old news

22nd February 2007

January 2007

2007 started on a high with a New Year’s Day gig at the Park Hotel, Weymouth with Robbie McIntosh, Ady Milward and Nick Gomer. Robbie, taking time off from the John Meyer tour, was on blazing form, and we ripped through some blues, roots and country gems.

On the 27th the Ben Waters Band got it’s 2007 campaign underway with a return to the West End Centre in Aldershot, Hampshire. The regular band (Ben, Clive, Ady and myself) was joined by baritone sax ace Pete Bettle, and we made the most of the venue’s intimate atmosphere and superb acoustics.

February

The 19th and final John Spencer Memorial concert took place at Freshwater Holiday Park, Burton Bradstock, Dorset on 2nd February. The annual concert was initially set up to celebrate the life of erstwhile Custer’s Last Blues Band pianist John Spencer. John’s children Luke and Ami’s band Spoof were first on the bill on the night, regaling us with covers from Kaiser Chiefs, Green Day and the like. The Fat Marrow Blues Band were next up, followed by a set from Custer’s with original vocalist Hamish still at the helm and in fine voice. We were also treated to an appearance from blues harp virtuoso Jon Lloyd. Top of the bill was the Ben Waters Band, and we had just about all the 500 folk that turned up shakin’ their collective thang, raising over £4,000 in the process.

On Saturday, 10th February Little Dixie journeyed to darkest Devon, to the Sea Trout Inn in Staverton. It’s been taken over by our friends and live music champions Adrian and Sarah, late of the Three Horseshoes in Burton Bradstock, and it was a night of great food, great fun and great music.

On Wednesday night (13th) the Ben Waters Band flew out to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, for what became a remarkably enjoyable and eye-opening experience.

On Thursday night we played at the Irish Village, an outdoor venue where the likes of The Pretenders, Bob Geldof and Snow Patrol have played. Our own local heroes The Crack are also regulars there. On Friday 14th we played at Wafi City, also in Dubai, another outdoor venue that’s in a kind of Pharaoh-style faux Egyptian setting. For the whole trip we were wonderfully looked after by the good people of Transguard marketing, who put us up in the luxurious Meridien Hotel and gave us the chance to visit the seven-star Berj Al Arab hotel, officially the most posh hotel in the world, amongst other treats. The view over the Persian Gulf from the bar on the 23rd floor of the hotel was stunning, but £8-odd for a bottle of Becks?

The whole trip was a fascinating insight into another world, and my first trip to a Muslim country. The sound of the faithful being called to prayer echoing over the city was a truly exotic experience that will stay with me for a long time.

I also had the chance to try out my new Fender Jaguar bass, a thing of beauty. Hot Rod Red body with matching headstock, chrome, switches and dials all over the place – and it sounds pretty good too! Definitely Fender, but a different beast altogether from the Jazz Bass, much as I love them. All I’ve got to do now is stop my son Jack nicking it off me!

Back in Blighty, the Ben band will be returning to the Arlington Arts Centre in Newbury (01635 244246) on Friday 23rd February. Little Dixie will make its début at the Crown Hotel, West Bay Road, Bridport, Dorset on Saturday 3rd March, followed by a trip to Cardiff on Friday 9th.

The Ben Waters Band returns to the BBC’s Maida Vale studios in London for a session with USA blues guitar hero Colin John on the 19th. This is followed by a visit to the Thomas Tripp in Christchurch, near Bournemouth, Dorset on the 22nd (£10 admission, details at www.thomastripplive.com/gigs.php) and the Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis, Dorset on the 23rd (£12 and £10, www.marinetheatre.com), with Colin John guesting. The Ben Band then plays at The Bullingdon, Cowley Road, Oxford on Monday 26th (email philip_euroamerican_music@yahoo.co.uk for details) and The Theatre Royal, Winchester on the 3 st, where we return after our sell-out performance last year (www.theatre-royal-winchester.co.uk). Book early!

Chris Lonergan

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