The horror of the Boston marathon bombings, the expected protests at Baroness Thatcher’s funeral, the 36 hour window of opportunity for Edinburgh Zoo’s giant pandas, Tian Tian and Yang Guang, to mate this week, a win for Wolves and Arsenal held to a 0-0 draw by Everton, these are the current news and sporting topics. 

Dominating the Newport music scene is the regular Tuesday Open Mic session at the Royal Naval Association in Bellmans Yard, which kicked off at 8.15 with local celebrity “Tich“ Evans playing his Paxton and Whitfield wine and cheese box dulcimer affectionately known as Amy Winebox and performing an excellent cover of Seasick Steve’s You Say Jump, followed by the Osama Bin Laden song on electric ukulele and, by complete contrast, Mumford & Sons The Cave and U2s With or Without You.

Darcy Crawford, no longer the new boy at Open Mic, never fails to please with new material from the Kooks with the song Naive followed by the King of Pop’s Man in the Mirror and finishing with Scouting For Girls, I Skip a Heartbeat.

Seen busking in the Square last Saturday to promote Music Matters 10 year old Jay Harris made his second appearance on stage at Newport Open Mic with super confidence and watched by proud family singing and playing guitar to the recent Olly Murs hit Troublemaker followed by That’s Entertainment, probably The Jam’s best known and most acclaimed song which was in the British charts 20 years before Jay was even born.

15 year old singer songwriter Melissa Severn brings a freshness and innocence to Open Mic and this week performed 4 original songs all of which tell stories of loss, unrequited love and life to which we can all relate, no matter what age. Songs included Eyes Like a Movie, Over, Paralysed (about a celebrity crush) and a new song What You’re Looking For. Once again proud parents were in the audience.

A delight to see singer, songwriter and pianist Chris Del Manso’s name on the board, another outstandingly talented young person and what a treat to hear a track from The Beatles album A Hard Day’s Night – You Can’t Do That. It is hardly believable to think that this song was released almost 50 years ago!! Goodbye Captain America, Chris’s signature song, reflects his influence by Elton John and was followed by another self penned song Jet Propelled Bitch (in her Jimmy Choo shoes) combining all the ingredients of top hit songs. Finally Chris’s interpretation of Elton John’s Rocket Man left us spellbound.

Lisa Frawley, accompanied by Olly Flavell on guitar, is a relative newcomer to Open Mic and looked relaxed and confident on stage singing some melodic ballads and an excellent version of the Zutons Valerie.

Young Nathan Davies would have made his dad, Martin, proud had he still been with us to hear him play 2 lesser known Levellers’ songs, Maid of the River and Battle of the Beanfield with Job on drums. A poignant memory to his father and bringing a lump to my throat Nathan finished his set by singing a song his father wrote and performed frequently called I Wonder Why. It was like having Martin Davies back with us. Well done Nathan.

With nearly 70 people in the room not many performers can bring the assembled crowd to rapt silence. One person who did however was teenager Remynie opening her superb, emotionally charged set with Stay by Sugarland, X Factor winner James Arthur’s version of Impossible and Linkin Park’s Numb.

A new name on the board and time fast approaching 10.30 was Sammi Elston Gunn and Deseado Stonechat (AKA Dan Nicholas) with two songs written by Sammi. Adam Brown on the sound desk had as ever done us proud and vocals and lyrics were as clear as a bell with Don’t Fall For Me which has had some air play on Nova Radio and If You Wanna Be With Me.  

Another newcomer to the Newport stage was Claire Shaw who delighted us with one of her favourite songs and a Bob Dylan classic, again from nearly 50 years ago, It Ain’t Me Babe followed by Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice’s Rootless Tree. We’ll look forward to seeing more of Claire at Open Mic.

The audience were still buzzing so Sammi sang and played a song which she only wrote a fortnight ago called Give Me A Reason To Come Home To – another hit with everyone. Not to be upstaged by the girls Chris Neophytou put down his camera and borrowed Sammi’s guitar and transported us to the Jamaican shores with the offbeat sound of reggae and Bob Marley’s No Woman, No Cry followed by a reggae style version of Wicked Game by Chris Isaak completing his set with Prince’s Little Red Corvette.

