH5PflP1-ZJFgkjuz74r-SvKq7qD88FwCaVgOsZtC4uXOR5Gk/s1600/m_Debbie+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHZXdBQOcOUj_t_8Bw6eP-jZ9jepp9CidjgXnEzLs7aTjdRMlHEVGKAYlYt_KRRYzFZv13HsVMkzJjyLfMjeNjWdi0lhH5PflP1-ZJFgkjuz74r-SvKq7qD88FwCaVgOsZtC4uXOR5Gk/s400/m_Debbie+023.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">"...</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">works hard at her craft</span>..."</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Debbie cut her teeth on the stage in West
End musicals such as “Hello, Dolly!” and “Jesus Christ Superstar”.
Her interest in blues and jazz music found her singing with various big bands
around the country. Then she met Sam Kelly <span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">at the Maryport Blues festival, and <span style="color: #9fc5e8;">Midnight Train</span> was born.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Debbie’s
delivers her music with a gritty determination and energy that draws from her
experience in musicals as well as jazz singing. Like many actors of the theatre
and screen, Debbie’s persona on stage is primarily that of a performer as
opposed to a straightforward singer, and </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">she embellishes her singing with animated dance movements
and expositive gestures</span></span>. Neither endowed with a wide vocal range nor
particularly distinctive tone, </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">she prevail upon her audiences by </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">working hard at her craft</span></span></span></span></span></span>, and with the backing of her well-honed funky blues band,
she can carry a song off well. Debbie might be considered your typical female blues
or jazz singer.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Her band of
seasoned musicians includes </span><span style="color: #ffe599;">Chris Belshaw </span>on bass, <span style="color: #ffe599;">Pete Emery</span> on guitar,
<span style="color: #ffe599;">Steve Oakman</span> on keyboards and <span style="color: #ffe599;">Sam Kelly</span> on drums.<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sam Kelly
is a powerhouse of a drummer with a personality and drum kit to match. Not one to
sit quietly in the background inconspicuously providing a backbeat for the
front men, Sam has a magnetic personality that draws the audience’s attention
to him. He reciprocates by digging into his extensive vocabulary of drum
patterns, rhythmic grooves and dynamic diction to provide an </span>audacious<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> <span lang="EN-GB">pulsating backdrop to the
proceedings. The impression is of a charging bull; twisting,
turning, suddenly coming to an abrupt halt; then tearing off on some funky
groove.</span> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zDjn2AGRGfdPu6skZJBTYpmGtGjzHDpuKmaJ1h1NyTUpoVIgQx1NnLBPMWbvH9j_HLdH-3rqgZ-8br9BmD8t3IjFQFbGay6AdHNNnYyW8e2-49u74jnz_DZJz8aMNHLGrBLliV3vNxY/s1600/m_SamKelly006withlogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zDjn2AGRGfdPu6skZJBTYpmGtGjzHDpuKmaJ1h1NyTUpoVIgQx1NnLBPMWbvH9j_HLdH-3rqgZ-8br9BmD8t3IjFQFbGay6AdHNNnYyW8e2-49u74jnz_DZJz8aMNHLGrBLliV3vNxY/s400/m_SamKelly006withlogo.jpg" width="310" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">"...a powerhouse of a drummer..."</span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Flaunting his
drumming flair in such a manner has sometimes worked against him, and on more
than one occasion, Sam has found himself sitting around at home waiting and
hoping for a gig, whilst his contemporaries are busy playing and touring. But
Sam is a man of conviction and goes as far as to encourage his drum students to
be as intrepid and adventurous as he is.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Now I said
power…oh yes, and subtleness. Sam knows about dynamics, and his drumming is punctuated
with stentorian drum rolls and beats that unexpectedly come to a sudden stop,
instantly followed by delicate interpositions and feather-light cymbal work. His
imposing personality </span><span class="hw">exudes</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> from behind his drum kit at the back of the
stage, militating and working the tone and texture of the performance. And the
overriding effect is <span style="font-size: small;">g-r-o-o-v-e</span>. Groove is what Sam is all about, and its effect
on the band is striking.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This was
serendipitously illustrated on one occasion, when Sam couldn’t immediately locate
the required drum chart for the particular song that Debbie had called. The
band started up without him whilst he sat at the back thumbing through his chart
book looking for the appropriate sheet. The band was already into the second
verse when Debbie turned around to hurry him up. But he continued thumbing
through his book, un-phased by her expression of urgency. Having finally located
the required sheet a few seconds later - boom! The effect was dramatic. It was
like a powerful engine roaring into life. Instantly the band’s sound polymerised
into a synthesis of funk, rock and blues grooves, a blues machine belting along
on a predefined course - solid, steady and unstoppable. And all powered from the
engine house that was Sam Kelly’s drumming.<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Your charts..” I asked him later. “You write them in music notation?”<br /> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Yes. I've taught myself” he explained. “I play with so many different bands that even when they cover the same songs, there<span style="font-size: small;"> will </span>be differences in tempo, arrangement, breaks etc. It becomes difficult to remember which style is which, so I make notes.”</span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The band
features songs from their <span style="font-size: small;">two<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span>CDs. One of my favourites of the evening was <span style="color: #9fc5e8;">Junior
Wells</span>’ “<i>Little by Little</i>” which closed the band’s first set. The song was
delivered with a driving beat and featured a rollicking organ solo by Steve
Oakman and a snazzy drum accompaniment and short solo by Sam.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The bluesy
ballad “<i>Damn Your Eyes</i>” covered by <span style="color: #9fc5e8;">Etta James</span> on her 1989 album “Seven Year
Itch” was particularly suited to Debbie’s voice, and one of the numbers that
showed off her vocal <i>savoir faire</i> and lyrical sensitivity.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The band
delivered a credible version of <span style="color: #9fc5e8;">Little Willie John</span>’s “<i>Take My Love</i>” featuring a
zestful and gutsy vocal by Debbie and a piano solo by Steve on his Nord keyboard.
The song ended with an extended cadence during which Debbie turned and sang
directly at Sam as if she was </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span lang="EN-GB">torero taunting a bull, </span></span></span></span></span></span></span>cajoling him </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">to play some freewheeling drum rolls and pulsating rhythms</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. Sam saw the re<span style="font-size: small;">d cape and charged!</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The concluding
number was <span style="color: #9fc5e8;">Stevie Wonder</span>’s “<i>I Wish</i>” showcasing each of the band members in
turn, and culminating in a driving drum solo by Sam during which he sang scat
along with his drumming.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">All in all, a really enjoyable evening of funky blues, soulful rock, and the overriding rhythms of a rolling steam train. The train leaves at midnight, folks! Get your tickets now!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #d5a6bd;">Keep in touch! Get regular updates on the latest gig reviews via my</span> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bluesaliveuk">Facebook Page</a>. </span></span><br />
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Blues Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07369535716797976746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1599911100476445388.post-53766244996321635202013-03-01T13:16:00.003+00:002013-03-07T10:12:16.654+00:00Raising A Little Sand<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Electric
Experience at the Malt Shovel Tavern<span lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB">27th </span>February
2013</span></span></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Electric
Experience is a three-piece outfit from the London area devoted primarily, though not
exclusively, to the music of Jimi Hendrix. As well as Hendrix perennials the
band’s set usually consists of numbers from Cream’s back catalogue, the odd
track from The Who, The Doors, Santana, and a couple of their own.</span></span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDT8uxduetvbODhm3yB7jkeb7gsLPDqG7DqD49ozHSmYLdwEMeex81z2_HTpIorQNz6NjJ82KDCFdMg8loKfS2VRMq3HiUPiOe470JmDy2AUGNsWBmC2hy99lHjpRyThnkTQdZPL4HVUo/s1600/m_Orr+037-01b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDT8uxduetvbODhm3yB7jkeb7gsLPDqG7DqD49ozHSmYLdwEMeex81z2_HTpIorQNz6NjJ82KDCFdMg8loKfS2VRMq3HiUPiOe470JmDy2AUGNsWBmC2hy99lHjpRyThnkTQdZPL4HVUo/s400/m_Orr+037-01b.jpg" width="315" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">I’ve seen
the band perform at the Malt Shovel Tavern and The Wig and Pen (another local Northampton music venue)
on a number of occasions, and I can safely say that Electric Experience is one
of the more popular bands to perform here.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;">But</span> it’s
just another Hendrix tribute band, I hear you say! So what?</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">In one way,
I agree. But on a different level, Electric Experience offers a pretty
convincing jaunt back to the psychedelic era of the mid-to-late 60s.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Many imminent
guitarists have covered Hendrix’s work - Gary Moore, Stevie Ray Vaughan and
Eric Gales amongst them, as well as countless cover bands. Even blues bands invariably
cover one or two Hendrix numbers.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">In addition
to being a real crowd pleaser, Hendrix has become a kind of standard for
measuring a guitarist’s ability. If the guitarist pulls it off, the performance is
usually followed by loud cheers of approval. Hendrix material is therefore more
often than not used by guitar players as a way of showing off their technical
abilities. After all, nobody is going to argue with Hendrix, right? But it
rarely goes beyond that.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">With Peter
Orr, however, you know he can cut it. He’s been doing it for years, so forget
it! <span style="font-size: small;">Y</span>ou can go beyond the technical details and get into the spirit of the
music. Needless to say, Electric Experience has many admirers among the Malt
Shovel’s faithful, and there was a good turnout for the gig.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Unlike
other guitarists who take Hendrix’s licks and chord structures, and expand,
adapt or transmute them - effectively creating a new piece of music in their
own style, Orr makes no attempt to superimpose any individualistic style or
guitar signature over the original material. He keeps fairly true to Hendrix’s
original recordings, and his playing intentionally emulates the great man as
closely as is humanly possible. As a result, you end up with a pretty authentic
rendition of some of the more famous Hendrix songs.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Aural
stimulation is a powerful agent on the memory cells, and Orr’s elaboration and
attention to detail acts like a bridge to another time and place; much like a
medium facilitating a séance. His playing evokes a feeling of transcendency,
and before you know it, you could easily find yourself basking in the nebulous irradiation
