Battle of the Guitarists at The Navy!   Words: Dave Whiteman, Pictures: Laurence Gale


Are you a Pointless fan? My wife and I are regular watchers of this popular TV quiz programme, and the other week, I actually got a

‘Pointless’ answer…..Alex Coomber. No wiser? What about Janice Rankin, Fiona MacDonald, Debbie Knox or Rhona Martin? All of these except the last one were pointless when the question was “Name a British Winter Sports Medallist”…..Rhona having captained the GB Ladies Curling team to Gold in Salt Lake City in 2002. Sadly no-one recalled her team mates, or Alexandria (Alex) Coomber who won a bronze in the Skeleton at the same games, so they were all pointless answers. So file away Jennifer Jones and Lizzy Yarnold….they may well win you a quiz in years to come! It might also be worth remembering some of Newport’s young musical talent. Who knows, a lucky break and a hit record and you may be able to say “I knew them when they used to play Open Mic down at the Navy”

A veritable army of supporters helped to set up in record time, so it was all systems go by 8pm with yet another full board of performers to get through in a busy night of live music. Dave Blue assembled a nice Scratchouse band with Steve Davis, Olly Flavell and Andy Clarke and their short but lively blues set had soundman Adam Brown nodding his approval and the crowd of seventy or so showing loud appreciation.

Telford duo, Ricochet have now become a trio with the addition of new energetic drummer Cameron Pierce. Sand Kumar on vocals and guitar and bassist Scott Carson always entertain with their ‘thrash, metal punk’ but with the steady solid beat behind them, they have added a new dimension to their act.

How do we get three into four? Guitarist Steve Hammond from Shrewsbury turned up looking for other musicians to play with and another visiting guitarist, Steve Lock from Peterborough was after the same. Fortunately, drummer Matt Miles was in the audience and also looking for musical collaboration, so it seemed the right thing to partner them up with Ben Garrott on saxophone to form our second Scratch House band of the evening. A lovely version of ‘Moondance’ by Van Morrison started their performance and showcased Ben’s brilliant alto sax . No room for two lead guitars, so both Steves switched lead and bass halfway through to give each other the chance to shine. A polished version of ‘Sultans of Swing’ by Dire Straits brought a superb set to a close.

Throw down a guitar challenge and Dave Sandford, AKA Dave Blue will be first to pick up the gauntlet. Keeping the same rhythm section and adding Olly on guitar, he ticked all the right boxes with classic numbers from JJ Cale, Eric Clapton and Hendrix…. a blistering performance.


Of all the acts I saw last year, the one who impressed me most was 16 years old Zac Christie, so great to see him back at the club. His laid back guitar style and soulful voice are quite superb and within seconds he had the audience in the palm of his hand once again. A lovely version of ‘No Surprises’ from Radiohead’s 1997 album OK Computer was outstanding and no surprise when the audience wanted more. He obliged with a new self-penned song, ‘Love You So’ confirming my first thoughts about Zac….he will go far.

Club regulars Gaz & the Tones up next, with their polished acoustic rock that never fails to please. I understand they are now actively looking for gigs in the area, so if you haven’t seen them make sure you do. Favourites ‘Sweet Lorenzo Harmony’ and ‘Maybe it’s Me’ sound tighter than ever and both were included in a fine set.

Local tennis coach Darcy Crawford has been very busy at work and has had little time for performing. Half term break gave him the opportunity to visit, ‘just to have a listen’ but a little bit of arm twisting had him returning home for his guitar to bring the evening to a close. A heavily looped ‘Wayfaring Stranger’ is complicated, fun and enjoyable, but for me he is at his best when just using his superb voice and great guitar. Songs from Paulo Nutini and The Script showed that he hasn’t lost his touch and a rip roaring ‘500 miles’ from The Proclaimers, had the audience enthusiastically singing along and was the perfect way to finish off a fabulous evening of live music.

So make a mental note of a few of these names. Some of us, myself included, are far too old to trouble the music world, but I suspect some of our younger ones may well win you a future quiz!

See you next week, until then Keep it Live.