Just to wind the evening up Chris Del Manso played and sang Elton John’s Your Song and Circle of Life and The Beatles Back in the USSR.....Open Mic in Newport just gets better and better and I have run out of superlatives so come and see for yourselves. Every Tuesday at the Royal Naval Association in Bellmans Yard.

Girl Power

Words by Fiona Ward

Photos by Laurence Gale

The Thatcher era saw a significant change to popular music with a shift from traditional instruments and acoustic sounds to the electronic and synthesised modes of music – loved by some and hated by others. One thing Baroness Thatcher did do was to make the presence of women in society more significant and this was evident at Tuesday night’s Open Mic by the number of females who performed. “Girl Power” is definitely in action at Newport’s weekly event.

The evening started with the relaxing tones of Carol Cartwright, opening with The Impressions’ “People Get Ready”. This was followed by a fantastic rendition of the Rolling Stones “Ruby Tuesday”. Carol brings this song to life in her own style and it is a delight to listen to. Carol finished her set with the classic “Scarborough Fair”.

Kim Smith was next up. This was her second appearance at the Open Mic, and it was great to see her return to the club. Kim has a rich and clear voice and performed excellent acoustic versions of “Hey Ya” Outkast and Oasis’s “She’s Electric”. This was followed by Kim’s own self-penned number “Long Way Down” which was sung from the heart and gave Kim a chance to demonstrate some excellent skills on rhythm guitar.

Next up was Open Mic regular Olllie Flavell. Ollie has re-worked “I am Sexy and I Know It” into a very appealing slower acoustic version of the song.  The chord changes combined with the vocals are fantastic and Ollie ought to put this one on Youtube. Ollie also performed a medley of his favourite songs and a great performance of “Sweet Home Chicago”.

Melissa Watford made a welcome return this week to perform “Naïve by the Kooks, “Iris”, by the Goo Goo Dolls and the excellent self-written, “Dancing in the Stars”. Melissa also played Linkin Park’s “Numb” which amazingly she only learned how to play during the same day as her performance, which just shows how her confidence is growing. 

Jadene sang next with her unique voice, which alternated from husky, atmospheric tones to strong and clear vocals. Jadene sang “I don’t want to talk about it” followed by “Valerie“, accompanied by Ollie on guitar. The club fell into complete silence as she sang her final song, “Cry me a River” a-cappella.

The club was then treated to the rhythmic folk/blues/rock sound of Sharn and Alan including “Indian Summer” Stereophonics and Train’s “Hey Soul Sister”. Sharn’s 19 year old daughter Megan then stepped up to perform a set including Eva Cassidy’s “Wade on the Water” and “Hallelujah”. Megan has a beautiful voice with a melodic easy style.

The 5’1” Just Jimmy was supported by the 6’6” Neil Wilday, making a welcome return to Open Mic playing bass guitar, to perform an excellent country blend of songs including Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” and the classic “Hey Good Looking”.

Rich T then entertained everyone with his anarchistic style – ranging from a country rendition of The Who’s “We won’t get Fooled Again” through to “Baggy Trousers”. Rich finished his set with “God Save the Queen” by the Sex Pistols.

The multi-talented Remynie Kiah then performed a beautiful rendition of “Impossible”, accompanying herself on guitar. This was followed by a medley of songs using a tin can as a percussion instrument. Her musical coordination continues to amaze people week after week as the crowd fell into silence to listen to her.

Sam B picked up the pace delivering excellent performances and very strong vocal abilities including “Radioactive”, “Ironic” by Alanis Morrissette, and a very captivating and moving version of Christina Perri’s “Jar of Hearts”.   

Providing a fantastic finale to the evening, was Ben Garrott, opening a set with his saxophone, accompanied by Nathaniel on guitar and Richard on drums performing an instrumental blend of classic rock. The music flowed naturally and was completed by a guitar solo by Nathaniel bringing an excellent evening of music to a close.

With over 60 people in attendance and an audience age range of 15 to 71 Open Mic continues to appeal to all generations.

