30th October 2012

Bridging the age gap at The Navy!    Words and pictures by Dave Whiteman 


‘All the leaves are brown, and the sky is grey’ sang the Mamas and the Papas in the 60’s and they might just as well have been singing about Newport this week. The temperature has dropped, Autumn is leaving us and now that the clocks have gone back, we are heading for winter.
Could be worse though….look at the East coast of the USA….there is always someone worse off than yourself!

If you are starting to feel the winter blues already, there is a simple remedy; take one large dose of great live music at least once a week and you will soon start to feel better. Like many happy converts who head for the Royal Navy Association, Bellman’s Yard, Newport, every Tues evening, there is nothing better to help lift the spirits.

A newcomer first on stage this week, Just Jimmy, otherwise known as Jimmy Bremner from Telford. A very sprightly 70 years old, he rocked the audience with a short set of rock & roll classics from Hank Williams, Buddy Holly and Kris Kristofferson, before another musician who we haven’t seen in a while, 


Dan Corcoran. Bearing  more than a passing resemblance to his countryman Bob Geldof, he delighted the room with a Bert Jansch blues number and then a touching ‘Letter from Syracuse’ before finishing with a little known Stones song, ‘Lady Jane’






 Robbie Pilgrim and Ashleigh Husselbee, just 14 and 15 respectively, have recently auditioned for Britain’s Got Talent and tried out just one song tonight, an excellent version of Damien Rice’s ‘Cannonball’…keep an eye out for them, a huge talent at a tender age.


Open mic regulars Olly & Jake next on stage and these two lads continue to impress; reworking well known songs and playing them in their own style. ‘Valerie’ and ‘Ain’t no Sunshine’ were very good indeed, but their version of John Mayer’s ‘Gravity’ was outstanding.


Good to see 6th Sense back at the club with Roger Clark on guitar, Alan Middleton on bass and Spence on drums backing an ever improving Lynne Bradbury. A solid set featuring ballads like, ‘Mad World’ and rockers like ‘Squeeze Box’ showcased their versatility, but Amy Macdonald’s ‘This is the life’ still my favourite.


A bit of a change for Dave Whiteman this week…… a real softy ballad from Crowded House was followed by a little known song from World Party, ‘Is it like Today?’ before the man with the effortless voice,
Martyn Templeton wowed the audience once again with the Tom Petty classic, ‘Freefallin’ and a great version of ‘Better’ by Tom Baxter.

Good to see Harry Wooley back to rude health and although he intended to just come and listen, he was persuaded to do a couple of tunes, ‘House of the Rising Sun’ and ‘Reconsider Baby’. Great stuff from this Navy stalwart.

If anyone can quieten a room it is Zoe Pinchin. Her strong, pitch perfect vocals are guaranteed to silence any conversation, and she did again with songs from Marc Cohn and Adele. Even with a sore throat she still sounds fabulous.

Just time for a bit of busking before the end, with Ade Morris and Ed Young, who used to play together in local party band, Airbag.  A couple of rock classics reworked for acoustic guitar rolled back the years and had the crowd joining in enthusiastically, to bring another great night to a close.

So our very own Generation Game in the Navy this week. Our oldest performer, 70yrs young and our youngest, just 14 years. There must be something there for you to enjoy and banish the winter blues?

Had a lovely evening last week at the Lion in Edgmond. The Open Mic has started again on Thurs evenings and it is excellent. There are no drums or amplifiers as such, so it is pretty much an acoustic evening and the sound quality and atmosphere are great. Don’t think of it as a rival to the Navy….the two definitely complement each other. If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a go.

That's all for this week, remember….keep music live!

Girl Power

Girl Power at the Navy Club     23rd Oct 2012       Words & pictures by Dave Whiteman

It just goes to show, you should never speak too soon!  A couple of weeks ago in this column, I was shouting from the rooftops about how well live music is supported in Newport with local venues regularly attracting decent crowds. So what happens?

Last Friday we had a really terrific band on in The Navy and just 25 people turn up…can you credit it? Still at least the small audience had an absolute treat with 4 piece band Sourmash putting a big smile on everyone’s face. Also worth a special mention was the guitar work of Nigel Martin …… just about the best I have seen down the club at any time. Shame if you missed it; catch up with them at some point.

