Oh What a Night. Words by John Heath

If life is going smoothly, there are so many things that you take for granted and you tend to forget about them.

 

One thing I forgot to include in last week’s report, because it is going so smoothly, is the work done by the sound engineer, Adam Brown, who travels over from Market Drayton most weeks to perform his magic on the sound desk. He provides clean, crisp sound from the lowest bass to the highest treble which is a joy to listen to. He helps to set up at the start of the evening, and he is there to coil the wires at the end of the night. I wonder if he’ll let me adopt him. Thanks this week, however, goes to Rich Evans for manning the sound desk as Adam is busy with coursework deadlines.

 

As I rolled up to the Navy at 7pm, Nathan Davies and his mate Jobe were outside the club writing a song about a cardboard box and writing it down on a Pizza box. They said that they stayed behind after school and had nothing to do while waiting for the club to open, so they bought a Pizza and subsequently wrote the song on the lid of the box.

 

Time for the sound check and birthday girl Remynie joined the very enthusiastic Olly Flavell, Steve Smith and Mark Langford on stage to get the evening off to a start in a party mood. The audience joined in singing the Happy Birthday song to her. Later on in the evening she paid tribute to Ben who dragged her onto the stage to sing for the first time three years ago, “And look at what a monster I have created!” he quipped.

 

Carol Cartwright got the evening off to its official start followed by Martyn Templeton, the man with the powerful voice and the mobile eyebrows. Martin came into the club about five years ago simply to check out what was going on and has been a regular ever since.

 

Sammi Elston sings her own songs, telling stories of her own experiences. “I break a lot of boy’s hearts,” she told me. This little heartbreaker will be supporting Nell Bryden at the Slade Rooms in Wolverhampton next month.

 

Mark Langford was joined by Steve Smith and Pete Barton to prove he is “So Hard To Handle”.

 

I have been trying to avoid making any reference to the weather, but Sharn and Alan reminded us all that indeed there “Ain’t No Sunshine”. But now it is time for me to be “Leaving On A Jet Plane” to get back to Colombia with its almost constant sunshine and 25⁰C (well, someone has to do it), after having enjoyed three blissful weeks in Newport, with three blissful evenings at the Navy.

 

Why not treat yourself to a bit of bliss at the Navy, Bellman’s Yard, Newport, every Tuesday from about 8pm?

 

A reminder that there will be a Friday night music night at the Navy Club on 7^th June with classic rock from One O’Clock Hogs in aid of Cancer Research to commemorate what would have been Daniel O’Rourke’s 30^th birthday. Tickets are £3 and available from Hey Jude’s in Newport Indoor Market.

 

Words by John Heath
 Photography Matthew Thomas