of a purple haze. If you’re lucky, you might even get to kiss the sky!</span></span></span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJQXW01slR23NtWVNrdhF3mq-pbpcOd6qT53B56tWFgrOErWJNkBS4MsuIhFPUNaNmZD6nYJ9Hjs8uXi9FGKLfXFAUmsOXqvbDxrFeUMbdzm4ENza8KhZS0n3X9tgk75uSwgmj7PSWck/s1600/Text002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJQXW01slR23NtWVNrdhF3mq-pbpcOd6qT53B56tWFgrOErWJNkBS4MsuIhFPUNaNmZD6nYJ9Hjs8uXi9FGKLfXFAUmsOXqvbDxrFeUMbdzm4ENza8KhZS0n3X9tgk75uSwgmj7PSWck/s200/Text002.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;">T</span>hat
was my expectation anyway as I ventured out into a cold dark Wednesday night to<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>catch the
band’s nth performance at the Malt Shovel Tavern. But things didn't go according to plan, and my feet never left the
ground.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Maybe it’s
just maturing age, but I seem to be getting less and less tolerant to loud
music. It’s not a complaint I’ve had with the Electric Experience before, but
tonight they were LOUD. A familiar theme was beginning to repeat itself again –
the snare drum and lead guitar </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">(see <a href="http://bluesreview.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/wed-love-to-play-here-every-week.html"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><i>52nd Street Reverie</i></span></a>)</span></span></span>.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Then I
noticed the bassist Andy Tolman had something in his ears. Ear plugs!</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">As it
happened, I’d brought a pair along myself, just in case – a pair of
general-purpose foam type plugs. What’s good for the goose is good for the
gander, as they say. So I popped a pair into my own ears.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The effect
was dramatic - comparable to the difference between driving a go-kart at speed
around a racing circuit and driving a warm sound-insulated soft-suspensioned executive
saloon on a motorway. The saloon buffers you from the harshness of the outside
environment, but you don’t get to feel the exhilaration and thrill like you do when driving a go-kart, despite the attendant noise and
vibrations. The ear-plugs reduced the sound intensity to a comfortable
level, but I was also strangely isolated in my <span style="font-size: small;">own cocoon, my experience of the music be<span style="font-size: small;">numbed.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">“Try
silicon ones next time” a friend advised me at the end of the gig, producing a
pair he’d been wearing from his pocket.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The band’s drummer
John Tonks also produced a pair of custom-made earplugs which<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>he was wearing
during the gig.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">“Specially
moulded to my ears” he told me. “With changeable filters”</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1hiR01xyHoGJ_iSispbdsN2aWPefuRDOi3cg7taUKkEHDH382byIeCxzlibhmDcZRTkQ-5GigItfue-bgK60QL-8xrGYoVGs6Y2Axr09HpcuoNJzr7Bte29wzRGI5GOSbBbPn8vYumk/s1600/m_Text001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1hiR01xyHoGJ_iSispbdsN2aWPefuRDOi3cg7taUKkEHDH382byIeCxzlibhmDcZRTkQ-5GigItfue-bgK60QL-8xrGYoVGs6Y2Axr09HpcuoNJzr7Bte29wzRGI5GOSbBbPn8vYumk/s200/m_Text001.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">“They don’t
muffle the sound like bog-standard ones” he continued. “You can still hear
quite clearly, but at a lower volume. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">These ones reduce the sound levels by -15 Db,
which is equivalent to a fivefold reduction. But s</span></span></span>ome of the bands I play with are REALLY
loud, so I use -25 db filters. ”</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">“Harley
Street Hearing” Tolman interjected as he was passing, referring to his
preferred supplier located <span style="font-size: small;">at<span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: small;">the </span></span></span>London hub of<span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: small;"></span>private health clinics and medical practi<span style="font-size: small;">s</span>es</span>.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">“I was
using rolled up tissue paper” Orr simpered. “Besides, they’re more hygienic”</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Jeez! Was I
the only one still wet behind the ears? <span style="font-size: small;">T</span>he only one not to have grasped the <span style="font-size: small;">benefits</span> of ear
protection at live gigs until now? This revelation seems to mock my former ranting about loud bands (see <span style="font-size: small;">previous gig </span>reviews).</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">During the
interval, I’d had a conversation with a friend who was seated directly in front
of Peter Orr’s position – in the direct line of fire, as it were. He objected
when I complained that the band was too loud.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">“No!” he
objected “It’s just right.”</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Which goes
to prove that different people have different noise level tolerances. I think I
may need to investigate this little revelation further.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Keeping
their feet firmly on the ground, the remainder of the band’s complement of guitar,
bass and drums was drawn from a crème-de-la-crème of musicians from London and the South East.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Peter’s
sidekick on bass was the unassuming Andy Tolman. Andy’s outwardly laid-back and
rather staid stage presence gives very little clue as to his musical prowess,
but in my opinion, he’s one of the best bassists currently playing the UK’s blues
circuit.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Andy takes
the bass guitar from being merely an accompaniment instrument to a complete
instrument in its own right. His musical knowledge and fret-board dexterity stretch
far beyond the confines of the blues or rock idioms; competently demonstrated
by his Latin-style bass solo on “<i>Black Magic Woman</i>” and his funky slap-bass solo
on “<i>Voodoo Chile</i>”. No doubt Andy would be equally at home in a Latin or jazz fusion
combo.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjgCZBgaIIm1yOZvPEWPSafqsjFXxtOtIbIA8JvQo9TW4io0-HKgbvXbECCNl-wheg6-OhQw2vn4DY2PtoFRXf8iOouALneYOGmkHfS8ou-su83RUA9MNf7M_VnAePZeklVUUZlfVJps/s1600/m_Tonks+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjgCZBgaIIm1yOZvPEWPSafqsjFXxtOtIbIA8JvQo9TW4io0-HKgbvXbECCNl-wheg6-OhQw2vn4DY2PtoFRXf8iOouALneYOGmkHfS8ou-su83RUA9MNf7M_VnAePZeklVUUZlfVJps/s320/m_Tonks+001.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"...</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">a </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">vintage </span></span></span>1971 Ludwig<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span>drum kit..."</span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Completing
the line-up on drums, John Tonks has been playing with the band for a few years
now. John is one of the drummers to fill the vacant seat in the band left by the
amazing Dave Innis, who moved back to Scotland some years ago. Sporting
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">a </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">vintage </span></span></span>1971 Ludwig<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span>drum kit, John undertook his duties
with typical fervour and agility, and put on a display of blistering
drumability rarely equalled at the Malt Shovel since Innis’s departure from
these regions.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Notable <span style="font-size: small;">songs</span> <span style="font-size: small;">during</span> the evening's performance included The Doors “<i>Riders of the Storm</i>”; Santana’s
version of the Peter Green classic “<i>Black Magic Woman</i>” featuring the
Latin-style bass solo by Tolman; and Hendrix’s “<i>Voodoo Chile</i>”, which included Andy’s
funk-style slap-bass solo and a blistering drum solo by Joh<span style="font-size: small;">n.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">But the highpoint
for me was the band's literal </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">interpretation of Hendrix’s “<i>If 6 Was 9</i>” which featured in the 1969 film
<i>Easy Rider</i>. I was </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="illustration">bowled over by<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span>Orr’s mimicry of Hendrix’s
flighty guitar work and Tonk’s <span style="font-size: small;">explicit </span>rendition of Mitch Mitchell's drum patterns from the <span style="font-size: small;">o</span>riginal recording.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">As it
happened, the band didn’t cover the <span style="font-size: small;">H</span>endrix classic "<i>Purple Haze</i>" during the show<span style="font-size: small;">. So </span>we didn’t get to “kiss
the sky”, but we did managed to “raise a little sand.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>Sound clip:</b></span><br />
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Listen to <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://soundcloud.com/blues-alive-uk/electric-experience-if-6-was-9"><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">If 6 W<span style="font-size: small;">a</span>s 9</span></span></span></b></a></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>recorded live at the gig (links to external web site)
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Line-up: </span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Peter Orr</b> - Guitar and vocals</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Andy Tolman</b> - Bass and backing vocals</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>John Tonks</b> - Drums and backing vocals</span>Blues Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07369535716797976746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1599911100476445388.post-33559820941258639492013-02-04T21:36:00.001+00:002013-02-25T22:51:04.372+00:00High-Octane Blues<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-GB">Simon "Honeyboy" Hickling at the Malt Shovel Tavern</span></span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-GB">30 January 2013</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The veteran blues-rocker Simon “Honeyboy” Hickling has been a mainstay of the Midlands blues scene for over thirty years.</span></b><span style="font-size: small;"><b> But what is notable about Honeyboy, as opposed to other veterans of the 60s and 70s scene (such as John O’Leary, for example), is his energy and undying enthusiasm for the music. From the word go, Honeyboy hits the ground running, his trusty harmonica leading the charge. Backed by a line up of seasoned musicians, there’s no holding back this firestorm of a blues player.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b><br />The band are regular visitors to the Malt Shovel, usually booked to play at the venue on the lead up to Christmas. And I can understand<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>why<span style="font-size: small;">!</span> A party animal at heart, Honeyboy likes to join in on the fun himself, and usually indulges in his favourite tipple at <span style="font-size: small;">T</span>he Malt in the process. After all, it’s a relatively short drive back to Leicestershire after the gig, and he’s <span style="font-size: small;">invariably</span> accompanied by a non-drinking companion for the journey home.<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">For me, Honeyboy is one act where I <span style="font-size: small;">can </span>get
off my pundits chair and simply let my hair down (metaphorically
speaking, of course, as I don’t have so much hair to “let down” any