No such worries on Tues night though as the weekly Open Mic took place at the Royal Naval Association in Bellman’s Yard with a great turnout of around 60 fans.

Straight into it this week, with Mellissa Walford ‘volunteering’ to do the sound check and belting out a couple of crackers from Adele and Jessie J, before first act Natalie Lewis took to the stage.

We haven’t seen Natalie at the club for a little while, but her gorgeous soulful voice soon stopped any conversation in the room. Accompanied by Steve Scenters on guitar, a fine set included Florence & the Machine and Alex Clare before closing with Adele’s ‘We Could Have Had it All’.

Olly & Jake followed and gave their usual polished performance, doing a great job of the Bill Wither’s classic, ‘Ain’t no Sunshine’….a difficult song to do at the best of times.

More from Mellissa Walford next. She has just started on the gigging circuit, and listening to ‘Fallen’ by Alicia Keys and a superb ‘Chasing Pavements’, she will get plenty of bookings.

Someone who hasn’t been seen in a while is Zoe Pinchin, better known by her maiden name of Zoe Churm. With her trusty sidekick Dave Whiteman providing guitar and backing vocals, she delighted once again with great harmonies on ‘Dream, then ‘Revolution’ a classic from Tracey Chapman, before finishing with Dreams from Fleetwood Mac. Don’t stay away so long!

Always dependable, Rich Evans followed on with borrowed guitar and had the crowd singing along enthusiastically to ‘Bring it on Home’ by the legendary Sam Cooke and ‘Kiss from a Rose’ by Seal. Great entertainment from this talented young man.

Olly & Jake returned to the stage next, bringing along 15yrs old Aaron Smith on lead guitar. A powerful blues jam broke the ice, before John Mayer’s ‘Gravity’ cemented a fine debut.

Around six months ago, local music legend Harry Woolley went to bed and woke up the next morning with almost total deafness.  A simple ear infection had developed in to something more serious and Harry was worried that it was the end of his singing career. Not likely! Back on stage for the first time since his treatment, he soon had the audience ‘Digging His Potatoes’ and visiting ‘St James Infirmary’ good to see you in such fine fettle Harry!

We hadn’t had a Scratchouse Band this week, but that was soon to be remedied. Roger Clark joined Rich Evans, along with Andy Clark on bass, Remynie behind the drum kit and the awesome Ben Garrott on saxophone. Crowd pleasers followed, including ‘Let’s stick Together’ and the Blues Brothers’ ‘Everybody’.

The place was just about winding down when another newcomer came to the sound desk. Chris ‘Fender’ Black had travelled all the way from Cannock after hearing about the Open Mic and spent an hour looking for us. It was well worth it though, as Chris, accompanied by Rosie Cheeks (otherwise known as Vanessa Rose) on bass and multi talented Remynie once again on drums, bought us a taste of his Rock & Roll show with foot tappers from Carl Perkins and Chuck Berry.

So once again, a satisfied crowd of music lovers leave the club after their weekly live fix.

If you missed it this week then be assured there will be more talent discovered next week, same time same place, in fact every week, Tues at 8pm at the Royal Navy Association in Bellman’s Yard Newport.

Just time to mention another couple of live gigs, tonight (Fri) at the Bradford Arms on the A5, Bob Fox will be wowing the Unicorn Folk Club with tales and music from the North East. For tickets ring Vicky on 01952 810355.

Fri 16th Nov, sees one of my favourite local bands, ‘Paul Parker & all the Right Friends’ playing at the Navy. Doors open at 8pm and just £3 on the door. Get there early; this is a very good and popular band.


All for now, remember, Keep it Live!!!

More & more new faces at The Navy         Words & Pictures by Dave Whiteman

Regular readers will already know that my favourite bit of the Open Mic is when a group of musicians get up and stage, pick up their instruments and then just stare at each other. There is always blankness in the eyes, but mixed with that, an excitement about what may come next…triumph or disaster! 
This happens each week during the sound check at the Newport Open Mic, held every Tues at the Navy Club in Bellman’s Yard. They have come to be known as the Scratchouse Band, and the songs will normally be preceded by a quiet call ”It’s in E”, or suchlike and then they will launch into whatever tune the singer happens to have chosen.

