Where have all the bands gone?  Words: Dave Whiteman, Pictures: Laurence Gale

I have a very vivid memory from thirty years ago, driving up the autobahn with an energetic but very impatient seven year old in the back seat, on our way to Dortmund. We were living in Germany at the time and our daughter Lizzie could not understand why we had to drive all that way, from our home in Monchengladbach, to see ‘my friend Bryan’, and clearly, she was not in the best of moods. That changed when we pulled up outside the magnificent Westfallen Halle and she saw the signs for Bryan Adams….in concert that night on the Reckless Tour. Fast forward to last week and my daughter gave me one of my best ever birthday presents (just a couple of days ago, seeing as you asked!) with tickets for the same performer at the LG Arena on his Reckless Anniversary Tour. What an amazing show. He is now 55, but the way he flies around the stage in a two and a half hour performance would shame many half his age, and I can only say if you get the chance to see him…..take it.

Our first performer onstage this week is almost exactly one third of Bryan Adam’s age, so has plenty of time if she is to reach the dizzy heights of stadium entertainment, but wow, what a voice. Stacey Rich from Market Drayton was appearing at the Newport Open Mic for the very first time, but I am sure that with the reaction she received, she will be back. Admitting to me afterwards that she had felt very nervous at the start, those nerves soon disappeared when she realised that she simply had to plug in and play. It is the job of the soundman to make sure that what goes out through the speakers is good, so she was able to concentrate on her music and fill the room with her searing vocals. The Navy audience appreciates a great vocalist, and the loud applause confirmed that Stacey had done a terrific job.

Resident lensman Laurence Gale was without his usual musical collaborator this week, and tried a couple of new tunes, more suited to just the one voice. He still likes to take a risk though, does Lol, and his version of ‘Lay Down’ by The Strawbs may have been ambitious, but he should still be proud of taking on such a difficult song and making it work. He is massively enthusiastic supporter of local live music is Laurence, and it is quite nice to see him with guitar instead of camera in hand.

Local musician Ed Conway is pretty much a legend in Newport, with two very busy bands on the go, Tap the Keg and also The Unlawful Men, so it is quite unusual to see him alone onstage with just a guitar. Many years of stage craft have taught him, however, that you are only as good as your last gig…..and on this performance he is very good indeed. He can entertain a crowd with or without a band around him, and although he played a few audience singalongs, from The Everley Brothers and Bob Marley, it was a self- penned song, ‘Paper Boat’ that really silenced the crowd. Brilliant stuff.

Roger Clark assembled this week’s only Scratch House Band, with Alan Middleton on bass and the aforementioned Ed Conway on guitar and vocals. Needing only a drummer, step forward resident sound man Jonathan Newton who proved that he is equally at home behind the drum kit as he is behind the sound desk. A very lively Monkees classic, ‘I’m a Believer’ set the ball rolling and another crowd pleaser ‘Stand By Me’ had the audience joining in and sent them home happy.

In 1984, the tickets for Bryan Adams cost around £15 each..….last week my daughter paid around £90 for the pair and well worth it I have to say. But if your budget doesn’t quite stretch to stadium rock, you could do a lot worse than visit the Newport Open Mic, held in The Navy Club every Tuesday……at just a quid for a full evening of live music and cheaper beer than the NEC, it represents great value!
                                 
Till next time, keep it live!

Newport Open Mic - Keeping It Live

Thin in the ground at The Navy. Words: Dave Whiteman, Pictures: Laurence Gale

Listening to Radio Shropshire just the other day I was delighted to hear an interview with one of our Open Mic regulars, Melissa Severn. She’s had a really busy summer, playing festivals up and down the country and supporting Union J at this year’s T Live amongst other things, so it was nice to find out what she has been up to. Melissa was appearing on the afternoon show with Adam Green and Vicky Archer and as well as the interview, she played live in the studio, singing one of her own compositions, ‘Hurricane Mouth’. Anyone tuning in would be amazed, I’m sure, to hear that she is still only 16 years old, she sounds so mature. Nice also that she remembers her roots…when asked where her confidence comes from, she gave a great plug to Newport Open Mic, telling listeners that just three years ago she played live in front of an audience for the first time and credits the Open Mic with helping to develop her stage craft.