more).<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But don't get me wrong. If your thinking that this sounds like a rambunctious cacophony<span style="font-size: small;"> of blues and beer</span>, think again<span style="font-size: small;">!</span> Honeyboy is a notable blues harp player, and knows his way around his instrument, even when standing on his head (not literally, but you know what I mean). Alternating between his hand-held "bullet" type microphone run through an amplifier and his vocal microphone, Honeyboy played some memorable blues classics, ranging from Little Walter's "<i>Broke And Hungry</i>" to Canned Heat’s “<i>Going Up The Country</i>.” He doesn't pull any punches, and his playing is straight Chicago-style blues, with a sound reminiscient of the great Little Walter. His playing is colourfully interspersed with some fine melodic runs, evoking comparisions to the legendary white bluesman Paul Butterfield. <br /><br />Bob Wilson (guitar) had a classy eloquent style of playing, with a solid rock tone that contained more than a hint of country. His solos were neatly articulated, without the usual verbiage associated with so many blues guitar players’ performances. His guitar playing was notable for some clever use of the tremolo arm complimenting his fretwork, and the result was a seamless confluence of sound<span style="font-size: small;"> t<span style="font-size: small;">hat</span></span> gave his playing a unique and easily distinguishable signature. You know when you’re listening to a Bob Wilson solo.<br /><br />The band performed two guitar instrumental numbers, each strategically placed at the middle point of <span style="font-size: small;">both<span style="font-size: small;"> of the </span>one hour, giving <span style="font-size: small;">Honeyboy </span>a<span style="font-size: small;"> welcome </span></span>breather<span style="font-size: small;">;</span> but more importantly, a chance to replenish his glass at the bar.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The first instrumental was Bob's own take on the Freddie King's "<i>The Stumble</i>" and the second way the definitive Hammond organ classic "<i>Green Onions</i>", both of which were dispatched prefessionally and efficiently without the usual fanfare associated with such perennial masterpeices. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Frank Walker took a bass solo on "<i>The Stumble</i>", and he<span style="font-size: small;">'ll<span style="font-size: small;"> be </span></span>the first to admit that soloing is<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>not his forte. </span><span style="font-size: small;">But his solo <span style="font-size: small;">p</span>rovided a mellow <i>placido</i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>to Bob's blistering guitar work.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A<span style="font-size: small;">l</span>ong with Frank on the bass, Tony Baylis
on drums providing a solid back line to
the band's effervescent front men.<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>Tony, sporting a fine growth of <span style="font-size: small;">head </span>hair*, is another member of the band who<span style="font-size: small;"> is perfectly </span>happy to remain in the background, and he put in a proficient and pragmatic performance on drums.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">All in all, a rollickingly good evening of high-octane blues.<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Incidentally, the posponement <span style="font-size: small;">o</span>f Honeyboy's Yuletide <span style="font-size: small;">appearance</span> at the Malt Shovel Tavern was <span style="font-size: small;">reported at the time as </span>a little "domestic" problem<span style="font-size: small;"> with the band</span>. It turns out that this little "domestic" was nothing less than a motorcycle accident involving Honeyboy himself<span style="font-size: small;">.</span><br /><br />"You didn't know?" he exclaimed incredulously when I professed my surprise.<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>"It was all over the newspaper!<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Heavy Drinker Crashes Moror Cycle</i><span style="font-size: small;">!</span>" he <span style="font-size: small;">concocted,</span> laughing at the notion.</span></span><br /><br />"I don't normally read the <i>Dipso Times</i>" I quipped<span style="font-size: small;">, sensing his wind-up</span>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />it turns out that the accident was far from being funny <span style="font-size: small;">at the time. </span>Honeyboy<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">susta<span style="font-size: small;">ined<span style="font-size: small;"> a</span></span></span> number of cracked ribs, a punctured lung, and a badly shattered scapular<span style="font-size: small;">!</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">"My shoulder still hurts a bit" he added.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">But </span></span></span>haven't we seen all this this before? Like<span style="font-size: small;"> with</span> Bob Henrit? (<i>see my review on the <a href="http://www.bluesreview.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/john-verity-band-at-malt-shovel-tavern.html" target="_blank">John Verity Band</a> back in <span style="font-size: small;">May</span> 2011</i>).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It seems that these old rockers never say die. And long ma<span style="font-size: small;">y the<span style="font-size: small;">y</span> continue!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />* <i>when you reach a maturing age, such things are noteworthy</i></span></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Sound clip:</span><span style="color: black;"></span></span></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Listen to</span> <span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/blues-alive-uk/simon-honeyboy-hickling-band" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The Stumble</span></span></a></span></span></b></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">recorded live at the gig</span> (links to external web site)Blues Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07369535716797976746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1599911100476445388.post-27757340447628482192013-01-22T10:31:00.000+00:002013-02-26T10:00:35.694+00:00Photo Album 2012 <span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Blues at the Malt Shovel Tavern</span></span> </b></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;"><b>* </b></span>Click on image to view in large format</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">21st November 2012 - Robin Bibi Band</span></span></h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Robin Bibi Band tear into a blues standard at the Malt Shovel Tavern</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">8th February 2012 - The John Verity Band</span></span></h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">An art poster produced from photos taken at the gig</span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1st August 2012 - Blue Bishops</span></span></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1R2JzirWIXtgqzIO25Sjyd38ur81HvWXVCzFRUU2jwsjAK51hY32PYfZsKNMdtFlG0O-8ZjfWNovdRH0lw8z_dR7DML6dUqCzqkCDjHRfFbg5gtDdFGGIZMpRkgkHYOVIvdSlETrJ1Ko/s1600/m_image005.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1R2JzirWIXtgqzIO25Sjyd38ur81HvWXVCzFRUU2jwsjAK51hY32PYfZsKNMdtFlG0O-8ZjfWNovdRH0lw8z_dR7DML6dUqCzqkCDjHRfFbg5gtDdFGGIZMpRkgkHYOVIvdSlETrJ1Ko/s400/m_image005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Blue Bishop's Geoff Grange strutting his stuff at the Malt Shovel gig</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">19th September 2012 -The Early Mac Band</span></span></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hA4RxTha5cNc-KzOsisTraB-HDVSTTJfsj-B4XxehRaAxMYYre4GpwKzFQIgoKCRO-1ltvFJFP1ZVKefDdkJdzyBJJgqvv9uJN_UO2oIwmPhPbfMN2DlwMG6znaLqZsnyD9CLXeo00s/s1600/Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hA4RxTha5cNc-KzOsisTraB-HDVSTTJfsj-B4XxehRaAxMYYre4GpwKzFQIgoKCRO-1ltvFJFP1ZVKefDdkJdzyBJJgqvv9uJN_UO2oIwmPhPbfMN2DlwMG6znaLqZsnyD9CLXeo00s/s640/Poster.jpg" width="449" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Art poster of the Early Mac Band at the Malt Shovel Tavern</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">26th September 2012 - Mike Ridgeway's Mojo Hand</span></span></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNv3D0VajOTbf2Hton1Mj9ED_csODVzWhk0wBlH33YttkVIuehoh50oJg7MdzbUT2SH2vOqEE4w7IG44UBoy7MHk9IpKAKLLGNyO74tw1ykFgFw6HZFscaLkqKbP7uO8iEgGI3Khul-OQ/s1600/m_Mojo+Hand+001-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNv3D0VajOTbf2Hton1Mj9ED_csODVzWhk0wBlH33YttkVIuehoh50oJg7MdzbUT2SH2vOqEE4w7IG44UBoy7MHk9IpKAKLLGNyO74tw1ykFgFw6HZFscaLkqKbP7uO8iEgGI3Khul-OQ/s400/m_Mojo+Hand+001-008.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mike Ridgeway's Mojo Hand - <span style="font-size: small;">"<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">...<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">blues in retro livery</span></span></span>"</span> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclGJgy1ok-VSEcISkInf9FrC18VrP8iTl5vfoqblKEtfDdrmEhZL7po49hp6xYOnDZYJ7x0aDoe2SaclnMLTiK17J98NhLAOxFdF1etqWrZEEec0mOTecwvfx2INld0qm4lgbCvR5_zY/s1600/m_Adrian+Wood+002-005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclGJgy1ok-VSEcISkInf9FrC18VrP8iTl5vfoqblKEtfDdrmEhZL7po49hp6xYOnDZYJ7x0aDoe2SaclnMLTiK17J98NhLAOxFdF1etqWrZEEec0mOTecwvfx2INld0qm4lgbCvR5_zY/s400/m_Adrian+Wood+002-005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">"...<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> impressed by the sonic quality of Adrian Wood’s stripped down drum kit.</span><i>" </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: yellow;"><a href="http://www.bluesreview.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/bad-luck-and-trouble.html"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Read full review and listen to the band performing at the gig</span></a></span></span></span></span> <br />
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<h2>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">14th November 2012 - Trafficker</span></span></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIiS-ZUNDhG5TUld6r8oMTufrbXTuCpBNsULEfor8GWCufkKWHnr7dU2FIpFt5p87aDyvWu0W9Cm3cCllXm44GVOePIHL1SCH8-uEfijWsUcy7ubkiu189ImhfKLZGdG3JdR84ylMulOY/s1600/m_Traffica+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIiS-ZUNDhG5TUld6r8oMTufrbXTuCpBNsULEfor8GWCufkKWHnr7dU2FIpFt5p87aDyvWu0W9Cm3cCllXm44GVOePIHL1SCH8-uEfijWsUcy7ubkiu189ImhfKLZGdG3JdR84ylMulOY/s400/m_Traffica+007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Trafficker in full flow at the Malt Shovel Tavern, Northampton</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpDRunhAEdf9PnXae1aUmznaaTCMQpfv8705bTS1KvI6ScLmgTyv2S4EbjccDoIXCeJbGduKGIOsp850k-_s6QXxGXXRL7IdLJ1NWyTYaTwT4Gz15AMzLV10NrjwAWoBsaex_F-58YKk/s1600/m_Tommy+Allen+003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpDRunhAEdf9PnXae1aUmznaaTCMQpfv8705bTS1KvI6ScLmgTyv2S4EbjccDoIXCeJbGduKGIOsp850k-_s6QXxGXXRL7IdLJ1NWyTYaTwT4Gz15AMzLV10NrjwAWoBsaex_F-58YKk/s400/m_Tommy+Allen+003.jpg" width="335" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Trafficker's Tommy Allen on guitar and vocals</span></span></td></tr>
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<br />Blues Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07369535716797976746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1599911100476445388.post-24669795888641994402012-09-28T14:08:00.001+01:002013-04-25T09:19:51.203+01:00Bad Luck and Trouble<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-GB">Mick
Ridgeway and Mojo Hand at the Malt Shovel Tavern</span></span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-GB">26</span></span></span></span><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-GB"> September 2012</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Mick
Ridgeway was standing by himself just inside the back door of the Malt Shovel tavern,