South America calling!  Words by Jude Paton & Dave Whiteman, Pictures: Laurence Gale

From our overseas correspondent, Jude Paton:

Five degrees north of the equator and 90 degrees in the shade, Open Mic in Colombia starts at the crack of dawn with the shrill tunes of Hummingbirds accompanied on percussion by Woody Woodpecker. The gentle sounds of Latin American favourites The Iguanas and The Chameleons are the opening act for super group ‘Them Crooked Vultures’ (John Paul Jones, Dave Grohl and Josh Homme) who’ve just flown in from the Andes to perform in the Cauca River Valley along with their 20 strong vulture entourage. A great show ensues, ending with them all soaring high above on the thermals before departing down the valley.

A coconut dropping from 40 feet reminds me of the time when Bongo Eddie from Kid Creole and the Coconuts made an appearance at Newport Open Mic….and brilliant he was too! Late night sounds come from The Crickets followed the Colombian Frog Chorus which always goes down well. I hate to put any performer down but the least popular act, The Mosquitos invariably send the audience scurrying home, arms flapping but happy to return for more the next day.
 
All these lovely sights and sounds provided free by nature here in South America.  And is that Woody Woodpecker back for an encore? No it´s just my host, John Heath practicing on his castanets again. Hasta Luego amigos see you next week!..........
 

...Jude would definitely have approved this week’s line up. Malcolm Purvis, from Leeds opened the proceedings and introduced a new toy…an electronic harmoniser. For the first time we heard Malcolm supplement his own songs with a couple of covers…and what a couple of crackers they were. Both written by Australian James Rayne, ‘Reckless’ and ‘Any Day Above Ground’ sounded as two voices in perfect harmony from just one man and his guitar.

Haven’t seen Lexi Tapley in ages, and she was clearly nervous as she took to the stage with Open Mic regular Alan Lane. Any anxiety was quickly dispelled as she sang beautifully throughout a set that included U2 and David Guetta. My personal favourite was ‘Landslide’ by Fleetwood Mac, with brilliant guitar picking from Alan.

Speaking of brilliant guitar, next up Jobe Spencer and Robbie Pilgrim still have not found the confidence to sing, but gave us instead a superb improvised instrumental set that showcased a great talent. Maybe a song or two next week lads?

Just before the start, our youngest performer, Jay Harris gently reminded me that he is no longer ten years old. Showing off his brand spanking new Epiphone guitar, an 11^th birthday present  from his proud parents, he wowed the crowd with a great song from The Editors before playing what has become his signature song….’Sweet Child o’ Mine’……. reckon I will be handing over the reins to Jay in the next few years!

Next up Nathan Davis, at sixteen, seemed positively ancient by comparison. Ably supported by Jobe Spencer on lead, he treated us to a new, as yet unnamed song before a very ambitious and quite excellent ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ from American power balladeers Journey. Great stuff Nate.

Remynie Faith brought her new band Feorh, to play at the Navy for their first live performance. Their name translates from Old English as ‘live principles of soul spirit for eternity’ and nervous glances were seen around the room as the first heavy metal chords belted out. No need to worry as a couple of lively self-penned songs, ‘52 hertz’ and ‘Widow’ preceded a very lively Black Sabbath classic, ‘Paranoid’. Ozzy would have been very pleased!

How do you follow that?.....with Richard Thomas of course. New versions of songs from The Eagles and Gloria Gaynor led the way before an anarchic ‘God Save the Queen’……all played brilliantly on his newest acquisition, a ukulele.

Gaz & the Tones have established themselves as firm favourites, and very nice to see them introduce a couple of covers. ‘Handle with Care’ the Wilbury’s anthem perfectly suited their rock acoustic style, and an unexpected ‘Burning Love’ from Elvis completed a fine set.

      Mick Skinner and Clive Roberts from Telford, and collectively known as Click, made their debut next and soon had the crowd of seventy or so in the palm of their hand. ‘Ricky Don’t Lose That Number’ by Steely Dan, never an easy number to play, showcased their musical prowess. Hope we see you back again soon, gents?

Just time for our photographer Laurence Gale and singing partner Rob Bryon to bring a great evening to a close with covers from Jackson Brown and The Faces, amongst others. 

