Tuesday 13th !!

Tuesday 13th November!!.. proved to be a lucky night for music lovers at Newport Open Mic at The Navy Club in Bellman's Yard Newport with the players board full by 8.15 and a crowd of over 60 people about to be treated to live music of the highest calibre.

Paul and Adele Parker carrying baby Parker (due in 3 weeks) had arrived to do a recce of the Navy Club venue prior to their eagerly awaited gig butwere more than happy to treat us to a 25 minute opening acoustic set.
Classics from Amy McDonald, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and a song from the soundtrack Easy Rider, The Weight by The Band transported me back to 1969 and my love affair with Peter Fonda.  Superb harmonies and a great set gave the audience a taste of what to expect from Paul Parker and All the
Right Friends on Friday.

14 year old Melissa Severn again stirred the audience with her own unique style of self penned songs from the heart including Walk in my Shoes (about people who are horrible to you for no apparent reason), Crowded Dreams, Lovestruck (about a cute boy in the maths class) and Paralysed.
Relaxed and now full of confidence Melissa is fast becoming a familiar favourite at the Navy Club. She tells me she has written over 70 songs to date so we are sure to hear a lot more new material in the coming weeks.



Peter Blythe, yet another newcomer to Open Mic, played his very first live performance with cool confidence and some interesting new songs not heard before at the Navy including Liquid Confidence by You Me at Six and If It Means a Lot to You by A Day to Remember.  Enthusiastic applause meant that I am sure we shall see a lot more of him.


Multi-instrumentalist Remynie-Kiah this week played guitar and stole the show with her startling vocals, singing haunting ballads from The Script, Bright Eyes, Priscilla Ahn and  finishing with Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah which left us spellbound.

Melissa Walford gave another strong performance and included one of her own songs You and I and Kings of Leon Use Somebody in an excellent set.



Singer/songwriter Malcolm Purvis from Leeds made a welcomed return to Newport Open Mic always making the effort to come and play when working
the area. This week we were treated to Girl on Line 14, In Time, Candle and Alive. Great lyrics, songs about life and songs from the heart.

Olly (guitar and vocals) and Jake (bass) and only 15 and 16 respectively now play regularly at the Navy and at Jaspers in Shifnal and delighted us this week with Duffy’s Warwick Avenue, a splendid bluesy soul version of Bill Wither’s Ain’t no Sunshine and a favourite of mine, Gravity by John Mayer.




Worrying that we had hauled the drum kit out of the loft for nothing we were relieved to see birthday boy Andy Conway step up on stage with band mates Pippin and Rob to round off the evening with rock classics Voodoo Chile and Whole Lotta Love played in their own pulsating style. A very tight three piece band that never fails to clear out the ear drums at the Navy.

For regulars and newcomers to Newport Open Mic this was, in my opinion, one of the best 3 hours of live music I have had the pleasure of listening to. Mostly acoustic sets this week, with lots of original material and not a song sheet or music stand in sight. Terrific stuff and thanks to those that make it happen each week.

Newport Open Mic is held every Tuesday at the Royal Naval Association in Bellmans Yard just off Newport High Street (Opposite The Nat West Bank) from 8pm. See you next week.

For all you live music lovers don't forget that we have Bang To Rights plus support from Jack Green on Friday the 7th December. This promises to be a great night of live music and partying. Make sure you come early.

6th November (already).

November is here; the nights are beginning to freeze and there's a bitter chill to the air, but one can always come down to the Navy Club in Bellmans Yard just off the Newport High Street, for Newport's premier Open Mic Night, to warm up with a sizzling selection of red hot performances! 
Clearly this was a popular plan this Tuesday, as the seats were full once again. (I feel I should have left this introduction for December, and based my introduction on the eve of President Obama's second victory, but I am so exhausted from the excitement of the evening I've been left speechless.)

 

First up this week was Malcolm, from Leeds, who charmed us with his tales from the North, including Girl on Line 14 - a song about his fellow attractive Polish factory worker who he wants to seduce with wine.

 

Next was Dan Corcoran, who opened with an acoustic version of legendary blues song Stack O'Lee, before surprising the audience by whipping out his Bazooka: the musical kind obviously, no one was harmed during the course of his set.

 

They played a few weeks ago and we happily welcome back on stage youngsters Robbie Pilgrim and Ashleigh Husselbee, for a short, sweet set comprising of a Taylor Swift cover. Always leave them wanting more is what they say - one can tell they're now in the show business.