his back to a small group of late revellers vivaciously chatting with each
other. The pub had almost emptied of customers and the other band members were
busy packing their gear for the road home. Mick was standing with his back
hunched, preoccupied with something that he was holding in his hands.</span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span></span></span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTo7OygqZkTs_NyWBp_jiWIqOZVTVsjHDC4A2-Z-ZkQX17KGcbpdDQgNwVGoCL9nBF8VL3obBZHtEFwZUNxf47tQFJUayfgjcrZ8BQ62-IKHfiAPjEo9Whpen9kB4kkowiZ2KIXDVcW3c/s1600/m_DSCF3393c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTo7OygqZkTs_NyWBp_jiWIqOZVTVsjHDC4A2-Z-ZkQX17KGcbpdDQgNwVGoCL9nBF8VL3obBZHtEFwZUNxf47tQFJUayfgjcrZ8BQ62-IKHfiAPjEo9Whpen9kB4kkowiZ2KIXDVcW3c/s320/m_DSCF3393c.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> As I
approached I could see he was trying to engage the zipper of his jacket. He
must have been standing there for two or three minutes, but hadn’t managed to
insert the zipper pin into the slider. Although it was obviously a challenging
operation for him, he didn’t want to admit defeat, and declined my offer to
help.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It seems
strange that such a simple task could turn out to be such a difficult
operation. But when you’ve been suffering from Parkinson’s disease for several
years, even the simplest of tasks becomes a challenge. I was humbled by Mick’s
dignity in the face of such grave circumstances.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">All the
more remarkable, then, when you consider that Mick had just performed a two
hours gig at the Malt Shovel tavern with his band, Mojo Hand. And what a
rollicking good gig it was.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">If your bag
is blues in retro livery, then this is the band for you. Mick Ridgeway and Mojo
Hand deliver early Chicago
blues in its authentic 50’s style. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Not so
easily achieved as it might seem, the band stay true to the 50’s sound by
keeping things simple. Taking a more direct approach to the music, they don’t just play blues, they actually adjust their modus operandi to emulate the sound and style of
the original music, with each musician investing time and effort in achieving a
remarkable quality of sonic authenticity from his individual instrument. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Underpinning
the band’s 50’s sound was the guitar work of Al Sansome. Notable for a complete
absence of the usual array of floor pedals, Al used an unadulterated Fender
Stratocaster to achieve a solid and punchy sound. His playing style was
deliberately straightforward, but nonetheless articulate and carefully thought through;
and meticulously executed. Nice punchy base lines interspersed with crisp
alternating chord work, accompanied by early RnB-style solos that had more than
the occasional nod towards 50‘s icons such as Chuck Berry, T-Bone Walker and
the like. Thoroughly enjoyable!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> I was most
impressed by the sonic quality of Adrian Wood’s stripped down drum kit, which
consisted of snare, crash and ride cymbals, high hat and bass drum. And the
smallest bass drum I have ever seen.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“It’s
actually a floor tom” he told me later. “You can buy special kit to convert it
to a bass drum configuration”.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The lightly
dampened snare had a solid resonance with a slight ring; not too dry and not
too trashy. The cymbals had a warm and bright timbre, with excellent sustain. The
“bass” drum was more than adequate, despite the size. I could easily have been
sitting in front of a high-end stereo system.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Charlie Lewin on bass guitar, bedecked in brown trilby, kept watch at the
bottom end. He had a tendency to play mid-neck positions, and I would have
liked to hear some deeper notes. But he more than made up for this slight
shortcoming by an enthusiastic rocking performance.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">One could
see that Mick was constrained by some illness. Seated on a stool, every
movement was slow and laborious. Yet his voice was full of feeling and
character, and despite his limited breath intake capacity, his harmonica
playing added colour and variation to the mix.</span><span class="definition"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It was nice
to see a microphone in front of the other member’s of the band too. This
was required because of a good amount of call-and-response type tunes in the
set, so typical of the 50’s American R’n’R scene. But vocal duties were also shared
between Mick, Al and Charlie; each taking turns with songs such as “Route 66”, “My
Babe” etc.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Mick’s
rendition of the Willie Dixon/Eddie Boyd song “Third Degree” was perhaps the
most poignant. Sounding like Dr John, his croaky voice soaked with the character
of a veteran bluesman, the line “Bad luck, bad luck is killing me” echoed a
sentiment a little too close to Mick’s heart.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“I just keep
going” he told me with a wry smile after the gig. “I have a few years yet.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">For what it's worth, I sincerely
wish him well.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999;"><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Personnel:</span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>Mick
Ridgeway</b> – vocals and harmonica</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>Al Sansome</b>
– guitar, slide guitar and vocals</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>Charlie Lewin</b> – bass and vocals</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>Adrian Wood</b>
– drums and backing vocals</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></b></span><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Gear:</span></span></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Adrian</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> used Mapex drums and Paiste cymbals</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Sound clip:</span></span></span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Listen to</span> <a href="https://soundcloud.com/blues-alive-uk/mike_ridgeways_mojo_hand-baby_what_you_want_me_to_do_2012"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Baby, What You Want Me To Do</b></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">recorded live at the gig</span> <i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">(links to external web site)</span></i></div>
Blues Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07369535716797976746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1599911100476445388.post-46506888186374057542012-09-21T13:25:00.000+01:002013-01-31T10:14:46.234+00:00Clearly Not Green<h3>
<b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">The Early Mac Band at the Malt Shovel Tavern - 19th September 2012</span></span></span></span></b></h3>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tonight the
Malt Shovel Tavern was a stopover gig for the Leeds-based Early Mac Band (formerly
the Green Mac Band) en route to a short tour of the Netherlands. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The name change was
the result of a complete new band line-up. With the exception of Peter Tallent
on drums, the only surviving member from the Green Mac band, the introduction
of new blood has transmuted the band into a heavier rock-blues outfit incorporated
material from Gary Moore’s back catalogue (spearheaded by Joel Dowson on
guitar) as well as many of Fleetwood Mac’s standards from their Peter Green
days.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">There was
little to commend about this band’s performance, and despite their name, even
less in respect of any notable deference to the great Peter Green, the inspiration for
so many guitar players over the decades.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Lead vocalist and slide-guitar man Luke Smithson
was barely functioning, let alone performing. Perversely, his vocal (or more
aptly, non-vocal) on “Parisienne Walkways” had a bizarre </span>Lou Reed-esque<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> <span lang="EN-GB">detachment that underlined
his apparent apathy.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Joel Dowson
played with youthful enthusiasm fired with adrenalin from his overdriven Peavey
amp and Les Paul guitar, but his playing was pretty straightforward and offered
little beyond that tired old pentatonic seen a thousand times in pubs and clubs
up and down the country. </span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">When I was an aspiring musician in my teens, my friend and mentor pointed
out to me a playing defect prevalent in many rookie guitar players – the
tendency to strike the open strings between chord changes. This usually happens
when the chord change is neither executed with speed nor precision (a fault
easily corrected with attentive practise). The practise is more prevalent today
than ever, particularly amongst self-styled singer-songwriters, and in my view
is a measure of a player’s laziness and incompetence.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Gary Moore is one
world-renowned guitarist who has actually made this particular defect a feature
of his guitar playing! Not in his chord changes, but in his solo work; and not
through incompetence, but more as an expression of fired emotion. Nevertheless,
it has always been a source of annoyance to me, and I have never been
a huge fan. Much to my
amusement, Joel not only incorporated Moore’s material,
but he emulated Moore’s
“string-crashing” style of playing as well. D’oh! </span></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">To be fair, some of the audience were roused to cheering and
clapping, proving that there are plenty of guitar nerds out there receptive to his playing style. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Bass duties
were carried out by Ol Jessop, and his playing was no more than that – dutiful.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I commented
on Peter Tallent’s playing in a <a href="http://www.bluesreview.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/green-mac-at-malt-shovel-tavern-23rd.html">previous review</a>, and tonight’s display of drumability
was similar, so I’m not going to repeat myself here.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sound
levels were again a problem, depending on where you were seated. One individual
in the front row was amusingly reading a book throughout the first set.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“It’s like
being on X-Factor” Peter Tallent commented between numbers, a reference to
Simon Cowell, who apparently was seen reading a book during some unfortunate
competitor’s performance on the TV show “X-Factor”.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“I was just
trying to buffer the sound” the individual protested to me later. “I found that
by holding up my book, the sound was reduced slightly!”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Thankfully,
the decibel levels were turned down during the second set, no doubt as a result
of a number of complaints to the band members during the interval.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">My evening’s
entertainment wasn’t so bad though, thanks to a very tasty Cornish tipple on
offer from the list of guest ales. Porthleven is a special edition pale zingy
strong ale from Skinner's in Cornwall,
and at abv 4.8% it’s a little stronger than my usual choice. But highly
recommended when the alternative is an early night, as with a couple of friends
who had had enough by the interval. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“Wan*ers!”
was their unabridged and </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">unceremonious précis of the evening’s musical offering.