Too Hot To Handle.

Temperatures always above Freezing at Newport Open Mic – words Jude Paton, pictures Laurence Gale

The Stones are headlining Glastonbury this summer and if you want a ticket and a hotel for the weekend for the festival and the chance to hear Mick Jagger a month before his 70^th birthday then don’t expect to see change out of £6,000.

The same amount of money would buy you entry to Newport Open Mic every Tuesday at the Royal Naval Association in Bellmans Yard Newport Shropshire for the next 120 years with the certainty of top quality music and the chance to win chocolate or a bottle of wine. No mud, no wellies, your choice.

This week on main stage and opening the night was our resident photographer Laurence Gale kicking off with the Beatles classic Let It Be before giving a delightful rendition of American singer songwriter Harry Chapin’s Cat’s in the Cradle. Tragically Harry was killed at the age of 39 when his car was hit by a truck on the way to a benefit concert in New York but Laurence has been one of his fans for all the years that I have known him....and that’s quite a few.

Ollie Flavell belies his teenage years and sings with the maturity and confidence of a seasoned performer. This week he delighted the audience with a truly soulful version of Stevie Wonder’s Sunshine of my Life followed by his excellent interpretation of the Zuton’s song Valerie.

On a flying visit from his home town of Cork it was great to see one time regular supporter and performer Dan (the Shamrock) Corcoran back at the Navy Club albeit for one song but nonetheless a classic by Mississippi John Hurt, Stagger Lee.

Rich Evans was seen briefly on the dance floor with mop and bucket before taking to the stage with a classic Bob Seger number Night Moves, followed by Honky Tonk Woman and ending by way of complete contrast on guitar and bass drum with the famous sea shanty What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor which had the crowd singing from the crow’s nest.

Boughey Gardens tennis coach Darcy, now a regular at Open Mic never fails to delight music lovers with his ability to put across heartfelt emotion in his choice of songs, this week by Kings of Leon, The Calling and finally cleverly using his loop pedal and finishing  with Ed Sheeran’s Wayfaring Stranger.

Remynie Kiah first came to Newport Open Mic on her 13^th birthday, as a shy, nervous teenager nearly 3 years ago. Over the years we have had the privilege of seeing her develop her amazing musical talent and wonderful voice. As a drummer, keyboard player, guitarist and singer she has won over the admiration and respect of seasoned musicians at many of the local venues and this week she surprised us all using just her hands, voice, a table and a can of vimto performing the Cup Song – You’re Gonna Miss Me. The crowd of nearly 60 were stunned into silence. Well done Rem – what a delight.

It’s been a while since Luke Drew has performed at the Navy Club and although he is well known for writing his own material, this week he performed some lesser known songs by Bright Eyes and the Ramones. Good to see you back Luke.

Three quarters of the way through the evening and up till that point all top class solo acoustic sets. 5 piece band Vinyl Tap were next up however to make full use of the equipment which is purchased, replaced or updated from the £1entry fee you pay at the door. Regular lead guitarist Brad Taylor was replaced this week by Rich Evans whose arm was twisted to stand in at short notice with a set which included Chasing Cars which built up from a melodic start to a strong rhythmic sound and excellent vocals from Alex Ash, Remynie on drums, Jude on bass and Cath Butler demonstrating her skills on keyboards. Creep, The Model and Walking in Memphis completed a rousing performance.

The evening was drawing to a close but not before Martin Templeton sang Paul Weller’s classic Pebbles on a Beach, This is the Life by Amy McDonald and Ben E King’s Stand By Me. A lovely choice of contrasting songs from Martin followed by an encore from Darcy Crawford with Paolo Nutini’s Candy – a great song and great lyrics “just give me some candy after my hug”. Well done to Ollie for bringing another great evening of music to a close, thanks to Adam Brown on the sound desk, those of you who put everything away at the end and of course to all of you who support LIVE MUSIC in Newport. See you same time same place.