 

Next up were H'n'K - a newly formed group of musicians on their maiden voyage at the Navy! Howard (H), a guitarist from Whitchurch, answered drummer Keith's (K) ad in the paper for a gig-partner. Bass player Nick (N) just happened to be sitting in the wrong place at the wrong time and hey presto, up they got to confidently deliver a boogie-tinged set of Rock 'n' Roll classics. Let that be a lesson to all you lone musicians - it's easy to get a group together so get out there and get jamming!

 

Then Alan and Keith accompanied the lovely Sharn for a great set, which included a particularly good rendition of '30 Minute Love Affair'. We would love to hear more of Sharn here at the Navy.

 

It is always a pleasure to hear the folky-blues tones of local band Driftwood, who gave a brilliant, sultry performance of the Jessica Rabbit Song amongst others. They will be releasing a new CD in the next few weeks so look out for it - The Lonesome Boatman, available at Hey Jude's and other good record stores.

 

We haven't seen her in a while, but Melissa Severn was back tonight and good as ever, starting off with a cover of 'What Are You Waiting For?'. She told us that she doesn't usually do covers but when they're this enjoyable we'll let you off Melissa! She finished off, true to form, with a new song of hers called 'Lovestruck'. 

 

The Navy Club's other Melissa - Melissa Walford - was not to be seen tonight. She is saving her voice for her gig at the Four Crosses this Saturday night at 8.30pm. Go down for a drink, it will be the price of a pint well spent.

 

 
It's always a good night when a good number of bands play, and this week, Navy Club regulars Rich T and Chicken teamed up with Heather on Sax, Martin on rhythm and Steve on fantastical lead guitar to form The Biznez. Chicken provided spot on vocals for a cover of The Police's 'SOS', before handing back to Rich, this week on drums, for 'Jumping Jack Flash'.

 

The evening wound down with some acoustic sets. First of all Alan took to the stage for classics such as Ground Control to Major Tom, and a really lovely performance of You Do something To Me - nothing better than to hear a good voice singing this beautiful song.

Finally, Rob and Loz saved the best till last: they performed a series guitar duets with Rob on vocals, including Ooh La La by The Faces and Squeeze's Up The Junction.

 

And that's that for another week! Another great night, so thanks to all who came and performed. 

Just a quick heads up to all music lovers that 8.00pm on Friday 16th November, Paul Parker & All The Right Friends are playing live at the Navy Club. You wouldn't want to miss it. It promises to be a fantastic night of excellent covers from the likes of REM, Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, The Who, Springsteen plus many, many more, and again at what may turn out to be the very last "Friday Night Music Presents" evening. BANG TO RIGHTS with support from the very popular Jack Green. Be there for the party of the year.

30th October 2012

Bridging the age gap at The Navy!    Words and pictures by Dave Whiteman 


‘All the leaves are brown, and the sky is grey’ sang the Mamas and the Papas in the 60’s and they might just as well have been singing about Newport this week. The temperature has dropped, Autumn is leaving us and now that the clocks have gone back, we are heading for winter.
Could be worse though….look at the East coast of the USA….there is always someone worse off than yourself!

If you are starting to feel the winter blues already, there is a simple remedy; take one large dose of great live music at least once a week and you will soon start to feel better. Like many happy converts who head for the Royal Navy Association, Bellman’s Yard, Newport, every Tues evening, there is nothing better to help lift the spirits.

A newcomer first on stage this week, Just Jimmy, otherwise known as Jimmy Bremner from Telford. A very sprightly 70 years old, he rocked the audience with a short set of rock & roll classics from Hank Williams, Buddy Holly and Kris Kristofferson, before another musician who we haven’t seen in a while, 


Dan Corcoran. Bearing  more than a passing resemblance to his countryman Bob Geldof, he delighted the room with a Bert Jansch blues number and then a touching ‘Letter from Syracuse’ before finishing with a little known Stones song, ‘Lady Jane’






 Robbie Pilgrim and Ashleigh Husselbee, just 14 and 15 respectively, have recently auditioned for Britain’s Got Talent and tried out just one song tonight, an excellent version of Damien Rice’s ‘Cannonball’…keep an eye out for them, a huge talent at a tender age.


Open mic regulars Olly & Jake next on stage and these two lads continue to impress; reworking well known songs and playing them in their own style. ‘Valerie’ and ‘Ain’t no Sunshine’ were very good indeed, but their version of John Mayer’s ‘Gravity’ was outstanding.


Good to see 6th Sense back at the club with Roger Clark on guitar, Alan Middleton on bass and Spence on drums backing an ever improving Lynne Bradbury. A solid set featuring ballads like, ‘Mad World’ and rockers like ‘Squeeze Box’ showcased their versatility, but Amy Macdonald’s ‘This is the life’ still my favourite.