Perhaps this band would be better peddling their wares at
the King Billy rock venue further along the street.</span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Personnel:</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Luke
Smithson – vocals, guitar, slide guitar</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Joel Dowson
– guitar, backing vocals</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Ol Jessop –
bass</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Peter
Tallent - drums</span><br />
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Blues Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07369535716797976746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1599911100476445388.post-20408513263406712122012-09-12T13:52:00.000+01:002013-09-10T21:48:38.931+01:00Weathering the Storm<h2 style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Storm Warning at the Malt Shovel Tavern, 5th September 2012</span></h2>
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Having just returned after several weeks away during the summer, it was back once again to Northampton’s Malt Shovel Tavern for their Wednesday night blues gig.</div>
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I must admit that I have been in danger of “loosing the faith” with the Malt Shovel’s midweek blues night. Prior to my extended summer recess, a couple of uninspiring and mediocre performances by a number of returning bands (see the opening comments in my <span style="color: yellow;"><a href="http://bluesreview.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/green-mac-at-malt-shovel-tavern-23rd.html">Green Mac</a></span> gig previewfrom March 2011), plus an apparent drop to the lower divisions in the standard of new bands being booked, dampened my enthusiasm for hauling both myself and my wife out to a gig in the middle of the working week.</div>
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Well, I know we’re in a recession and money’s tight, and it is easy to surmise that band fees will be squeezed. Understandably, you’re going to draw one or two duds in the space of a year, but this was now becoming the norm rather the exception.<br />
<br />
And it seems that I was not alone in my growing despondency. A friend and regular punter at the Malt recently complained to me in no uncertain terms that if standards continue to slide, “he (the vendor) in going to loose it!” Meaning, this cracking little blues gig, which has built its reputation and capacity attendances by showcasing quality blues acts from around the UK, Europe and the USA, is on a slippery slop when it tries to pass off your regular pub bands as a substitute for the real thing. Blues fans tend to be rather fickle, and will not tolerate this masquerade. Despite the free entry, they’ve come for something more that what you’ll find down at your local on a Saturday night. It looks like my friend and his companion may be voting with their feet. </div>
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On the other hand, people soon become accustomed to most things, no matter how good. Perhaps it was simply the case that we had outgrown this local blues gig? </div>
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And so it was that, on Wednesday night last, I drove to the gig with a feeling of hopefulness rather than expectation.
Ominously, the band on the night were called Storm Warning! “If their no good, we’ll leave early” was the instruction from my better half. </div>
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We usually arrive a little later than most, and the number of cars at the pub end of Morrison’s car park generally gives a good indication of the attendance.
“We won’t have to fight out way through to the bar tonight!” I remarked, noting the unusually low number of parked cars. Maybe it was just a case of people being still away on holiday. But I couldn’t help wondering if the foot vote was in full swing. </div>
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The band had already started into their first number when we arrived, but once inside we were immediately ambushed by a bunch of friends who were keen to catch up and fill us in on all the news and gossip over the summer. </div>
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“… Cousin Avi were pretty good” a friend was telling me. “Great singer! And some nice material too” </div>
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“Oh, yeah! Pretty good guitarist” I replied, having seen the band in question perform at the Walnut Tree a couple of years ago. But I was already conscious of some pretty nifty guitar playing wafting from the other end of the pub, so I unceremoniously extricated myself from the friendly gathering, leaving my wife to “fill them in”, whilst I grabbed a pint of ale and found somewhere to sit. </div>
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“It’s so nice to see more than ten people and a dog at our gig” the vocalist announced appreciatively between numbers.
But the dozen or so regulars in the audience was complemented by a troupe of anything up to ten band associates, partners and friends who had accompanied or followed them to the gig. This was definitely below par for a Wednesday night’s gig at The Malt Shovel. However, what you don’t know you don’t miss, and as far as I could deduce, the band’s performance was unaffected by the low turnout. </div>
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<br />
There was no doubt that my battered blues soul needed some urgent
restorative therapy. And boy, did it get it! Slick and dirty blues-rock
guitar piped through saturated valves, lots of cool Hammond-style
keyboard playing, clear and rounded bass lines and some solid blues-rock
drumming combined to form a synergy of sound that simple shattered my
growing disillusionment.<br />
<br /></div>
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Steve Norchi on lead vocals delivered blues in his own easy west-coast influenced style, without any attempt to emulate those whisky-soaked Chicago blues growler that so many of our misinformed and misled British “blues” vocalists try to copy. And it worked. </div>
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Thankfully Bob Moore on guitar had a little more about him than that offered by many so-called "blues" guitarists. You know the kind of thing - loud and rasping guitar repeatedly played in one or two of the fretboard positions on the pentatonic minor scale. Bob had a much more sophisticated playing technique, with plenty of cool jazzy triads and rock-influenced chord signatures complementing his measured and articulate solo work. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Modern keyboards offer the musician a vast array of sounds options and sonic imagery, but I always maintain that this is a serious liability in any blues bands arsenal. There’s nothing worse than a blues keyboard player launching into a solo, whilst at the same time pressing buttons to discoloring the performance with sonic abominations. In many cases it would be far better if keyboards were equipped with just two sound options only – the Hammond B3 and the piano. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Thankfully, Ian Salisbury stuck faithfully to the blues, evoking images of the early ‘60s London jazz scene with his compelling Hammond B3 sound and lucid piano delivery. He has also undertaken harmonica duties in the wake of the band’s former singer/harmonica player’s departure a couple of years ago. </div>
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Rus Chaney was a good solid blues-rock drummer. Nothing too garish; just good solid rhythms complemented by neat little rolls and fills, where appropriate. God knows! It’s difficult to find a decent back-beat blues drummer these days. They’re either loud and intrusive, or adynamic and nondescript. In many ways Bob was the ideal blues-band drummer. </div>
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Bob displayed his soloing skills in the last but one number, “Talk To Your Daughter.” A drummer tearing away at his skins is always an exciting spectacle, and it proved to be a crowd pleaser judging by the audience’s response. But I must admit that I was not impressed. Sorry to be a nit picker, but the solo was simple a loud and straightforward affair containing little or no specific drumming techniques of note. </div>
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Derek White, one of the band’s founding members along with Bob Moore, carried out bass duties on a Fender Precision. It’s not always easy to get a good bass sound. In my opinion, a good blues bass is not overbearing, has lucid top notes and a lower register that’s rockbed solid without being boomy. Derek used Warwick amplification, which produced an exceptionally balanced and well rounded sound. </div>
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One of the most notable things about Storm Warning is that they play as a band rather than as individual musicians jamming together over some tired old blues standards. Although obviously individually adept at their own instruments, each number is nevertheless carefully constructed and rehearsed together, and they produced an interesting and varied take on some notable classics, such as Peter Green’s “Long Grey Mare." </div>
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“Who knows 'Hoochi Coochie Man'?” the vocalist interposed at one point, inciting loud affirmations from the audience. “Well you might not recognize it after this!” </div>
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The only flaw in an otherwise enjoyable performance was that, with the exception of Rus on drums, the band never let their hair down. This is not a criticism, more an observation. If you consider for example a band like Steely Dan or Pink Floyd, you don’t expect too much of a rave – the musicians are focused and the music takes precedence. But it would have been nice if the band got into the groove of their music a little more, rather than an overemphasis on the execution, particularly towards the latter half of the evening.</div>
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<br />
Will the Malt Shovel weather the storm and get the blues nights back on track before the rot sets in? Hopefully, tonight’s performance is a sign of better things to come. There’s no shortage of talented blues acts out there that would jump at the chance to add this Northampton blues venue to their gig circuit. (Why not suggest a few in my blog?)</div>
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<br />
Maybe with a little more creativity from the venue's booking department, this unique little venue will be kept alive and kicking with lots more good rocking Wednesday night blues!</div>
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<div style="color: #6fa8dc;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Personnel: </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Steve Norchi – Vocals </div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Bob Moore – Guitar </div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Rus Chaney - Drums & Percussion </div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Ian Salisbury - Keyboards and harmonica</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Derek White -Bass Guitar<br />
<br />
<b>Web Site:</b> <a href="http://www.stormwarning.co.uk/">Storm Warning</a> </div>
Blues Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07369535716797976746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1599911100476445388.post-32630463291249766412011-05-25T10:36:00.000+01:002013-02-18T14:13:22.861+00:00Transexual Blues<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: large;">Elephant Shelf</span> at the Malt Shovel Tavern</span></span></span></span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: large;">11</span> May 201<span style="font-size: large;">1</span> </span></span></span></span></div>
<br />
“Entertaining” was a phrase a friend of mine used to describe the Elephant Shelf gig at the Malt Shovel Tavern on May 11th. I thought he was being rather generous as I couldn’t find anything in the early stages of the set to elicit any commendation. But as the gig progressed I came to the opinion that it was a pretty fair summation, giving the bands somewhat theatrical persona and eclectic mix of material<br />
<br />
Not having heard the band before, I had no idea what to expect. By the time I arrived at the venue, the pub was packed, and the band had already started their first set. As I waded through groups of people towards the bar, I was pleasantly surprised at the driving boogie-woogie sounds emanating from the back of the pub.<br />
<br />
