old news5th November 2007I turned up at the Sailor’s Return in Weymouth for the ‘Acoustic Marmalade’ session on Sunday 21st October, with my Dobro copy and my 60’s Ampeg guitar amp, both purchased via the wonderful but horribly addictive phenomena known as ebay. Tom Caulfield used both to great effect before I got up and played some old blues with one of the guests. It was huge fun, and it was quite strange not playing the bass role for a change. You can actually stop playing without the whole thing falling apart. On Thursday 25th October I joined Mike Biggs, ‘Lucky’ Steve Darrington on piano, an excellent drummer from Bournemouth called Fred and vocalist Martin Jenkins at the King’s Bar in Swanage, Dorset. It was good old seat of the pants stuff, r&b, blues and rock’n’roll standards. Good fun. Back Street Blues played at the Cross Rifles in Bridgewater on Friday 26th. Just before we arrived at the gig Mike informed me that the pub had been featured on TV in a programme about Britain’s most violent pubs, but the reality couldn’t have been further from the truth. Everyone we met in the pub (and the town) couldn’t have been more friendly or welcoming. On Saturday 27th the Barrelhouse Blues Band (Paul Hart on guitar, Mark on keys, Alan on drums and Clive on sax, with guest appearances from Mutter Slater and Nick Gomer) supported Andy Fairweather Low’s excellent band at the Exchange in Sturminster Newton, Dorset. Fairweather Low’s band featured Dave Bronze (bass) and Chris Stainton (keys) from Eric Clapton’s band, with Paul Beavis drumming. They put on a superb show, with AFL playing material from his excellent new album Sweet Soulful Music alongside gems such as Wide Eyed and Legless, Gin House and Bend Me Shake Me. The gig was a sold out. It was a great pleasure to meet up again with Mr Beavis. I first worked with him with Polygenes, then on sessions at Steve Smith’s Room With A View studio near Ringwood, Hampshire, and then on a tour of Germany with Robbie McIntosh and Geraint Watkins. Great geezer and a great drummer. I also got to meet Dave Bronze, a bass player with a singularly impressive CV, and have a good old bass bollocks natter with him. It turns out that he’s got a Fender Jaguar just like mine, although he played a Fender Jazz Special and an upright electric bass on the gig. November The Mutter Slater Band did a live session for South Hams Radio in Kingsbridge, Devon on Friday 2nd November on Rob Wheeler’s show, playing three tracks from the band’s forthcoming CD. Rob is proving to be a true champion of the MSB cause. Another pleasing by-product of our sessions at Leo Brown’s Mojo Studio in Torquay, where the MSB have been recording said CD, is that Billy Bragg, who’s been producing the CD, was impressed enough with Leo’s studio to use it record a solo version of his new CD for the USA market. The South Hams Radio session was arranged by our manager Adrian Collis, and on Saturday 3rd the MSB played at his pub the Sea Trout, in Staverton, Devon. Another cracking session. On Sunday 4th Back Street Blues played at the Royal Portland Arms, on Portland, Dorset, rounding off another great weekend. I’m playing with Brahms & Liszt at the Centenary Club in Weymouth, Dorset on Friday 9th November for Julie Lewis and Jaydee Swarbrick’s Significant Birthday bash, followed by a Back Street Blues gig at the Ropemakers, West Street, Bridport on Saturday 10th. On Sunday 11th, I’m looking forward to another session with the newly re-emerged Custer’s Last Blues Band at the Hope & Anchor, St Martin’s Lane, Bridport. Chris Lonergan |
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