A Taste of Summer and The Sound of Music

It is nearly 50 years since the Rodgers and Hammerstein film musical of the Sound of Music starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer hit the big screen. The film won 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture and displaced Gone with the Wind as the highest grossing film of all time. 

Newport’s Sound of Music on a Tuesday night at the Royal Naval Association in Bellman’s Yard may not gross quite so much but is still going strong. It was immediately apparent, looking at the running order on the board, that the performers at last Tuesdays Open Mic probably had never even heard of the Sound of Music. They included Robbie Pilgrim aged 16, Jobe Spencer, 15, Jay Harris, 11 and 17 year old Ollie Flavell. Dave Blu Sandford (sorry Dave), recently turning 60 was the oldest musician on the night but nonetheless held in high esteem by the younger performers.

With a band of ever willing helpers to set up Dave Blu opened proceedings with some self penned numbers as well as Hendrix and the Animals, beautifully played acoustically. Robbie and Jobe then busked their way through a superb instrumental set which included numbers by Tom Petty and Jake Bugg as well as some of their own compositions. These two youngsters have gained hugely in confidence in the past 12 months on the Open Mic stage and it is a delight to sit back and listen to this talented duo.  

11 year old Jay Harris, always full of enthusiasm and the image of a young Mick Jagger, invariably chooses some difficult songs to play and tonight was no exception with a set which included Beady Eye’s “Kill For a Dream” and 2 songs from the sixties, “All Along the Watchtower” and “Paint It Black”.

Prominent in the Newport music scene is 17 year old Ollie Flavell. A regular at Newport Open mic, Olly also runs his own Open Mic session at the Bridge Inn in Newport. A busy month for him in June includes appearances at Newhampton Arts Centre in Wolverhampton, the British Legion and opening for NEWfest14 on 28^th June with his band The Rivals. Olly has developed his own style - a kind of jazz funk fusion – and Minnie Riperton’s  “Loving  You” and Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon” were certainly worthy of note.

Dave Blu’s acoustic scratch band had Olly up once again and Andy Clarke on bass playing alongside and a great jam session included The Joker and Hey Joe. Raffle time and tonight was sound man Adam Browne’s lucky night with his first ever win in 2 years. Maybe just a bottle of wine but he seemed happy enough.

It has been a while since Grahame Weir has been heard on the Open Mic stage but his set was outstanding especially “New Day Yesterday “covered recently by Joe Bonamassa but originally from Jethro Tull’s 1969 album Stand Up. The Dubliners, Boomtown Rats and Stray Cats completed a great choice of songs from Grahame.

Zoe Spencer, Jobe’s mum, was due to make an appearance tonight but sadly cried off at the last minute. On Wednesday she appears at the Robin 2 in Bilston supporting Terry Reid and we understand that her friend Robert Plant will be there to hear her!!

Dave Blu rounded off an evening of great live music with a mini set which included my favourite John Martyn song “May You Never” and a tribute to his friend  bass player Nigel who recently passed away, the song being “The Wind Cries Mary”. A fitting end to live music on a summer’s night.  

Jude Paton