This week, under the watchful eyes and ears of Adam, the soundman, there were excellent renditions of songs from Springsteen, The Beatles and T Rex before the first artist of the evening took to the stage.

 It was Zoe Spencer’s first time at the club, but you would never have noticed. Accompanied by Simon Sinclair on guitar and Remynie on drums, she started with a self penned ‘All I Need’ before delighting the audience with an Amazonian Indian instrumental and then a great version of Kate Bush’s ‘Hound of Love’.

Ben Haynes has played the club before, but this time he brought a couple of friends, collectively known as The Dead Vespers playing a self written set, highlight of which was a soulful ‘Sweetheart Lullaby’.

More song writing skills in evidence from our next guest, Malcolm Purvis, who is from Leeds and visits the club whenever he is in the area. Imagine a Yorkshire Billy Bragg and you would be quite close! ‘Clear Blue Morning’ & ‘Yesterdays Lover’ preceded a fine love song…’The Girl on Line 14’ about a Polish girl he fancied at the place he used to work…..evocative poems put to music!

Robbie Pilgrim, aged 14, and Ashleigh Husselbee just 15 have applied for ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ and wanted to hear the crowd’s reaction to the song they have chosen for the audition. Adele’s ‘Someone like You’ accompanied by a simple guitar melody brought the house down…question answered?


A newly formed band up next had the ever reliable Roger Clark on guitar, Alan and Spence providing the rhythm section and Lynne Bradbury on vocals. A cracking opener from the Waterboys, ‘Fishermans Blues’, was followed by lively versions of Take your Mama Out and Drinking Malted Milk. Lynne’s vocals seem to get stronger and more confident every week.


Another newcomer next, and the crowd soon warmed to the subtle guitar and warm voice of John Pullen. A couple from Ocean Colour Scene and The Seahorses were very good, but his last song, the little known Crowded House number ‘You’d Better be Home Soon’ was the highlight.

Olly & Jake have raised the bar with their performances over the last few months. Whether it is the better mic control or just more confidence, Olly’s vocals are crystal clear and always a joy to listen to.  ‘So in love with You’ written by themselves, deserves to be recorded and their versions of a couple of Amy Winehouse songs, ‘Rehab’ and ‘Valerie’ were very well crafted.

There was a superb documentary this week about brilliant post punk 80’s band Squeeze, and next up, Dave Whiteman paid his own little tribute with one of their most famous hits, ‘Up the junction’, before introducing a friend who had travelled all the way from Pelsall. Garry Garbett had never sang to an audience before, but a warm Newport welcome helped him thorough his version of ‘Ruby, don’t take Your Love to Town’….mind you, he didn’t stop shaking for ten minutes afterwards!

Just time for Sixth Sense to send us off to our beds, rocking out with songs from The Who, Queen and even Nancy Sinatra, to bring another great evening of live music to a close. Same time, same place next week….if you don’t sing or play, just come along to listen to the best live music that Newport has to offer.

Finally, Nigel Martin has just returned from Canada, playing on tour with Bryan Adams, and he brings his band Sourmash to the Navy this Fri….doors open 8.30 and entry is just £3.

Don’t forget next Fri at the Bradford Arms on the A5 at Ivetsey Bank, Bob Fox takes a break from playing Warhorse in the West End to perform at the Unicorn Folk Club….not to be missed.

Tickets from Vicky on 01952 810355 or see  HYPERLINK "http://www.unicornfolkclub/" \h www.unicornfolkclub for more details, and the brilliant Paul Parker & All the Right Friends are appearing at the Navy Club on 16th Nov….keep an eye out for more details.

9th October 2012.

Aussie flavour at the Open Mic!    Words & Pictures by Dave Whiteman

What is it about Newport that makes the music scene so special?

 Is it something they put in the water? I have just moved back here after six years of being away (travelling, not prison) and it is a delight to see all the live music venues so well supported. In Peterborough, a city of some 200,000 people, there are a number of Open Mic evenings, but none that are held weekly.  Once a month is the norm and, if you are lucky, there will be four or five singer guitarists, no bands and in most cases, not a lot of atmosphere.

