the Strawbs Sunbury Cricket Club JUne 2016

THE STRAWBS    SUNBURY CRICKET CLUB   11 JUNE 2016

Playing to a packed crowd the three mainstays of the Strawbs David Cousins, Dave Lambert, and Chas Cronk, put on a wonderful acoustic show of classis Strawbs material.

Coming straight out and playing Turn me round Cousins voice is still a joy to hear. The man who called himself Jesus and Copenhagen follow, with tales of Sandy Denny and Rick Wakeman thrown in to the mix. Oh how she changed and the Hangman and the papist finishing the first set.

Benedictus, Midnight sun and a newer song sung by Dave Lambert called cold steel is warmly received.  Before the closing two songs Autumn and Lay down bring the show to an end and leaving the crowd wanting more.

Boomtown Rats Live

Boomtown Rats  Rock n Horse Power  Hurtwood polo club 18 June 2016

Arriving late on stage blaming sat nav   Sir (no more after Brexit)  Bob Geldof  and the Boomtown Rats arrival to a restless crowd who would rather be in bed by now. We had already been treated to a stars/hits filled afternoon, and a lot of the crowd had left after what seemed an endless wait for the rats.

But the crowd soon charged up as she’s so modern ran through the PA . Like clockwork, do you in and someone looking at you followed. An ok run through of Mondays.  Before the crowd explode to Mary of the Forth Form and Geldof does his best Jagger   moves up front working the crowd, with a bit of Radar Love and John Lee Hooker thrown in, we are straight into Rat Trap.

We knew it was too good to be true as Geldof goes into his vote in rant before bringing out Bill Wyman to play surprise surprise the In Crowd. One more song The Boomtown Rats and then they head off into the night.

BOBBY THOMPSON LIVE AT IOTA

If you love your blues this is the album for you. Recorded live at IOTA Club & Café in Arlington, Virginia in 2015. This has to be one of the best live blues albums I have heard in a long time kicking of with Good things that we have you know  your listening to a master blues mans. The next track up is very much in the vain of Dion s King of the New York street from Yo Frankie and I keep waiting for him to drop into it. The third track is called Again and then we re back on form with Down to here a track you can find on you tube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oza-Id84pH8     They carry on with Look over yonder s wall  in the feel of Jimi Hendrix .   Hard Road carries on the Jimi Hendrix theme in the style of voodoo child . A fine bit of boogie with look at you now . And On her wings again finishes of a fine set. The best part of this whole Album is it on Noisetrade  for free at the moment or you can leave a tip if you feel so moved.

EDISON LIGHTHOUSE SUNBURY CRICKET CLUB NOVEMBER 27 2015

Sunbury music club is a little gem with the chance to see some great oldie but oldie band. However there are some band that are better left in the mists of time Edison Lighthouse being one of them . A one hit wonder  group who seem to have made a good living off one song. The moment they came on stage I knew it was a bad idea sitting at the front like being at Butlins and praying they don't pick you out of the crowd. Dressed in suites and a carnation in the lapel the lead singer steps right of the stage and start to get a small crowd in the mood. The first set is made up of lots of 60s covers like im a believer, I only want to be with you, Do you love me, Here comes my baby, and  finally a throw away version of love grows where my rosemary goes. Back on for the second set  and more of the same Dancing the night away, Mustang sally, Hi ho silver, Wonderful tonight, Save the last dance for me and a much better of Love grows where my rosemary goes. If I had been on holiday I may have enjoy this  gig a lot better than I did.

OLD BUSH BLUES FESTIVAL CALLOW END 21/22/23/08 2015

OLD BUSH BLUES FESTIVAL   CALLOW END 21/22/23 /08/ 2015

 

FRIDAY

 

 

SO OFF WE GO AGAIN TO WHAT UP UNTIL LAST YEAR WAS THE BENTWORTH BLUE FESTIVAL, WITH A LITTLE APPREHENSION WILL IT BE AS GOOD? WELL THE SIGNS DID NOT START OF GOOD OFF WITH WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A 2 AND HALF HOUR JOURNEY TURNING INTO NEARLY FOUR AND A HALF HOURS.  BECAUSE OF THIS WE MISSED THE FIRST TWO ACTS MELVYN HANCOX AND WOO TOWN HILLBILLIES.

