17th March and what better way to celebrate St Patrick's Day with live music and a pint or two of the amber nectar at Newport Open Mic at the Royal Naval Association. There perhaps wasn't a sea of green unlike the Chicago River in Illinois which annually is dyed green on this feast day but there was certainly a feast of great live music to be heard.

 

Always great to see Malcolm Purvis from Leeds calling in when work sends him to this neck of the woods. He has high praise for Newport Open Mic and between visits he is obviously busy penning new material and tonight was no exception with new songs  making great use of a harmony pedal and lovely harmonics on the apocalyptic song "Black Sun".

 

Paddy's Night brought a long overdue visit from Harry Woolley bringing tears to our eyes with the Fureys "When You Were Sweet Sixteen". Sporting a green Val Doonican jumper Robert Plant's and Alison Krauss's "Killing the Blues" was followed by his signature song "Diggin' My Potatoes".

 

12 year old Jay Harris was up next with enthusiastic support from family and friends in a crowd of well over 60. He has a wealth of songs under his belt for one of such tender years and tonight, using an effects pedal, he brought us songs from Geenday and The Killers.

 

John Minor has been a loyal supporter of Newport Open over the past few months and  playing guitar peformed 2 songs by his favourite band Oasis. Justin Hayward is currently touring with the Moody Blues so "Nights in White Satin", his final song, went own really well.

 

STASH was the next name on the board and featured Steve Davis and Alex Ash and comprising 3/5of Vinyl Tap with the addition of Jude and Remynie  "Mustang Sally" raised the volume both on and off he stage. Steve was the left solo to go back to the Irish theme with a beautiful version of Christie Moore's "Ride On".

 

18 year old Mitch Brooks from Lilleshall hushed the crowded room with a beautiful interpretation of Nirvana's "Come As You Are". Tom Petty's "Free Fallin" had been done by STASH in the preceding set but Mitch delighted us with his own version segued with Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud". The Stereophonics "Dakota" was the perfect finish to an excellent set from this talented young man and ensured that a large crowd stayed for the finale of the evening.

 

And so the finale to end the evening was an hour long set from Eddie and the Shamrocks (for one night only at the Navy). Of course this was our very own Ed Conway with his Unlawful Men followed by Lost The Plot. A wealth of Irish songs had the audience clapping, stamping their feet and joining in the choruses. Ant Kitchen on bodhran and Jon Thompson on bass alongside Simon Carswell on piano and together with Ed take traditional songs and deliver them in their own unique style. "Black Velvet Band" is probably best known by The Dubliners and lesser known by winger Tommy Bowe who sang his own version of it to a triumphant crowd on the Ireland rugby team's homecoming in Dublin following their Grand Slam win in 2009. I have to say The Unlawful Men's version was superb. A change in the line up saw Paul Crewe on drums and Simon Mann on bass and Lost the Plot materialised on stage. Fun and frolics ensued with goldfish bowls, buckets of cold water and a wet puppy dog flying across the room with the accompanying strains or "Belle of Belfast City", "The Irish Rover" and Steve Earle's "Galway Girl". The classic banjo picking scene from the 1972 film Deliverance has become a well known tune but never before have I heard it played on bouzouki and bass. A triumph indeed!!

 

Perhaps not many Irish in the crowd apart from one person who hailed from County Oakengates, but nonetheless a great night with a predominantly Irish theme with great music, all things green, corned beef and cabbage all washed down with a pint of Guinness.

And who knows........a chance for Ireland to win the Six Nation's Championship?........and so they did!!

 

One thing for certain however, there will be live music at the Royal Naval Association next Tuesday so come along and support us.

 

KEEP MUSIC AND OUR MUSIC VENUES LIVE!