Where does Newport get this young talent?  Words: Dave Whiteman, Pictures: Laurence Gale

Did you ever watch The Old Grey Whistle Test? The programme name came from a legend that if the grey haired lift attendants at the BBC centre could whistle the tune to a song that they had just heard, then that song would likely become a hit. I was reminded of this on Tuesday night at The Navy, where a wealth of new young local talent played their own material and for a day or two afterwards, I was humming the tunes., So says Mr Dave Whiteman (to your left).

Newcomers Richochet, a duo from Trench were first on stage, with a mixture of originals and covers. Sand Kumar on guitar and Scott Thompson on bass treated us to a couple of great songs from The Libertines and Babyshambles, but it was a self- penned number, ‘Underage and Underpaid’ which caught my attention.

A couple of young rising guitar stars, Robbie Pilgrim and Jobe Spencer, followed. They could barely hold a tune a year ago, but their instrumental renditions of Radiohead’s ‘High & Dry’ and ‘Lightning Bolt’ from Jake Bugg were superb. Once again though it was as yet unnamed original that got the most applause. When are we going to hear a vocal from you two?

We pride ourselves on showcasing young musicians at The Navy, and the next band was, by far, the youngest we have ever had. Ten years old Jay Harris is well known at the Open Mic, and on Tues he assembled Charlie Parker and Jack Emerson, also both 10yrs old, to form a great three piece, ‘Born With Attitude’. Where these youngsters get their confidence from to play in front of a sixty or so audience, I cannot imagine, but they simply blew us away with Jimi Hendrix’s ‘All Along the Watchtower’, before Jay stayed on stage to give us a solo version of ‘Sweet Child Of mine. Credit to their parents for encouraging such musical passion.

Given such youth, we tend to regard some of our performers as ‘mature’ and it is easy to forget that next up, Nathan Davies, is himself only sixteen. ‘I Wanna Wake Up With You’ was the third bestselling single of 1986, by Boris Gardiner, and Nathan changed its original reggae beat into a really nice acoustic guitar song. Covers from The Wonder Stuff and The Levellers completed a fine set for this talented young man.

Another newcomer next up. Thom James, who has recently moved back to Newport after living in Sheffield for the last seventeen years, told me he wants to get involved in the local music scene and he clearly enjoyed his first outing at the club. The classic ‘Boy Named Sue’ was a great opener and songs from The Ramones and a little known tune from Bones Park Rider, ‘Up all Night’ made for a fine debut.

Haven’t seen Lizzie Hogan at the club since around October, but she once again made a terrific impact, with her fantastic keyboard and brilliant vocals. This 21 year old is another supremely talented musician who writes all her own material and listening to her songs make you think that you have heard them on the radio before. Her music is well crafted, original and at times though provoking……. I am sure songs like ‘Human’ and ‘Fill Your World’ would make great singles.

Is it only a few months ago that Gaz Attwood brought his band Gaz & the Tones to the Navy for the first time? To say they have come on in leaps and bounds is an understatement and now with new drummer Andrew Clegg on board, they really are performing well. They manage to marry a quite original 12 string acoustic rock sound, think sixties summer of love, with a driving rock beat that is bang up to date. Once again, their set was all self-penned and provided another couple of Old Grey Whistle Test numbers for me to hum for the rest of the week.

Time for Just Jimmy from Telford to bring a great evening of live music to a close. Jimmy, who at 72 managed to raise the average age of the performers by some measure, recruited Ed Young on guitar to rattle through a couple of Johnny Cash standards, ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ and ‘Ring of Fire’.

So yet another brilliant evening of locally produced live music from a very talented Newport Musical Youth brought the Open Mic to a close for 2013.  Don’t forget, next Tues is the highlight of the year, the Christmas Party, with Gaz & the Tones supporting six piece band Reworx. A hot supper is provided and entry is free of charge, but please bear in mind that there will be a collection for the Open Mic charity of choice, Severn Hospice.