WE ARRIVE TO CATCH MOST OF PERRY FOSTER SET AND WELL WORTH IT. PERRY WHO WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ORIGINAL YARDBIRDS PLAYED A NO NOSENCE SET OF ORIGINALS AND COVERS, A PERFORMER WHO IF YOU GET THE CHANCE YOU SHOULD NEVER PASS BY.

NEXT WERE FIVE FIELD HOLLER ON THE GARDEN STAGE A REGULAR AT BENTWORTH AND WITH THE CROWD BEHIND THE PROBABLE HERE TO. BOPERATOE UP NEXT ON THE CAR PARK STAGE A GOOD BAND BUT A BIT OF AN ODD MIX FOR A BLUES FESTIVAL.

 

 

 

 OK IM A BIT BIAS HERE AS ON TO THE GARDEN STAGE CAME STEVE WHALLEY. A MAN WITH A STRONG MUSICAL PEDIGREE ( SLADE /SAD CAFÉ) UNUSUAL  FOR STEVE IT TOOK A BIT OF A WHILE FOR THE CROWD TO WARM TO HIM BUT ONCE THEY DID THEY HAD TROUBLE GETTING HIM OFF. HIGHLIGHTS OF ANY STEVE WHALLEY SHOW ARE HIS COVER VERSION OF ATLANTIC CITY (SPRINGSTEEN) AND IT STONNED ME (MORRISON)  AND SHE WROTE IT DOWN AND BURNT IT (HAITT) .THE ROCK N ROLL SECTION AT THE END GOT EVERYBODY MOVING.

TRAFFICKER ANOTHER REGULAR AT BENTWORTH WENT ON TO THE CAR PARK STAGE AND WE WENT TO EAT AND CATCH THE LAST   BAND OF THE DAY. NEIL IVISON  A GREAT LOCAL TALENT WHO SEEMS TO   HAVE   LEFT HIS BAND MISERS AND MOVE OUT ON HIS OWN. A  GREAT SET OF ORIGINALS   AND COVERS, AND THANKS FOR THE FREE CDS.

 

SATURDAY

HAVING HAD A LATE NIGHT AND A BIT OF SHOPPING IN THE MORRING WE MISSED LIKE DOHERTY AND LUZY ZIRINS. WE DID MAKE IT IN TO SEE THE MUSTANGS WHO WERE EXECELLENT. THEN IN TO A PACKED BAR TO WATCH LENNY JAMES AND THE GATOR SQUAD. A NICE LITTLE FIND GREAT BAND AND WOULD CERTINLY TRACK DOWN AGAIN.

 

SAM PAINE TRIO PLAYED THE GARDEN WHILE WE OPTED FOR THE BLUES DUO PLAYING ON THE CAR STAGE. A GOOD SET AND 100% TO THEM FOR STICK OUT THE RAIN STORM AND THE POWER CUT.

TROUBLE STILL WITH THE POWER AS DAN SOWERBY TOOK TO THE STAGE IN THE BAR BUT COPED WELL DOING A SEMI ACOUSTIC SET BEFORE POWER WAS RESTORED.

WITH POWER RESTORED WELL YOU NEEDED IT REALLY FOR THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT  ELECTRIC AKA SUGAR MAMA .ANOTHER REGULAR OF BENTWOTH AND BOY CAN THESE GUYS PLAY. ELECTRIC IS AN EXCELLET NAME FOR THIS BAND AS THEY OWN THE STAGE FROM THE MOMENT THEY WALK ON.  IT IS A SCANDAL THESE GUY ARE NOT PLAYING BIGGER FESTIVAL AT 3 X THE PRICE SAM THE GUITARIST AND LEAD SINGER PUTS HIS WHOLE BODY AND SOUL INTO THE MUSIC AND ITS WONDERFUL TO WATCH A REAL FRONT MAN WITH TRACK LIKE MESSING WITH THE KID AND CROWD FAVOURITE OH WELL THE GUYS SHOULD BE UP THERE WITH THE TOP BANDS IN THE COUNTRY.