In a nutshell, that is what the Open Mic is all about. Countless young singer songwriters and bands who are now out gigging throughout Shropshire and beyond, got there first break on the Navy Club stage. Seems not many of our regulars appeared to be listening however, as the turnout was the lowest I have seen in the last dozen years….must have been the football.

Resident lensman Laurence Gale kicked off the evening with regular musical accomplice Rob Bryon…..who had a very nice guitar that I hadn’t seen before…more of that later! Their confidence seems to be growing with each performance, so the fact that there were so few players on the board worked to their advantage and they did an extended set.  Ronnie Lane was, for me, one if the unsung heroes of first the Small Faces and then later The Faces. Always overshadowed by Steve Marriott as a songwriter and of course Rod Stewart as a singer, he never got the recognition he deserved. In later years he had a cottage in Shropshire and could often be found jamming in the local pub. Sadly he died aged just 51, but his original composition ‘Ooh La La’ is one of the great pop/rock songs and Lol and Rob did a great version, as well as a couple more of my favourites from Paulo Nutini and Squeeze.

Next up John Minor told me just before he got on stage that he is off to see Jeff Wayne perform War of the Worlds and as a tribute to him he played his own version of, ‘Eve of the War’. This is probably Wayne’s most famous work, but did you know he also composed more than 3000 advertising jingles….and The Big Match. Maybe a version of one of his other tunes, ‘World of Sport’ next time John?

It wasn’t just the audience that was thin in the ground this week…..very few performers had their names on the board. Rob Bryon persuaded me to get up and do a few tunes with his fantastic Tommy Emmanuel guitar…how could I refuse? A Beatles medley and a couple of songs from the Police brought the best out of a lovely instrument…..fancy swapping for mine Rob?

Haven’t seen Ed Sullivan in ages.  As a local firefighter here in Newport, an instructor for the Fire Service AND  the father of three small children, he does not have a lot of free time to himself, but after a masterful display of harmonica and the reception that he received, I am sure we will see him on stage again very soon. Ed was one third of brilliant local band Weasel Diesel, and confessed to me how much he misses the live music scene.

So if you fancy making the transition from singing with a hairbrush in front of the mirror or playing your guitar in your bedroom to no-one in particular, why not come on down to The Navy on a Tuesday evening? There will always be a warm welcome and plenty of encouragement and who knows…maybe it will be you we next hear on the radio!

Many thanks to Russ Harris who was there at 7pm to help with the kit, and the legion of roadies who helped dismantle at the end of the evening….stars the lot of you. We have a great facility at the Navy, one of the few places in the town where the stage and room is big enough for a live band. There were so few at this week’s Open Mic I was thinking of holding the next one in my front room. Remember, if you want live music, support it or lose it.

Till next time, keep it live!

Busy nights once again at The Navy   Words & Pictures: Dave Whiteman

You would need a heart of stone not to be moved by some of the images seen in the newspapers and on TV this week. When Gavrillo Princip shot and killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie, in June 1914, who could have envisaged that he was laying the foundation for a conflict that would result in the deaths of over 16 million, with more than 20 million wounded? It is always difficult for the Royal British Legion to come up with new ideas to commemorate the 1918 ceasefire and at the same time raise valuable funding, but I think the Tower of London display was a master stroke, with 888,246 ceramic poppies….one for each British Military death….. absolutely amazing. One little known fact about the aforementioned assassination; the number plate of the Archduke’s car was A 11 11 18…..the date of Armistice Day…spooky.

The mood was anything but sombre at the Newport Open Mic this week, as more than fifty music fans made the pilgrimage to the Navy Club for their weekly live music fix.

Sixteen years old Tom Boddison, making only his second appearance at the club, once again had the crowd in his pocket within minutes. Standing alone on the stage with just his Fender Stratocaster, he mesmerised the audience with a fabulous performance. Tom made a bit of an assumption that the crowd may not know Joe Satriani or Stevie Ray Vaughn, but they certainly did and loved his versions of ‘Ten Words’ and ‘Testify’…a quite amazing talent.

Another emerging young talent is 11 years old Jay Harris. With his parents and grandparents proudly looking on he carried on the good work with a little known cover from one of my favourite bands, Semisonic, before finishing with an unusual choice…’Manic Monday’ by The Bangles. Always good to watch.

Nice to see John Minor back on the stage, and once again he didn’t disappoint with his keyboard instrumental set. He is a big Oasis fan, and his version of ‘The Importance of Being Idle’ stripped down to the bare bones with just a piano and no backing was excellent.