I mention this because here in Newport, with a population of only around 11,000 the Open Mic, held every Tues at the Navy Club in Bellmans Yard, still manages to attract at least ten different live acts every week and an audience consistently around the 50-60 mark...amazing!

This week was no exception. After a lively sound check with this week’s Scratchouse band Roger, Baz, Dave & Jake and under the critical ear of Adam the sound man, they rattled through a short set of rock classics which set the stall for the evening.

First up, Olly and Jake...how can they be veterans at just 16 years old?  A great version of Amy's 'Valerie' had the early audience tapping their feet before a superb self penned 'Stealing my Heart' showcased their emerging song writing talent.

Robbie & Ashleigh next up, and these two are rapidly gaining a reputation for well crafted songs with a simple guitar riff and very strong vocals. James Morrison’s 'Broken Strings' was excellent, but Ashleigh’s vocal on 'Hero' by Enrique Inglesias was quite superb.


Speaking of strong vocals, Mellissa Walford showed the depth of her range with a Christina Perry song 'A Thousand Years' then a self penned song, 'Take me Away' before finishing with an X Factor audition song, 'Last Night' by Lucy Spraggan. On this form it won't be too long before Mellissa is on X Factor herself!



One thing we do get in the club is variety, provided this week by a band from Shifnal making their first visit, The Misfits.   Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition' is never an easy song to do, but they managed it with ease before a great version of The Stone's 'Sympathy for the Devil' and a great singalong, 'Maggie’s Farm'






 Sharn Hodgkinson made her first appearance just last week and she returned to produce a super set, backed by Open Mic regular Alan Lane on guitar. Amy MacDonald’s anthem 'This is the Life' was the highlight.


One song that you can guarantee everyone will know the words to is 'Happy Birthday' and after the audience had sampled Cath Butler's self baked cake the whole room joined Dave Whiteman on guitar to  sing to her. Many happy returns Cath!

Next up we welcomed back Darcy Crawford, the local tennis coach. A very polished set sandwiched Ed Sheeran between Paulo Nutini's 'Last Request' and 'A little too Late' from Toby Keith. Excellent stuff from this talented young man.





Dave Johnson, visiting from Australia and on his second visit to the club had the audience singing along with 'Blueberry Hill'  and 'Putting on the Style' using only his trusted ukulele (and various self made sound effects!)








Another scratch band, This time Rich Thomas on guitar and vocals, the ever dependable Roger Clark on lead, Jon Davies on bass and Martin Neeson on drums, rattled through rock classics 'Johnny B Goode', 'Roll over Beethoven'  'Sweet Home Alabama' and a rousing 'Jumping Jack Flash'

Just time for a last bash, and it was Dave Johnson once again,  joined on stage by his son also named Dave and guitarist Sam Horne to play us out with a couple of belters from Eagle Eye Cherry and  America, before finishing with a terrific 'Hotel California' complete with solo....it really should have been written for ukulele! Bon voyage guys and a safe journey back to Brisbane...come back and see us soon.


An important date for your diary is Fri 26th Oct, when the Unicorn Folk Club will be celebrating its 27th birthday with a very special guest.

Bob Fox is currently playing Songman in the West End production of War Horse and he has found time in his busy schedule to play a rare gig in the area. The Bradford Arms on the A5 at Ivetsey Bank is the venue, and tickets are just £8 with full support. Contact Vicky on 01952 810355 or see  HYPERLINK "http://www.unicornfolkclub/" \h www.unicornfolkclub for more details, but be quick, tickets are going fast.

Can You Help With This...

 If anyone can help set up it would be appreciated, it might earn you a drink.

Can anyone help these aging rockers out with this song!!!

See you tonight..... Don't be late !!

2nd October 2012

Musical youth at the Navy!       Words by Dave Whiteman, pictures by Laurence Gale

A couple of years ago, one of the things we used to do at the Open Mic was to throw down a musical challenge to our talented bunch of local musos. 

Basically, if someone liked to play a lot of, say blues or rock, they would be given a tune to learn for the following week which would take them out of their comfort bubble…perhaps a country and western classic. This provided much amusement, hearing a heavy rock interpretation of ‘Stand by Your Man’ or a folkie remix of ‘Paranoid.’