Many thanks to those who help to set up and break down, it would not be possible without you. 

Till next week, keep it live!

Terrific new duo at The Navy. Words: Dave Whiteman, Pictures: Matt Thomas and Laurence Gale

Some regulars may have noticed the absence over the last few weeks of our organiser/ticket seller/bass player and general dogsbody, Jude Paton. Well, Jude has taken a holiday…and not just any old holiday. She is on the other side of the world in Colombia, South America visiting an ex-Newport musical mate, John Heath. Last I heard she was heading off for a four day trip in the mountains to seek new influences……I expect her back wearing a poncho and clutching her pan pipes within the next week or so!

I am pretty sure she would have enjoyed this week’s offering at the Newport Open Mic, held at the Navy club in Bellman’s Yard every Tuesday at 8pm. The truly awful weather was not enough to deter some sixty or so diehard live music fans, and with around ten acts it was a busy, busy evening.

With a full board of performers by just after eight, Rich Evans was unable to find a playing slot before 11pm. He was nevertheless persuaded to open the show early with his usual great humour and professionalism, and his tribute to the late Pete Seeger, ‘Pay Me My Money Down’ was a lively start to the evening.

Two youngsters who have made massive improvements this year are Robbie Pilgrim and Jobe Spencer, both aged just 15. It seems just a few months ago, they were gazing at their shoes whilst tentatively strumming their guitars. They are now far more structured and the balance between the two quite different styles, one gentle picking and strumming, the other, haunting solos, was quite superb. Sandwiched between a couple of instrumental jams was an excellent version of Tom Petty’s ‘Freefallin’……great stuff.

Gaz & the Tones have been regulars at the club for some time now and their original compositions never fail to please. They always manage to slip in a new number amongst their well-established and better known songs, which shows that whilst perfecting the act, they are not neglecting their song writing.

Dave Blue assembled the first Scratch House band of the evening, recruiting first, Rich Evans on vocals and the Collister brothers from Gaz & the Tones on bass and drums. A typical blues set had all the right ingredients, Clapton, Hendrix and JJ Cale, but when multi-instrumentalist Ben Garrott joined them on stage with his brand new, lightweight, sparkling white alto sax, the sparks really did fly. Brilliant stuff from these seasoned musicians.

Steve Hammond, a talented guitarist from Shrewsbury first came to the club a few weeks ago, looking to join or form a band. Retaining the services of Andy on bass and brother Tony on drums, he showcased his talent once again. A lively ‘Mustang Sally’ was followed by a song I have never heard busked before….Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition’….I am quite sure Steve will not be waiting for a band for very long.

Jobe Spencer made his second appearance of the evening, this time adding thoughtful guitar solos to Nathan Davis’s set.  A couple of Levellers numbers, including ‘Maid of The River’ preceded a fine rendition of ‘Cannonball’ by Damian Rice.

Their bass player Jude may well be in South America, but a quick trawl had bluesman Dave Sandford swapping six strings for four to join Vinyl Tap, on stage for a great set of covers. Closing song ‘Town Called Malice’ was a perfect choice, judging by the number of dancers on the floor.

Nice to see Claire Shaw from Telford, back at the club. She has a lovely voice and a nice economical guitar style but she is not averse to taking a musical risk, evidenced by songs from Katy Perry and electronic dance music trio, Swedish House Mafia.  A self-penned song ‘Heavy Heart’ closed a super set.

‘You Went and Saved the Best Till Last’ is regarded as Vanessa Williams’s signature tune, but the title was really fitting for our penultimate act of the evening. Wolverhampton based Jade & JP had waited patiently all evening and when they started their acoustic/rock/soul/disco medley everyone in the room sat up and took notice. Jade Duncombe on vocals was superbly backed by JP Haslam who managed to make his guitar sound like three instruments. Switching seamlessly from Dolly Parton, through Wild Cherry and finishing with Jackson Five….all on one acoustic guitar, it was quite clear they are seasoned performers. Hope we see you guys back again before too long.

 
Just time for late arrival Pete Nihill to send everyone on their way with his gruff gravelly voice, like a cross between Tom Waits and Lois Armstrong. Pete’s old open tuned 12 string sounded superb and brought a brilliant evening of live music to a close. 