We normally see next up Alex Ash and Alan Lane as part of their band Vinyl Tap, but tonight it was just voices and guitar. Folk music doesn’t always go down well in the club….the audience generally prefer something a bit rockier, but ‘Streets of London’ is one of those songs that has crossed over into mainstream and will always get people singing along. A couple of Elvis classics finished off a fine set.

Steve Hammond travels each week from Shrewsbury to ‘advertise’ his superb guitar skills as he looks to join a band. Recruiting fellow guitarist Roger Clark to play bass, he needed only a drummer……step up to the mark new soundman Jonathan Newton who showed that he is no slouch and kept a great beat throughout a varied and entertaining rock set.

One of my absolutely favourite vocalists is Claire Shaw from Telford. She has one of those voices that just draws you in…slightly rock, slightly country, always fabulous. One of her own songs ‘Heavy Heart’ sandwiched between Kacey Musgraves and Ed Sheeran covers, also showcased her brilliant song writing talent. Come back soon Claire, we don’t see enough of you.

Graveyard shift tonight was half of local band One Nation, who will be playing at the Newport Open Mic Christmas Party on 16^th December. The key element in any band is to have strong vocals, and with Roger Clarke, Jon Davies and Carl Pope-Terry all more than able to hold a tune, they have this in abundance. Needing only a drummer to complete the line- up…step forward once again soundman Jonathan, they brought a cracking evening to a close. ‘The Weight’ only reached number 63 in the US charts for The Band, but it was nevertheless listed at No 41 in Rolling Stones Most Influential Songs of All Time, and was a fabulous choice. Their three part harmonies on the chorus, were note perfect…roll on the Christmas Party.

Till next week…..keep it live!

An evening of bands at The Navy!   Words: Dave Whiteman, Pictures: Matthew Thomas

‘If you want it here it is, come and get it, but you’d better hurry cos it may not last’ is a brilliant lyric written in 1969 by Paul McCartney, and presented to The Beatles for their upcoming album Abbey Road. Sadly, the track never made the final cut and didn't appear on a ‘Fabs’ album until Anthology 3 in 1996.

Disappointed but not surprised, Paul gave the song to a band newly signed to their Apple label, Badfinger, and they promptly took it into the Top Ten in both the UK and the USA. So what’s the significance? Well I started to sing the song to myself, as I looked around the 30 or so audience at this week’s Newport Open Mic held in The Navy Club every Tuesday. Now I know that the weather isn’t good and that lots of people would prefer to watch Liverpool throw in the towel against Real Madrid on TV, but come on…this is live music we are talking about!!!

Whatever the weather; we can always count on Eddie Maiden to start the evening off enthusiastically. He just comes up with songs off the top of his head, which keeps anyone accompanying him on their toes, but he always sounds as if he has been rehearsing for ages. A new one this week was Wooden Heart, first featured in Elvis’s film G.I. Blues, and yes….he did sing the second verse in its original German!

Laurence Gale, one of our resident photographers, brought his guitar instead of his camera this week and after a little bit of arm twisting enticed musical collaborator, Rob Bryon to the stage for a lovely acoustic set. One thing I have noticed about their playing over the last few years is that they are taking on more ambitious, ie difficult, numbers and doing a fine job. Songs from Squeeze, Ronnie Lane and Paulo Nutini stretched their concentration at times, but were very well performed.

Drummer Steve ‘Blackie’ Black brought his new band Khamouflage to The Navy for the first time and they were rewarded with an extended set. An eclectic mix included material from Be Bop Deluxe, 4 non Blondes and even Kiki Dee, but it was the AC/DC classic ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ that had the crowd demanding an encore. Hopefully they enjoyed it, they certainly seemed to, and I will get more information from them next time….they had left before I had time to find out their names.

Scratch Bands as you are probably aware, are, for me, one of the best parts of the evening and this week we were fortunate enough to have two. Drummer Baz Webster has recently moved out of the area, so we don’t see him so often these days, but he was back behind the kit to provide a great rhythm section with bassman Al Middleton from Shrewsbury, just needing a couple more to finish the line- up. Local legend Roger Clark on lead guitar and yours truly on vocal duties rattled through a great soft rock set of covers from Steve Miller, REM before a heavier finale with Thin Lizzy.