I thought of that this week as summer officially came to a close with many parts of the country flooded and the Met Office declaring September the wettest on record.   What about ‘Why does it always rain on me?’ maybe ‘Raining in my Heart’ or even ‘Stormy Weather?’   Certainly ‘Raining in my Heart’ and ‘It might as well rain until September’ would make the list!  Whatever the weather, though, you are always guaranteed a warm welcome at the Newport Open Mic, held every Tues at the Navy in Bellmans Yard.

Scratchouse band this week had Roger Clark, Keith Johnson, Dave Whiteman and first timer, Louis Coupe on keyboards, with a small warm up set featuring songs from Eric Clapton and Elton John.

Last week Ashleigh Husselbee and Robbie Pilgrim, just 15 & 14 respectively, wowed the crowd on their first appearance and they were back to show it wasn’t a fluke. Adele’s ‘Someone like you’ reworked for Robbie’s guitar was the highlight of a super set.

Next up, newcomer Louis Coupe, another visitor from Shifnal’s Open Mic, Jaspers. Louis is only 16  but his fantastic keyboard and vocal skills belied his tender years. ‘Lady Madonna’ and Billy Joel’s ‘Piano Man’ had the audience demanding more and they got it with a fantastic boogie woogie piece from Hugh Laurie, ‘Swannee River.’ Great stuff from this talented young man.

Another youngster, Mellissa Severn, 14, up next, and I realised that the combined ages of the first four performers was still less than mine! Self penned songs ‘Rear view mirror’ and ‘White Lie’ were musical poems and her expressions gave you the feeling that you were watching a musical. Surely a career in the performing arts beckons for this young lady?

Open Mic regulars Vinyl Tap lifted the tempo straight away with ‘Town called Malice’, The Jam classic and then Alex showed his great vocal talent with a strong rendition of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’. A very solid performance from this much improved five piece.

Dave Whiteman followed and had the audience singing along to ‘Sunny Afternoon’ and the Four Non Blonde’s anthem ‘What’s Up?’ before Remynie-Kiah Faith, at 15, reduced the average age once again. A lovely guitar/vocal set featured songs from Rihanna and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus…no I’ve not heard of them either!

Rich Evans always brings something interesting to the table and this week it was an electronic loop. A funky ‘Word Up’ was followed by ‘We are young’ from Fun, but he saved the best till last….Sting’s ‘Englishman in New York’ was simply superb.

Martyn Templeton is another excellent vocalist and his varied set had songs from Eddie Cochran and Johnny Cash but it was an Emili Sande song, ‘Read all about it’ that quietened the room.

Time for a bit of rock and Pippin Henderson, Andy Conway and Rob McDonald, this week showed that you don’t have to raise the volume too much, to raise the tempo. A tuneful guitar instrumental segued first into ‘Voodoo Child’ and then ‘Whole Lotta Love’ with Pippin’s vocals clear and superb.

The reputation of the Open Mic seems to be spreading, because we had yet another couple of newcomers to close the show. Sharn Hodgkinson and Steve Edwards, on vocals and guitar, were joined by Vinyl Tap’s Alan Lane for a lovely balanced set with songs from Gabrielle Cimi and Fairground Attraction before an outstanding ‘This is the Life’ from Amy Macdonald. 

Ten acts featuring more than twenty local musicians, all playing live. If karaoke is your thing, head for the pubs on a Friday night……but if you want to hear real live music, the Navy Club on a Tues is the place to be.

‘Forever 15’ is a concert to celebrate the life of Lewis Smith and will feature four great acts, The Making, Dylan Evans, Running Wild and Arcade Parade.  Doors open 7pm on Sat 13^th Oct at the Royal British Legion and proceeds go to CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young).  Please give it your support.

Finally two more Open Mics to tell you about, Thursdays at The Lion in Edgmond and the new one at the Royal Victoria Hotel in St Marys Street on Fri evenings….go and have a listen!

Here is a picture of two sadly missed friends of the open mic. John Allen and Roy Hodges. Two better friends it would be hard to find. Who are now jamming with Hendrix.

Oh and here is one from the archives from one of the fantastic Open Mic Xmas parties.

 

See you all next week.