“Sounds good” I remarked to no one in particular. Someone nearby retorted something about a “gender bender”. A little bemused, I took a spare seat at one of the front row tables. Then I noticed something odd. Was that long-haired denim-clad lead guitarist/vocalist wearing makeup?<br />
<br />
“He’s wearing makeup?” I called across to a friend, as if to confirm what I was seeing.<br />
<br />
“Yes” he shouted in order to be heard over the frantic strains of the rock’n’roll number “In Trouble Again”. “And he’s wearing a woman’s top, women’s shoes, and women’s TIGHTS!”<br />
<br />
I acknowledged my friend’s eagle-eyed observations with a thumbs up sign. Well, I could see that the singer was wearing a denim jacket and trousers, but he did look weird! He was obviously not youthful enough to be able to carry off the effeminate look like a young Bowie or Bolan. This was an altogether more serious statement of male femininity (if this be a valid expression?) and evoked the question “Could this band be really taken seriously as a blues outfit?”<br />
<br />
The early numbers certainly sounded a little disjointed and unrehearsed, and it was difficult to find any noteworthy musicianship to spark the interest.<br />
<br />
The drummer did capture my attention, however, but not for the obvious reason. His playing style was very unusual. He seemed to hold the sticks much too near the tip end, which gave very little recoil when struck. This was very apparent when he hit the hi-hat, which he did almost haphazardly using a kind of circular stroking motion, as one might turn the pedal of a bicycle.<br />
<br />
His drum rolls were also amusing to watch. He seemed to approach each roll with a kind of hopeful trepidation, and once executed, seemed visibly relieved. And he had a somewhat unusual and amusing habit of verbalising his drumming as he played, as if this was acting as a guide to his playing.<br />
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But I dare say this would be rather irritating for any keen drummer in the audience hoping to acquire some new knowledge or drumming tips. I know of at least one such person who was so dismayed that he had already left even before I arrived.<br />
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The keyboard player put in a rather lame performance, but everybody comes to watch the guitarist. So who cares? And whilst there was little flair or technical skill in Vicky Martin’s guitar work, he displayed a passable level of musicianship.<br />
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As a result, what otherwise might have been a rather feeble and unconvincing show was rescued by the unusual and quirky line up, the extremely friendly vibe, the enthusiast singing and dancing of the Rosie on second vocals, and the guitar player’s unassuming and laid back approach to the music.<br />
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If I was to suggest that this was a kind of blues/boogie/rock’n’roll cabaret act, then you might appreciate my friends compendious summary. Entertaining? Well, yes!.<br />
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<b><br />
Personnel</b><br />
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Vicky Martin – Vocals and guitar<br />
Rosie Swan – Vocals<br />
Diana Stone – Keyboards<br />
Rob Charles – Bass<br />
Terry McInerney – Drums<br />
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Website: <a href="http://www.elephantshelf.com/2009/Bios.html">www.elephantshelf.com</a>Blues Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07369535716797976746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1599911100476445388.post-66151740625590949102011-05-25T10:30:00.000+01:002013-02-18T14:18:18.535+00:00Blues de la France<h4>
<span style="color: #b4a7d6;">NZZ Blues Band at the Malt Shovel Tavern</span></h4>
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<span style="color: #93c47d;">27 April 2011</span></h3>
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Nico' ZZ Blues (formerly known as NZZ Blues) are a blues outfit from the Champagne-Ardenne region of France fronted by singer/guitarist Nicolas Zdankiewicz. They generally tour the UK once or twice a year and are a regular feature on the Malt Shovel Tavern gig list.<br />
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I saw the band perform at The Malt Shovel a couple of times before, but this latest visit compounded my respect for the band. There was a marked improvement in Nicolas' guitar work, and he has not only matured into a fine blues player, but also a songwriter and arranger of considerable talent. Supported by the intricate fretwork of <i>name</i>? on bass, and the young and exceptionally talented Francois Cossin on drums, the trio bashed out an interesting mix of self-penned songs and blues standards.<br />
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They delivered a very palatable rendition of B.B.King's "<i>The Thrill Has Gone</i>", and a convincing interpretation of the ever popular Hendrix's "<i>Voodoo Chile</i>" and "<i>Foxy Lady</i>".<br />
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But it was their own original compositions that gripped me the most. Nico employed some interesting 3-note and 4-note chord voicings, and combining these with some simple but cleverly crafted signature licks, added interest and variation to their own material.<br />
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The levels were ideal, and Nico's Stratocaster produced a classic blues sound via the Fender Deluxe valve amp without requiring too much volume.Blues Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07369535716797976746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1599911100476445388.post-78550504699706781042011-05-03T12:07:00.000+01:002013-02-19T22:46:59.101+00:00That's What I Call Rock 'n' Roll<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">The John Verity Band at the Malt Shovel Taver<span style="font-size: large;">n</span> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">2nd May 2011 </span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><span style="font-size: small;">Musical preferences are very personal, and whilst most people enjoy a particular musical performance once or twice, not everyone wants to see the same show over and over again. So if you end up in an eternal afterlife with a bunch of musicians, you'd better pray that they play the kind of music you really like. After all, I'm sure Matt Monro fans will be hoping that all trash metal musicians end up in hell.</span></span> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOO34CDTJcGF9PjdGIQjhNZVv9N_0fHpwrq9gEfFRwO4gTkYR0Nggw0v4JHCCGfdKAFHHMghx4pFaDdAuC1ZGOVpqL9tncDbJe9sgW-d7RaFgatzZZb7qkKVo71CXTaBT5sSCwo1rRwYc/s1600/m_DSCF2921B6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOO34CDTJcGF9PjdGIQjhNZVv9N_0fHpwrq9gEfFRwO4gTkYR0Nggw0v4JHCCGfdKAFHHMghx4pFaDdAuC1ZGOVpqL9tncDbJe9sgW-d7RaFgatzZZb7qkKVo71CXTaBT5sSCwo1rRwYc/s400/m_DSCF2921B6.jpg" width="303" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This thought struck me during the John Verity Band's bank holiday Monday afternoon gig at the Malt Shovel Tavern. I visualized a huge UFO descending over the small Northampton real ale pub and magically transporting the pub and its occupants up into the hovering craft before whisking us all away to a distant planet called Ogg. Stuck on Ogg with a pub full of friendly people, first class real ale and the John Verity Band would not be half bad! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Back here on earth, the John Verity Band was the concluding act in a weekend of music concerts at the Malt Shovel Tavern, part of the pub's royal wedding celebratory beer festival. John's vocals and guitar playing were in excellent form, and despite turning 60 a couple of years ago, his vocals still retain all the power and range of a 30-year old. The set list was almost identical to the one he performed at the pub a couple of months earlier, but the performance lost none of its sparkle and drive, and the band pulled out all the stops for the friendly and enthusiastic crowd.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">John played a Fender Stratocaster guitar through two daisy-chained Fender amps, both turned to full power. This arrangement provided plenty of overdriven which John masterfully controlled using the Strat's tremolo arm, teasing soaring Hendrix-like feedback effects and stunning blues-rock guitar licks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The set list comprised mostly of covers, including a couple of Hendrix songs, plus some of John's own work, and the inevitable Argent classic, <i>Hold Your Head Up</i>. My particular favourites were the soulful <i>Prove Your Love</i>, written by John and sang with emotion and sincerity that only a personal investment in the lyrics can inspire, and Willie Dixon's <i>Hoochie Coochie Man</i>, a well worn blues standard that has found a new lease of life in John's cleverly rearranged score.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">John was backed by his old friend and Argent band mate Bob Henrit on drums, and the indelible Northampton musical legend Mark Griffiths on bass.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Don't be fooled by the advancing years of these musicians. They can still rock it with the best of them. And if you think I'm kidding, consider for a moment the fact that Hendrit played the whole gig under some considerable physical discomfort, having been involved in a motorcycle crash the previous week. He sustained six cracked ribs to his back, and two to his chest! Yet he dragged himself all the way up from London to play the Malt Shovel gig. Now that's what I call rock 'n' roll.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Personnel:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">John Verity - <i>Guitar and Vocals</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Mark Griffiths - <i>Bass</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bob Henrit - <i>Drums</i></span>Blues Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07369535716797976746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1599911100476445388.post-75930402666775955722011-04-07T13:58:00.000+01:002013-09-10T21:50:02.910+01:00They're Up and Running!<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">24 Pesos at the Malt Shovel Tavern – 4 April 2011 </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">If you like your blues flavoured with jazzy guitar, driving rhythms and funky bass, all wrapped up in that cool Hammond sound, then 24 Pesos will get you a mouth-watering feast. This band doesn’t hold back, and from the word go they’re up and running on high octane blues/jazz /funk.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZJxYVa0-CJW38bxhYt8dRt2pQ9S45QrC5ayQQZ-LfFLGUXtlbD2ur1sNaYPFHB9QJQZv6GGFy2EoFuE9cprtx6OnCyOUWsFkp6e8gMKlqlGMeNlLVUGM2cF8H-VKRdQV5h-q_EkrhtI/s1600/m_DSCF2569f.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZJxYVa0-CJW38bxhYt8dRt2pQ9S45QrC5ayQQZ-LfFLGUXtlbD2ur1sNaYPFHB9QJQZv6GGFy2EoFuE9cprtx6OnCyOUWsFkp6e8gMKlqlGMeNlLVUGM2cF8H-VKRdQV5h-q_EkrhtI/s320/m_DSCF2569f.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">No meandering and incoherent jamming here. All the arrangements were meticulously crafted, with plenty of variations in key and tempo changes, plus some nice jazzy signature duets by Julian and Moz. This band was really tight and professional in their approach, and their overall sound was well balanced, with volume levels just about right for the venue.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Julian coaxed a killer Les Paul sound from his Bacchus guitar using a little 40W Marshall amplifier, whilst Moz was right there with the Hammond B3 sound on his Nord keyboard. Well, he did use an old Leslie speaker cabinet, complete with revolving-horns!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The musicianship was excellent in all quarters. Julian’s skill around the fretboard was precise and purposeful, playing a sizzling mix of jazz chords and solos, and raw blues riffs; all with considerable drive and passion. What more could you ask for?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Still, it’s hard to please everyone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“They’re a band that could grow on me, I expect” commented one of my friends who hadn’t heard the band before.