St George’s Day Concert

RICH EVANS, who frequently entertains us at the Navy Club, is one of the star guests at the St. George’s Day Concert, to be held in the Cosy Hall, Water Lane on Saturday 20^th April at 7.45pm. Also appearing will be Cuckoo Oak, Will Morgan and the Unicorn Folk Band. Tickets £5 from Jude at Hey Jude’s and Alison at the Book Nook. Bar and raffle.

Classic Rock ?? Yes Please..,.

Words by Fiona Ward

Pictures by Matthew Thomas

Despite the weather being bitterly cold with traces of snow around, and even with the televised England football match against Montenegro, there was still a great turn out to watch this week’s musicians at Open Mic Night with over 50 people attending at the Navy Club on Tuesday.

Adam Brown took on the invaluable role of “MC” as Ollie Flavell, Mark Langford, Steve Smith and Remynie Kiah jammed together to perform a mixture of Rock n roll, Blues and Rock as a sound check and warm up to the evening. This included a very polished performance by Ollie of the Zutons’ “Valerie”. Ollie’s vocal abilities and style have developed fantastically during the time he has been attending Open Mic.

Once the sound check was complete, regular Rich T. took to the stage with an acoustic set. This included “Big Bad John” which suited Rich’s deep voice, followed by Rich’s own version of Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil went down to Georgia” made up of his own lyrics, a Rich T trademark!

Nathan Davis made a welcome return to the club with his relaxed, acoustic manner. His set included the classic “Jolene”, by Dolly Parton and Beautiful South’s “Prettiest Eyes”. These were great song choices that worked really well for Nathan’s voice and style.

The pace picked up mid-evening, as the excellent Bang to Rights performed. Mark Langford on lead guitar, Mervyn Williams on vocals and guitar, Steve Smith on Bass and stand in drummer Andy Conway  delivered a resounding  rock set including Pokerface, (Lady Gaga) Pretty Vacant (Sex Pistols), and the new Rolling Stones number Doom and Gloom. They finished off with Whole lot of Rosie by Ac/Dc. What a short sharp and well rehearsed set that was, and we look forward to getting them back on stage here real soon. . 

Nathan returned to the stage to perform a lovely acoustic version of Wonderwall and was then joined by his friend Jobe on drums. Having heard Jobe play on guitar before at Open Mic, and now trying out the drums, he should get up on stage more often.  It is encouraging to notice the increase in the numbers of young people who have been attending the events and the relaxed style of the evening makes it an ideal platform for young people to develop and practice their musical talents at a live venue.

This brings me on to Rich Evans – probably one of the most relaxed and inventive performers joined by friends Martin Templeton and John Pullen playing together as Graytone.  An excellent acoustic/electric set using a “cajon” instead of a drum. Originating from Africa and Central America this percussion instrument resembles a wooden box and is affectionately referred to by the band as the “rabbit hutch”. Their set included “My Beautiful Neighbourhood” by Space, “Remember Me” by the Zutons and Jake Bugg’s “Trouble Town”. 

The club saw the second spontaneous jam of the evening as Rich T, Remynie Kiah, Ben Garrot, Mark Langford and Dan Renyard got up to perform a set of Rock and Roll numbers including Johnny Be Good, Roll Over Beethoven and Rock Around the Clock.  It was great to hear Ben playing the saxophone, and it is brilliant when the Open Mic regulars jam together so naturally.  One customer said “It’s the prospect of them going up there and not knowing what they’re going to play that’s exciting”

Pip, Andy and Dan’s blend of rhythmical hard rock was next with an instrumental version of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love”. The coordination between the guitars was fantastic and the build-up of pace reached a crescendo as they neared the end of the song blending into Voodoo Chile. It was an excellent performance.

The evening was rounded off by the wonderful Alex Hislop, a first timer at Newport Open Mic. He arrived with his Bazouki (a Greek musical instrument, similar to a mandolin) and performed a set of folk songs.  The Bazouki was very melodic and rhythmical and complimented Alex’s strong vocal abilities. Two of his songs “The Path” and “Patterns” were composed by Alex himself and were moving and uplifting.   We would very much encourage Alex to return to Open Mic, which is held every Tuesday at 8pm onwards.