A bit of a change for Dave Whiteman this week…… a real softy ballad from Crowded House was followed by a little known song from World Party, ‘Is it like Today?’ before the man with the effortless voice,
Martyn Templeton wowed the audience once again with the Tom Petty classic, ‘Freefallin’ and a great version of ‘Better’ by Tom Baxter.

Good to see Harry Wooley back to rude health and although he intended to just come and listen, he was persuaded to do a couple of tunes, ‘House of the Rising Sun’ and ‘Reconsider Baby’. Great stuff from this Navy stalwart.

If anyone can quieten a room it is Zoe Pinchin. Her strong, pitch perfect vocals are guaranteed to silence any conversation, and she did again with songs from Marc Cohn and Adele. Even with a sore throat she still sounds fabulous.

Just time for a bit of busking before the end, with Ade Morris and Ed Young, who used to play together in local party band, Airbag.  A couple of rock classics reworked for acoustic guitar rolled back the years and had the crowd joining in enthusiastically, to bring another great night to a close.

So our very own Generation Game in the Navy this week. Our oldest performer, 70yrs young and our youngest, just 14 years. There must be something there for you to enjoy and banish the winter blues?

Had a lovely evening last week at the Lion in Edgmond. The Open Mic has started again on Thurs evenings and it is excellent. There are no drums or amplifiers as such, so it is pretty much an acoustic evening and the sound quality and atmosphere are great. Don’t think of it as a rival to the Navy….the two definitely complement each other. If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a go.

That's all for this week, remember….keep music live!

Girl Power

Girl Power at the Navy Club     23rd Oct 2012       Words & pictures by Dave Whiteman

It just goes to show, you should never speak too soon!  A couple of weeks ago in this column, I was shouting from the rooftops about how well live music is supported in Newport with local venues regularly attracting decent crowds. So what happens?

Last Friday we had a really terrific band on in The Navy and just 25 people turn up…can you credit it? Still at least the small audience had an absolute treat with 4 piece band Sourmash putting a big smile on everyone’s face. Also worth a special mention was the guitar work of Nigel Martin …… just about the best I have seen down the club at any time. Shame if you missed it; catch up with them at some point.

No such worries on Tues night though as the weekly Open Mic took place at the Royal Naval Association in Bellman’s Yard with a great turnout of around 60 fans.

Straight into it this week, with Mellissa Walford ‘volunteering’ to do the sound check and belting out a couple of crackers from Adele and Jessie J, before first act Natalie Lewis took to the stage.

We haven’t seen Natalie at the club for a little while, but her gorgeous soulful voice soon stopped any conversation in the room. Accompanied by Steve Scenters on guitar, a fine set included Florence & the Machine and Alex Clare before closing with Adele’s ‘We Could Have Had it All’.

Olly & Jake followed and gave their usual polished performance, doing a great job of the Bill Wither’s classic, ‘Ain’t no Sunshine’….a difficult song to do at the best of times.

More from Mellissa Walford next. She has just started on the gigging circuit, and listening to ‘Fallen’ by Alicia Keys and a superb ‘Chasing Pavements’, she will get plenty of bookings.

Someone who hasn’t been seen in a while is Zoe Pinchin, better known by her maiden name of Zoe Churm. With her trusty sidekick Dave Whiteman providing guitar and backing vocals, she delighted once again with great harmonies on ‘Dream, then ‘Revolution’ a classic from Tracey Chapman, before finishing with Dreams from Fleetwood Mac. Don’t stay away so long!

Always dependable, Rich Evans followed on with borrowed guitar and had the crowd singing along enthusiastically to ‘Bring it on Home’ by the legendary Sam Cooke and ‘Kiss from a Rose’ by Seal. Great entertainment from this talented young man.

Olly & Jake returned to the stage next, bringing along 15yrs old Aaron Smith on lead guitar. A powerful blues jam broke the ice, before John Mayer’s ‘Gravity’ cemented a fine debut.

Around six months ago, local music legend Harry Woolley went to bed and woke up the next morning with almost total deafness.  A simple ear infection had developed in to something more serious and Harry was worried that it was the end of his singing career. Not likely! Back on stage for the first time since his treatment, he soon had the audience ‘Digging His Potatoes’ and visiting ‘St James Infirmary’ good to see you in such fine fettle Harry!