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“Some of the things they do are brilliant, but some of it is crap” moaned another, who's companion later informed me apologetically that his mate was “in a bad mood”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Those were the exceptions, however. Generally, the response was very positive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">If the band have a weakness, then it was an important one: the vocals. Many of the self-penned songs lacked melodic structure, and Julian's singing sounded strained, as if he was continually singing at the upper limits of his vocal range. As a consequence, the vocals were lacking in timbre, tonal warmth and melodic vividness, and the songs were wanting in emotional perceptiveness and depth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">24 Pesos are a young band full of energy and enthusiasm playing their own compositions, and looking forward to an exciting future. With two albums already under their belts, their beginning to make waves across the British blues scene. They were recently recorded at the Maida Vale Studios for a 25th Anniversary celebration of the Paul Jones Rhythm and Blues Show on BBC Radio 2, going out on April 25th. And they saw off hundreds of blues hopefuls to win the prestigious New Brunswick Battle of the Blues award, and are off to Canada to play at the Harvest Festival in September for their efforts. Not bad, eh?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And if they can sort the shortcomings in the vocal department mentioned earlier, 24 Pesos will definately be a band with the full package.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We wish them luck for the future.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>24 pesos are:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Julian Burdock – Guitars and Vocals</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Moz Gamble – Keyboards & Backing Vocals</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Silas Maitland – Bass</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Mike Connolly – Drums</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Gear Snippets:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Julian</b> uses Bacchus guitars hand-made in Japan. Bacchus is a subsidiary of the Japanese guitar company Deviser. See <a href="http://www.deviser.co.jp/modules/products/index.php?content_id=26">Bacchus</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A good site about the Bacchus blood-line can be found <a href="http://www.japanvintageguitars.com/Bacchus%20History.html">here</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Moz</b> uses a Nord keyboard plugged into an original ’65 Leslie speaker cabinet. Wow!</span>Blues Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07369535716797976746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1599911100476445388.post-56830050921980438252011-04-04T13:48:00.000+01:002013-02-19T22:55:38.268+00:00Atmospheric Intonations and Trance-like Grooves<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">David Catermole Band at the Malt Shovel Tavern</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">30 March 2011</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">One of the few new faces to play the Malt Shovel Tavern this year, David Catermole was perhaps an unusual choice for a blues venue. A singer/songwriter with a vocal style reminiscent of David Gray and a set list consisting entirely of self-penned songs (I assume, not recognising any), he was questionably a step too far off the beaten blues track. However, the presence in the band of the complete rhythm section of Del Bromham’s Stray (one of the Malt Shovel’s most prolific performing acts) predicated some rationale to this booking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">If you arrived at the Malt Shovel expecting the usual blues fare, you were in for either a surprise or disappointment (depending on your standpoint), as there wasn’t a single morsel of blues to be had throughout the whole set. Not even one blues standard made it onto the set list. If this guy was hoping to appeal to the predominantly blues-entrenched mindset of the Malt Shovel audience without as much as a nod towards the blues fellowship, he was going to have to put on one hell of a show to win the audience over. Unfortunately, it was not to be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This is not to decry the level of musicianship, which was generally excellent. But whilst this type of act would no doubt be perfectly at home on a summer afternoon slot at a music festival, or an indie music venue, a blues club was just stretching it a little too far. To my surprise, not everybody was as despondent as me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“Fantastic” exclaimed one Malt Shovel regular. “Excellent” extolled another. There were the detractors though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“Every song sounds the same” declared one exasperated attendee. “I can’t distinguish one song from another. They all just merge into the same mush.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">For myself, I found the songs tedious and elongated, with repetitive refrains that had me nodding off. I was even contemplating leaving early, which would have been an unprecedented break with tradition (see <a href="http://bluesreview.blogspot.com/2011/03/green-mac-at-malt-shovel-tavern-23rd.html">previous article</a>), as the sound levels were fine. My interest was however sustained by the musicianship of the band members.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I saw Karl and Stuart perform with Stray many times. Karl’s drum kit was unaltered from his Stray setup, and sported the dreaded Sabian APX crash cymbals with the sound agitating holes, as well as the extra deep snare drum (for loudness, of course). Stuart’s rig was the usual Harte powerhouse. I was understandably anticipating (and dreading) a loud and heavy rock sound, but I was in for a pleasant surprise.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Despite his threatening setup, Karl used brushes throughout, and exhibited a dexterity and subtleness in his playing that was great to watch.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Stuart’s playing also demonstrated a step-change in subtleness and melody from the heavy rock bass sound of Stray, and his unassuming attitude concealed a skill around the fret board that exemplified the finer intricacies of funk, blues and rock musicianship.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Lead guitar duties were discharged by Matt Prior. Matt has toured the world with Bonnie Tyler, is also a producer and writes music for film and TV. His studio pedigree was evident on stage, and his meticulous attention to detail and refined playing technique emphasized the sonic textures of the music rather than virtuosity. His guitar solos were articulate and purposeful but were unfortunately marred by inadequate volume levels and an overuse of reverb.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“I switched the reverb completely off on my amp” he bemoaned when I brought this fact to his attention at the end of the set. More attention to the effects pedal would have easily resolved this particular issue. But what do I know?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">With Stuart’s bass weaving melodic patterns against the sonic backdrops created by Matt, and with Karl maintaining a pulsing rhythm, the band created an atmospheric soundscape reminiscent of the psychedelic bands of the late 60s. The band would have been readily at home on the bill of a Saturday all-nighter at the Roundhouse in Chalk Farm in ‘68. And therein lays my gripe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">On an multi-act or festival gig, you could easily chill out and enjoy the atmospheric intonations and trancelike grooves of this band. But with just two hours available on a Wednesday night, which usually includes a 30 minute interval, you raally want the band to cut to the chase and get straight to the music. There just isn’t enough time for this type of sonic intellectual journey across an unfamiliar lyrical terrain in the few short hours, especially on a very busy night in a packed pub full of friendly faces who just wanted to listen to some good live blues-oriented music, socialise with their friends, maybe dance a bit, and generally have a real good time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>David Catermole Band</b> are:-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">David Catermole – Guitar & Vocal</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Matt Prior – Guitar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Stuart Uren - Bass</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Karl Randall – Drums</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Gear talk:-</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">David’s was using a Bose L1 PA system. The unusual speaker system design consists of two 6ft speaker "poles" packed with tiny little high quality speakers, 24 in each pole.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">David played a Cole Clarke guitar, hand made by a small guitar manufacturer in Australia.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Matt used a Divided By 13 head and cabinet. It seems like there is a plethora of boutique guitar amplification manufacturers out there these days. And depending on the size of your wallet, you can really personalize your gear to impress. Last week I reported on a Dr Z head and cabinet for around £1,800. Matt’s amp puts this in the shade with a price tag as impressive as the amplifier itself – yours for a neat £3,600.</span>Blues Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07369535716797976746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1599911100476445388.post-15751390661405716942011-03-29T10:54:00.000+01:002013-02-19T22:57:17.658+00:00Peter Green Tribute Band<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Green Mac at The Malt Shovel Tavern - 23rd March 2011</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"This is beginning to look a little tired" I thought to myself as I glanced through the latest gig list for the Wednesday night blues show at the Malt Shovel Tavern in Northampton. Although the flyer was recently revamped with an impressive glossy full-colour printed layout, scanning through the gig list gave me a feeling of déjà-vu. Spotting names that hadn't appeared at the Malt Shovel at least half a dozen times was becoming more and more difficult.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Green Mac are certainly no strangers to the Northampton blues venue, having played there a number of times in recent years. However, it isn't that often that we get a band from northern England at the Malt, but the long trip down the M1 motorway for this Leeds-based unit is not as illogical as it might seem. The band were on their way to Holland via Dover for a series of Dutch gigs, and the Malt Shovel provided a welcome stopover en route.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Green Mac is effectively a Peter Green tribute band, playing a selection of the iconic blues-guitarist's classic repertoire. And they were sporting the latest edition to the band, a young guitarist and singer named Trevor Birkinshaw.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">My initial reaction on arriving at the venue amidst one of the band's earlier numbers was "TOO LOUD". Over the years we've been treated to a wide variety of musical talent at the Malt, ranging from mediocre to excellent. A lot of focus understandably centers on the lead guitar player (well, it is a blues venue), but in cases where the guitarist’s performance falls short, there is generally some other aspect of the band that captures the interest, if not the emotion. So it's very rare indeed that I would contemplate leaving the Wednesday night gig prematurely. There is one exception however – DECIBEL LEVELS. Fortunately, I'm glad to report that on only one or two occasions over the last five or so years have I had to depart early, or withdraw to the pub's lounge area, because of the volume levels. My view is that if I want to wreck my hearing, I can always pop over to the King Billy rock venue across the street. I guess you could say that I don't have too much toleration for loud bands. So I was greatly relieved when Green Mac finished the first set, having spent most of the time out of harms way at the bar chatting to a friend.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The interval provided me with the opportunity to gauge reaction from some of the punters who regularly attend the Wednesday night gig, and who are usually keen to engage in a little "intelligent" commentary or opinion about the band's performance. Overall, the response was pretty positive. Nobody I spoke to seemed bothered about the volume! In fact, one guy stated that he LIKED to feel the bass "in his gut". "Yeah" I retorted "But this is like getting punched in the solar plexus and being knocked against the back wall every time the bass player plays the lower register notes!”