Sitting impatiently in the wings was another cracking guitarist, Steve Hammond and you could see he was itching to get involved. Move over Roger, who showed what a trouper he is with a faultless performance on bass, so that Steve could continue with his terrific lead guitar as they busked through a very lively and entertaining set.

Night shift this week was Olly Flavell. On his way home from playing a gig in Stafford, he heard the band still rocking and couldn’t resist the urge to get his guitar out again and bring the evening to a close. A new song from him, ’How Deep is Your Love’ he insists is a work in progress, but it certainly sounded much more than that to me.

So another truly superb night of live music, and a bit sad that it was only witnessed by quite a small audience…….. certainly compared to our usual attendance. Never mind, same time next week, our talented bunch of musicians, some local, some not so local, will try to lure you away from the telly and turn you on to something much, much better……live music!

Before we leave, just a note to say: .......

Don’t forget this next Friday, 14th Nov, the brilliant Bluezbox will be playing live at the Navy. Doors will be open at 8pm and entry is £3 ……please come along and show your support.

Until then

Building up to Halloween fun at the Navy!    Words: Dave Whiteman,  Pictures: Matt Thomas

I enjoyed a brilliant evening of live music this week with a visit to Oakengates Theatre to see tribute band The Illegal Eagles. I saw them once before, a few years ago, so knew what to expect…..amazing vocal ability and terrific musicianship. Having also seen the original Eagles perform I can honestly say that this band is just as good. In some ways it’s not really surprising….the Eagles formed in 1971 and split up some nine years later, and even though they reformed and toured intermittently since 1994, they are a long way behind their copycats who have been gigging for the last 28 years. Given that our Open Mic has been going for around eleven years I wonder who, out of our regular players will be touring professionally in the years to come?

Eddie Maiden, at 76 years young, may not be a touring musician, but he has been singing semi-professionally for over 50 years and is a pleasure to listen to. I always enjoy accompanying Eddie. You never know what he wants to sing….he has a big repertoire…..but he always knows which KEY he wants, and that makes it easier to play along with. A great opener with Tony Christie’s ‘Las Vegas’ was bettered only by his lively version of ‘Delilah’ which had the crowd joining in enthusiastically.

Lexi Tapley and Alan Lane are a very good combination. Lexi has a super voice, and although she says she gets a little nervous before going on stage, it never seems to show. One of my favourite Fleetwood Mac songs, ‘Landslide’ was stripped down with just Alan’s excellent guitar picking and her great voice, and it was a treat. Not many people realise that that Lady Antebellum, writers and performers of 2010 hit ‘Need You Now’ are actually a country band, but the song made the crossover into pop mainstream, charting all over the world. I have never heard anyone sing it at the Navy, but Lexi did a fine job…what about harmony vocals next time Alan?


Perton’s Mike Collins is becoming a bit of a regular, and this time he appeared to bring his own fan club…around half a dozen females cheering every song! I always get the feeling that Mike wants to do a little bit of comedy…his sense of humour and broad Black Country accent lend themselves to it, but he is a serious musician, as songs from Springsteen and Green Day showed.

Only one song this week from regular, Remynie Faith but it was a very good one. Accompanied by her boyfriend Gaz Giles on guitar, the duo gave us a fine version of the Cher hit ‘Bang Bang’…..amazingly a song covered by a huge number of artistes. Written by Cher’s (then) husband Sony Bono, it has been recorded by, amongst others, Nancy Sinatra, her father Frank, Stevie Wonder, 60’s flower people Vanilla Fudge and even our own Paul Weller. Shows what a good song it is!

No Vinyl Tap this week, but Alex Ash, lead vocalist with the band, recruited guitarist Alan Lane for a nice set that featured both Elton John and Ronan Keating songs, before remaining on stage to belt out a terrific version of one of the most popular sing-alongs ever, ‘American Pie’. That must be one of the most difficult songs to remember…even the stripped down version lasts around six minutes!

So even with footie on the telly and atrocious weather outside, it seems that nothing will stop our regulars getting their usual live music fix, as a decent crowd in the Navy proved. Many thanks to all those who stayed behind to dismantle and stow the equipment, your help is invaluable. Please remember that the stuff needs to be brought down from the loft at around 7pm, and often there are only two people to do it. If anyone would like to volunteer a little help earlier in the evening, it would be very much appreciated.

A great Halloween Party Night at the Navy on Friday with rocking blues through till midnight from Old's Cool and mystery guests in the audience and behind the bar!!