We hadn’t had a Scratchouse Band this week, but that was soon to be remedied. Roger Clark joined Rich Evans, along with Andy Clark on bass, Remynie behind the drum kit and the awesome Ben Garrott on saxophone. Crowd pleasers followed, including ‘Let’s stick Together’ and the Blues Brothers’ ‘Everybody’.

The place was just about winding down when another newcomer came to the sound desk. Chris ‘Fender’ Black had travelled all the way from Cannock after hearing about the Open Mic and spent an hour looking for us. It was well worth it though, as Chris, accompanied by Rosie Cheeks (otherwise known as Vanessa Rose) on bass and multi talented Remynie once again on drums, bought us a taste of his Rock & Roll show with foot tappers from Carl Perkins and Chuck Berry.

So once again, a satisfied crowd of music lovers leave the club after their weekly live fix.

If you missed it this week then be assured there will be more talent discovered next week, same time same place, in fact every week, Tues at 8pm at the Royal Navy Association in Bellman’s Yard Newport.

Just time to mention another couple of live gigs, tonight (Fri) at the Bradford Arms on the A5, Bob Fox will be wowing the Unicorn Folk Club with tales and music from the North East. For tickets ring Vicky on 01952 810355.

Fri 16th Nov, sees one of my favourite local bands, ‘Paul Parker & all the Right Friends’ playing at the Navy. Doors open at 8pm and just £3 on the door. Get there early; this is a very good and popular band.


All for now, remember, Keep it Live!!!

More & more new faces at The Navy         Words & Pictures by Dave Whiteman

Regular readers will already know that my favourite bit of the Open Mic is when a group of musicians get up and stage, pick up their instruments and then just stare at each other. There is always blankness in the eyes, but mixed with that, an excitement about what may come next…triumph or disaster! 
This happens each week during the sound check at the Newport Open Mic, held every Tues at the Navy Club in Bellman’s Yard. They have come to be known as the Scratchouse Band, and the songs will normally be preceded by a quiet call ”It’s in E”, or suchlike and then they will launch into whatever tune the singer happens to have chosen.

This week, under the watchful eyes and ears of Adam, the soundman, there were excellent renditions of songs from Springsteen, The Beatles and T Rex before the first artist of the evening took to the stage.

 It was Zoe Spencer’s first time at the club, but you would never have noticed. Accompanied by Simon Sinclair on guitar and Remynie on drums, she started with a self penned ‘All I Need’ before delighting the audience with an Amazonian Indian instrumental and then a great version of Kate Bush’s ‘Hound of Love’.

Ben Haynes has played the club before, but this time he brought a couple of friends, collectively known as The Dead Vespers playing a self written set, highlight of which was a soulful ‘Sweetheart Lullaby’.

More song writing skills in evidence from our next guest, Malcolm Purvis, who is from Leeds and visits the club whenever he is in the area. Imagine a Yorkshire Billy Bragg and you would be quite close! ‘Clear Blue Morning’ & ‘Yesterdays Lover’ preceded a fine love song…’The Girl on Line 14’ about a Polish girl he fancied at the place he used to work…..evocative poems put to music!

Robbie Pilgrim, aged 14, and Ashleigh Husselbee just 15 have applied for ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ and wanted to hear the crowd’s reaction to the song they have chosen for the audition. Adele’s ‘Someone like You’ accompanied by a simple guitar melody brought the house down…question answered?


A newly formed band up next had the ever reliable Roger Clark on guitar, Alan and Spence providing the rhythm section and Lynne Bradbury on vocals. A cracking opener from the Waterboys, ‘Fishermans Blues’, was followed by lively versions of Take your Mama Out and Drinking Malted Milk. Lynne’s vocals seem to get stronger and more confident every week.


Another newcomer next, and the crowd soon warmed to the subtle guitar and warm voice of John Pullen. A couple from Ocean Colour Scene and The Seahorses were very good, but his last song, the little known Crowded House number ‘You’d Better be Home Soon’ was the highlight.

Olly & Jake have raised the bar with their performances over the last few months. Whether it is the better mic control or just more confidence, Olly’s vocals are crystal clear and always a joy to listen to.  ‘So in love with You’ written by themselves, deserves to be recorded and their versions of a couple of Amy Winehouse songs, ‘Rehab’ and ‘Valerie’ were very well crafted.

There was a superb documentary this week about brilliant post punk 80’s band Squeeze, and next up, Dave Whiteman paid his own little tribute with one of their most famous hits, ‘Up the junction’, before introducing a friend who had travelled all the way from Pelsall. Garry Garbett had never sang to an audience before, but a warm Newport welcome helped him thorough his version of ‘Ruby, don’t take Your Love to Town’….mind you, he didn’t stop shaking for ten minutes afterwards!

