Lots of new talent at the Navy. Words : Dave Whiteman, pictures by Laurence
Gale
They say time seems to go faster as you get older.
It seems just a few weeks ago we were all looking forward to Christmas and now
here we are in March. It's nice to be able to report that the popularity of the
Newport Open Mic has continued, with regular attendances of around fifty, which
on a cold winter evening isn't bad at all.
Carol Cartwright from Gnosall has become somewhat of
a regular and her soft voice and melodic guitar is the perfect start to the
evening. This week, songs from The Stones, Simon & Garfunkel and a classic
from Joni Mitchell, Big Yellow Taxi set the scene for a busy night of music.
Jordan Clempner is a newcomer to the Navy and he
tested the water by playing just one song, Crazy by Andrew Garcia. Judging by
the reaction of the crowd and his big smile as he left the stage, I am sure we
will see more of this 16 year old. 
Richie Evans is not only a very talented musician,
but he often reminds me of the professor from Back to The Future. Never content
to just stick to guitar he has a range of inventions guaranteed to spark
interest. This week it was a 'stomp box' which added a bass thump to his first
two numbers, Galway Girl and Hey Ho by The Lumineers. Final number Piano Man by
Billy Joel, with Richie also playing harmonica, brought back nice memories. 
Just as last week seemed to be dominated by female
vocalists, (was there a footie match on or something?) this Tues it seemed to be all fellas. Darcy
Crawford followed on with a great set featuring Paulo Nutini and The Calling,
before livening up the audience with a spirited 500 miles from The Proclaimers. 
The ever reliable Olly Flavell filled in a short gap
with just a couple of songs before another new act, D n B otherwise known as
Ben Garrott and Nathaniel Davies, came on stage. Ben is a very talented
musician this week on keyboards, and if his solo rendition of The Ink Spot's I
Don't Want to Set the World on Fire was an eye opener, the next one Fly Me to
The Moon with Nat joining in on the vocals was excellent.
Plenty of variety then and next up Richard Thomas
can always be relied upon to provide that. Normally just accompanying himself
on guitar, he was this week at the back, playing drums behind a four piece
band, The Business. 'Chicken' the bass
player is no stranger at the Navy, but guitarist Steve Renyard and Martin Lang
on sax have not been seen for quite a while. Starting with a Madness number is
always a good idea; One Step Beyond had all the feet tapping, and a soulful
Knock on Wood reminded me of a stripped down Commitments. 
Once again the board was completely full and a quick
changeover saw Alan lane accompanying Sharn Hodgkinson through a couple of
great songs, Glitter & Gold from Rebecca Ferguson and Ain't no Sunshine in
which Alan's playing deserves a special mention. The other Woman by Caro
Emerald finished off an excellent set. 
Martyn Templeton raised the tempo a bit with Three
Steps to Heaven and Stand by Me before another Open Mic favourite took to the
stage. The silky voiced Zoe Pinchin made her first visit to the club in quite a
while last week and it was good to see her back once again. With her regular
partner Dave Whiteman on guitar, she effortlessly flowed through songs from
Adele, Guns & Roses and a cracker from Sheryl Crow, Soak up the Sun. I hope
this means we will be seeing more of this Navy Club favourite.
Always good to see a Scratchouse band taking to the
stage and to close the show this week, another first timer Billy Biscuit,
assembled half of The Business, Chicken and Rich T (sounds like a sweet &
sour dish!) with the ever reliable Roger Clark on lead guitar to rock us to the
end of the night. A great opener, Brown Eyed Girl was followed by a short set
of classic rock & roll to finish off a brilliant evening of local live
music.
The Navy Club every Tues at 8pm is the place to be
if you like your music live.
Whether you
want to sing, play or just listen, you can be sure of a warm welcome at the
Newport Open Mic.
Also don’t forget Open Mic at the Lion in Edgmond, every
Thursday around 9pm….give it your support.
See you there
and keep it live!
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