Till next week….keep it live!

Acoustic once again at The Navy.  Words and pictures: Dave Whiteman

I've just returned from a short holiday in Spain….well Benidorm actually! And, yes before you ask, it really is a lot like the popular TV programme, with thousands of Brits visiting every year to enjoy the climate, the cheap booze and the all-day breakfasts. Wherever you go in the town, you will find musical entertainment, from the smallest bars to the biggest clubs, but almost all have the same thing in common. Although the glossy advertisements on the street state ‘Live music every night’ it is really no such thing…..it is normally vocalists without any form of instrument singing along to backing tracks. Don’t get me wrong, some of them are incredibly good….we saw a fantastic four piece Queen tribute act for instance, but in the main, if you like truly LIVE music, then it probably isn’t the place to go.

Unlike our very own Newport Open Mic, held every Tuesday evening at the Royal Naval Association in Bellman’s Yard. This week saw a continuation of our acoustic sessions, which started a few months ago and is held on the last Tues in the month. This is a much softer approach to our evenings, with just electric acoustic guitars, and no bands. A Cajon provides the rhythm section instead of a drum kit and even though the voices and instruments are amplified the whole evening is a much quieter affair.

A new face opened proceedings, Tristan Wood from Market Drayton. His very comfortable blend of melodic voice and lovely guitar was a very nice start to the evening…… ‘Universal Soldier’ original written by Buffy Saint Marie and recorded in the UK by Donovan, was a highlight……please come back again Tristan.

Guitar/vocalist Sand Kumar and bass man Scott Thompson, collectively known as Richochet, then followed with an ‘almost acoustic’ set which included songs from The Libertines as well as a couple of their own tunes, which included new song ‘89’.  Catch their gig at The Haygate on 20^th Feb.

Always good to see the incredibly talented 15 years old Melissa Severn. Although busy with her GCSE’s, she still found time to visit the Navy and entertain the crowd with her totally original set including a new song, ‘Sleepwalker’. I understand that she has just been into the studio to record this song…. good luck with that Melissa.

Adam Brown on the desk as usual,  was giving us a great sound with every instrument and vocal clearly heard throughout the room, and next to benefit was Nathan Davis. Opening with a new self-penned composition, ‘I’ll Always Say’ Nathan is clearly developing into a very accomplished singer song writer….just like his Dad.


 
Speaking of young talented singer songwriters, Olly Flavell is firmly in that category, and he also showcased a couple of new songs, ‘Right by My Side’ and ‘I don’t Know Why’. Catch Olly’s Open Mic at The Bridge on alternate Thursday's.






I always like to hear good harmonies and the acoustic setting was the perfect stage for Steve Crouch and Ben Jason, from Cheswardine. With Steve on guitar, Ben on harmonica and both voices dovetailing so well, it was a fine vocal performance. Anyone that can mix Nik Kershaw and The Beatles in the same set is alright with me!


I can’t remember the last time I saw Ed Sullivan down at the club. In mid-2013 a group of us went to The Robin in Bilston to see the last live performance of great local band Weazel Diesel whose final gig was as support act to Nine Below Zero. Well, they may not have played together for ages, but when Ed reunited with former band member Rich Evans it was if they had never been away. ‘Fulsom Prison Blues’ was a great crowd pleasing opener, a tribute to John Mayall a brilliant filler and then a very unusual and original interpretation of ‘Here I Go Again’ by Whitesnake had the crowd asking for more. As if you had never been away lads……time for a reunion?

The acoustic open mics have been a popular extension of our weekly live music evenings, but as usual we rely heavily on you, the members, to give feedback. The intention is still to keep the last Tuesday of every month in this format, but please, speak to the organisers and let them know what you think.

So Benidorm or Newport? One has the sun, cheap beer & food and of course, Union Jack T-shirts, but a severe shortage of genuine LIVE music. The other is far more picturesque, the people speak the same language, there isn’t a Union Jack T-shirt in sight and the music is always live! Come and see what all the fuss is about, every Tuesday at the Navy.  Keep it live, Adios!

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