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">During the interval I found a vacant seat beside a couple I know, who uncustomarily were STAYING for the second set! "You staying too?" they asked. Then the awful truth dawned on me. "Where else is there to go?" I conceded. I guess we're a little spoiled here in Northampton's premier blues venue. The music is put on for free, the beer is excellent, and the audience is friendly and enthusiastic about the blues. "Ah!" I mused, sipping my pint of real ale. "Maybe it's not so bad after all?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Actually, from my new position, I found the sound levels during the second set vastly improved. Bass no longer posed a treat to my stomach, and though the guitars were loud, they were tolerable. Peter Tallent on drums was however noisy, especially when he banged out a roll on his snare. I remembered this guy from the last time the band played at the Malt, and I wasn't impressed then. I began to understand why one of my friends, who had dropped by my house earlier that day, had stated that he wouldn't be coming to the Malt that evening. A drumming enthusiast, he stated he was beginning to get a little more selective in his listening habits these days. "Hmm!" I thought, as Peter hammered out another laboured straight roll, moving in a recurring pattern from the snare to each toms in turn, then back to snare. "Now I understand." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I also remembered Dusty Miller, the left-handed guitar player with his left-handed guitar strung in reverse order. "The strings may be the wrong way around to you, but they're the right way around for me" he retorted when I queried the logic of this particular arrangement. I've only ever seen one other guitarist playing this way, and that was back in the late 60s at a Sunday afternoon blues gig in a pub in Dublin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Despite the string arrangements, his playing was proficient, though his style was more reminiscent of Danny Kirwan than Green. But I was a little put out by his excessive use of reverb. I know Green used a lot of reverb in his later solo albums, but the early Fleetwood Mac sound was notable for its stripped-down unadulterated sharp crisp guitar tones.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Overall, it was an unremarkable performance, memorable for its deficiencies rather than its highlights.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"They SHOULD have been good!" one punter commented. "After all, they have the pick of some of the best music of the 60s" I guess that about summed up their performance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Green Mac are:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Dusty Miller – guitar and vocals</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Peter Tallent – drums</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Trevor Birkinshaw - bass</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Luke Smithson – guitar and vocals</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">For the gear geeks:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Dusty was using a guitar amp that I had not seen before, a Dr Z head and cabinet. "They are a small boutique guitar amplification manufacturer in the US" Dusty told me. "Boutique" apparently means not mass produced. Dusty told me his rig cost £1,800! Well, he does own a guitar shop in Leeds. Not too sure which particular model he was using, but the company's website is <a href="http://www.drzamps.com/">http://www.drzamps.com/</a></span>Blues Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07369535716797976746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1599911100476445388.post-1810225772103715732010-12-16T22:59:00.000+00:002013-02-19T23:02:17.566+00:00Deserved a Little More Respect <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: large;">Beth and the Black Cat Bone at the Malt Shovel Tavern</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: large;">15th Dec 2010</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">OK, so the weather has been pretty cold. Last week temperatures in Scotland dropped below -15 degrees, and -4 or -5 degrees in this region. After a short reprise over the last few days, when temperatures soared back to normal levels for this time of year, the cold snap is expected to return tomorrow. So the weather was not an excuse for staying at home and not getting on down to the <a href="http://www.maltshoveltavern.com/blues%20gigs.htm">Malt Shovel Tavern</a> for the regular Wednesday night blues gig. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Unfortunately the crowd was a bit thin on the ground for Beth and the Black Cat Bone’s debut at the Malt. For those who did venture out, at least it wasn’t difficult to find a seat, and there was plenty of space for the dancing enthusiasts (a good thing, as this young band had a strong rock ‘n’ roll flavour).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The band consisted of Beth on vocals supported by a trio on guitar, bass and drums. The first set consisted mainly of blues standards such as <i>Little By Little</i> and <i>Nobody’s Business</i>, and the band also played a couple of their own numbers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The back line was pretty bare (a drum kit flanked on one side by a small Fender amp resting on a chair and the other side by a small bass amp leaning against the back wall) and the band looked slightly stranded in the relatively empty stage area, with little or no gear or props to hide behind.. However, the sound level was more than adequate and well balanced, although the guy sitting next to me complained that the guitar was drowning out Beth’s vocals.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The set was an enjoyable no-frills affair. The band ploughed through quite a few numbers at a fair pace, and the set was finished almost before it had started. But I was a little disappointed to see quite a few seats being vacated at the interval. OK, so Beth didn’t exactly engage the audience with inter-song banter. And the guitar solos weren’t particularly riveting. But there were lots of pluses.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Beth’s vocal work was certainly without pretence; a common fault in many young blues singers who feel that they have to overemphasise the “blues” emotion in order to compensate for their lack of “life” experience. Her voice was well tuned and had an honesty and sweetness that was appealing. And although the guitar solos were in the main pretty straightforward pentatonic minor scale affairs, they contained an edginess and lack of refinement that was inadvertently characteristic of</span> the early black American electric blues guitarist. In fact, the guy next to me (a self-proclaimed blues’ purist) enthused “Now, THAT’S how you play BLUES guitar!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I must confess it wasn’t <span lang="EN-GB">a style I’d particularly want to listen to for very long periods, and thankfully Clinton’s solos were kept to one of two verses at most, so it was relatively painless. However, the guitar accompaniments were more notable, being pleasantly melodic as well as funky at times; reminiscent of the early soul music of the 50s and 60s </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Now I want to talk about the drummer, so I’m going to skip over the bass guitarist (with apologies to Mr Benfield). Well, what can you say about a bassist, unless of course he/she is in the premier bass player league. The bass was fine; not too loud, not too boomy. Did the job. Nuff said.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">We’ve seen some fine musicians pass through the doors of the Malt Shovel Tavern over the years, including a raft of outstanding drummers. And tonight we saw a young man on the sticks with all the bearings of another great drummer.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">One of the noticeable and distinctive qualities of many modern-day musicians, when compared with musicians from the 60s or 70s, is that they are not self taught. With the amount of resources and tutorship available today via DVD media and the internet, as well as university courses and one-to-one tutorials, aspiring musicians can learn to play from the outset guided by experts in their chosen field. Bad habits and practises are avoided, and musicians can develop their skills exponentially.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Although 23 year old Rob Pokorny has only been with the band for a couple of months, his playing displayed all the hallmarks of the graduate drummer. Sitting upright on his stool, arms held straight out from the elbow, all the stick action was controlled by the wrists. Far from being only there to “keep the beat”, </span><span lang="EN-GB">Rob gave an exhibition of speed, dexterity, nimbleness and accuracy</span><span lang="EN-GB"> that had me captivated for most of the evening. </span><span lang="EN-GB">Drum rolls flowed seamlessly between the custom-made snare and toms, and cymbals crashed or whizzing depending on the desired strike.</span><span lang="EN-GB"> And all this happened in </span><span lang="EN-GB">in a blur of sticks without breaking sweat! </span><span lang="EN-GB">You were there? You missed it? Not paying attention? Too busy on the iPhone or texting a joke to a friend? Shame on you!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The second set was less bluesy, and leant strongly towards rock ‘n’ roll. But those who like to dance weren’t complaining. And the band received a deserving encore at the end.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Playing aside, a lot of band members like to take advantage of their visit to the Malt Shovel Tavern by savouring some of the exceptionally fine real ale on offer at the bar. My particular tipple that evening was a guest beer from Elland Brewery in Yorkshire called Eden, a fine 4.2% strength pale ale. Some people might consider 5% ale a little on the strong side, especially if you are a young musician tasked with delivering the occasional guitar solo or two. Dispite Mr Benfield's indulgence in the higher strength ale during the interval, he never flinched from his soloing duties, and during the second set only gave the slightest hint that he might be feeling akin to someone playing on a cruise ship in a force-9 storm.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Whilst not being particularly outstanding (omitting exceptions cited above), this young blues band are a good solid outfit, and they approached their music was a kind of honesty and freshness that deserved a little more respect and appreciation than was shown by the early leavers. Being a musician is not easy in these tough times, where many of the other revenue streams formerly available to players, such as studio work and CD sales revenue, have all but dried up. And packing your kit into the back of a van for a 130 mile round trip from London in the depth of winter for a few quid isn’t all that exciting. So, come on, Malt Shovellers! These kids need your support and encouragement. Let’s hope Mike has the fortitude and resilience to re-book them again next year; and if he does, let’s give them a real Malt Shovel welcome that they’ll warmly remember for a very long while.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Band line up:</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Beth Packer- Vocals</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Charles Benfield- Bass</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Rob Pokorny - Drums</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Clinton</span><span lang="EN-GB"> Hough- Guitar</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">For the geeks</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Rob’s drum kit was made by FVF Drums, a small bespoke drum manufacturer based in Loughborough, Leicestershire. Rob told me that the drums can be made to individual requirements, and because of the company size and personal investment in the finished product, customer service is second to none. And all for a price comparable to a standard drum kit from one the big manufactures such as Yamaha or Premier. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">See the company’s web site at <a href="http://www.fvfdrums.co.uk/">http://www.fvfdrums.co.uk</a></span></span></div>
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Blues Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07369535716797976746noreply@blogger.com1