NORTHSYDE AGAIN ANOTHER REGULAR AT BENTWORTH PLAY THE CAR PARK STAGE , AS WE HEAD FOR THE FINAL OF THE NIGHT PROCEEDINGS WITH JULES BENJAMIN A MULT TALANTED MUSICIAN AND COMPARE FOR THE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.  JULES PUT ON A STERLING SHOW  OF ORIGINALS AND COVERS THE HIGHTLIGHT BEING HIS OWN SONG FLY FLY FLY A NUMBER ONE IF THERE WAS JUSTICE IN THE WORLD.

SUNDAY.

 

KICKING OF THE LAST DAY WERE FESTIVALS REGULARS KYLE AND SHAW ON THE CAR PARK STAGE.  FOLLOWED BY BLUEBEATEN REDSHAW WHO MAYBE BECAUSE HES JUST GOT MARRIED PUT ON A LUCKLESS GIG AT ONE POINT BREAKING HIS DIDDY BOW. A DISAPOINTMENT HAVING REALLY ENJOYED HIS PREVIOUS APPEARENCES.

CHICAGO 9 PLAYED THE CAR PARK STAGE, WHILE THE HIGHLIGHT OF SUNDAY HAS TO BE CATFISH HAVING JUST HEADLINED RUGWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL  THE DAY BEFORE  THEY TOOK TO THE BAR STAGE  FOR A RIP ROARING SET PROVING THEY ARE ONE OF THE BEST BLUES BAND IN THE COUNTRY AT THE MOMENT.  PLAYING A SET OF TRACKS FROM THEIR SO MANY ROADS ALBLUM AND SOME THAT WILL HOPEFULL TURN UP ON THE NEW ONE.  A  BAND   NOT   TO BE MISSED.

WILL WILDE PLAYED A DECENT SET ON THE GARDEN STAGE, WHILE VOODOO SHIEKS ANOTHER GREAT BLUES BAND PLAYED A WONDERFUL SET TO A NEAR EMPTY CROWD THE BAND DESERVED A LOT MORE.

BACK INTO THE BAR AND A BLISTERING SET OF BLUES SONGS AND STORIES  PLAYED  BY HOWILN MAT, AN ENGLISH MAN  VERSION OF SEASICK STEVE WHO MIRRORS HIM IN LIVING AN ALMOST SEMI NOMADIC LIFE  TO LIVE THE DREAM OF PLAYING THE BLUES.

ANDRE  BISSON PLAYED THE GARDEN STAGE BEFORE JULES AND FRINDS TOOK THE STAGE TO ROCK US OUT WITH GREAT VERSIONS OF WHOLE LOTTA ROSIE AND STEAMY WINDOWS  BRINGING THE CURTAIN DOWN ON THE FIRST OLD BLUES FESTIVAL MAY THERE BE MANY MORE.

 

A BETTER VERSION THAN WHAT WAS PRINTED IN RECORD COLLECTOR  DUE TO SPACE LIMITS

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marrakesh Express live at Tropic ruislip 24.1.2016

Tropic is a small music club nestling inside a football club In Ruislip, a bit of a way to get to for us but worth the journey tonight to see The Marrakesh Express. The venue was laid out with chair for tonight performance a nice touch or saying something about the age of the audience, anyway as the name implies they play the music of The Byrds, Crosby Sills Nash and a bit of Young. The band is made up of two members of Diesel Park West John Butler and Rick Willson and are join by Adam Ellis . As soon as they hit the stage we know we are in for a great night of music . Starting the first set with The Byrds they run seamlessly through a greatest hits package including Turn Turn Turn, So you wanna be a rock n roll star, All I really want to do, Go back, Eight miles high, Mr Tambourine Man and He was a friend of mine. The band was tight and you could tell they loved what they do and were having fun. Time for a break and then they were back as Crosby Stills and Nash , the playing and the harmonies were a treat to see and great to see to very talented left hand guitarists. The second set again was a greatest hits package with fantastic version of Wooden ship, Our House Guinnevere , Deja vu, Suite Judy Blue Eyes, Almost cut my hair, Marrakesh Express, For what its worth and Woodstock. Coming back on to do Find the cost of freedom/Ohio and then they were gone .A great gig and a band to look out for well worth the journey.

WORDS BY PETER STOCK HAMMERSMITH78MUSICPROMOTIONS COPY RIGHT 2016