Just time for Sixth Sense to send us off to our beds, rocking out with songs from The Who, Queen and even Nancy Sinatra, to bring another great evening of live music to a close. Same time, same place next week….if you don’t sing or play, just come along to listen to the best live music that Newport has to offer.

Finally, Nigel Martin has just returned from Canada, playing on tour with Bryan Adams, and he brings his band Sourmash to the Navy this Fri….doors open 8.30 and entry is just £3.

Don’t forget next Fri at the Bradford Arms on the A5 at Ivetsey Bank, Bob Fox takes a break from playing Warhorse in the West End to perform at the Unicorn Folk Club….not to be missed.

Tickets from Vicky on 01952 810355 or see  HYPERLINK "http://www.unicornfolkclub/" \h www.unicornfolkclub for more details, and the brilliant Paul Parker & All the Right Friends are appearing at the Navy Club on 16th Nov….keep an eye out for more details.

9th October 2012.

Aussie flavour at the Open Mic!    Words & Pictures by Dave Whiteman

What is it about Newport that makes the music scene so special?

 Is it something they put in the water? I have just moved back here after six years of being away (travelling, not prison) and it is a delight to see all the live music venues so well supported. In Peterborough, a city of some 200,000 people, there are a number of Open Mic evenings, but none that are held weekly.  Once a month is the norm and, if you are lucky, there will be four or five singer guitarists, no bands and in most cases, not a lot of atmosphere.

I mention this because here in Newport, with a population of only around 11,000 the Open Mic, held every Tues at the Navy Club in Bellmans Yard, still manages to attract at least ten different live acts every week and an audience consistently around the 50-60 mark...amazing!

This week was no exception. After a lively sound check with this week’s Scratchouse band Roger, Baz, Dave & Jake and under the critical ear of Adam the sound man, they rattled through a short set of rock classics which set the stall for the evening.

First up, Olly and Jake...how can they be veterans at just 16 years old?  A great version of Amy's 'Valerie' had the early audience tapping their feet before a superb self penned 'Stealing my Heart' showcased their emerging song writing talent.

Robbie & Ashleigh next up, and these two are rapidly gaining a reputation for well crafted songs with a simple guitar riff and very strong vocals. James Morrison’s 'Broken Strings' was excellent, but Ashleigh’s vocal on 'Hero' by Enrique Inglesias was quite superb.


Speaking of strong vocals, Mellissa Walford showed the depth of her range with a Christina Perry song 'A Thousand Years' then a self penned song, 'Take me Away' before finishing with an X Factor audition song, 'Last Night' by Lucy Spraggan. On this form it won't be too long before Mellissa is on X Factor herself!



One thing we do get in the club is variety, provided this week by a band from Shifnal making their first visit, The Misfits.   Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition' is never an easy song to do, but they managed it with ease before a great version of The Stone's 'Sympathy for the Devil' and a great singalong, 'Maggie’s Farm'






 Sharn Hodgkinson made her first appearance just last week and she returned to produce a super set, backed by Open Mic regular Alan Lane on guitar. Amy MacDonald’s anthem 'This is the Life' was the highlight.


One song that you can guarantee everyone will know the words to is 'Happy Birthday' and after the audience had sampled Cath Butler's self baked cake the whole room joined Dave Whiteman on guitar to  sing to her. Many happy returns Cath!

Next up we welcomed back Darcy Crawford, the local tennis coach. A very polished set sandwiched Ed Sheeran between Paulo Nutini's 'Last Request' and 'A little too Late' from Toby Keith. Excellent stuff from this talented young man.





Dave Johnson, visiting from Australia and on his second visit to the club had the audience singing along with 'Blueberry Hill'  and 'Putting on the Style' using only his trusted ukulele (and various self made sound effects!)








Another scratch band, This time Rich Thomas on guitar and vocals, the ever dependable Roger Clark on lead, Jon Davies on bass and Martin Neeson on drums, rattled through rock classics 'Johnny B Goode', 'Roll over Beethoven'  'Sweet Home Alabama' and a rousing 'Jumping Jack Flash'

Just time for a last bash, and it was Dave Johnson once again,  joined on stage by his son also named Dave and guitarist Sam Horne to play us out with a couple of belters from Eagle Eye Cherry and  America, before finishing with a terrific 'Hotel California' complete with solo....it really should have been written for ukulele! Bon voyage guys and a safe journey back to Brisbane...come back and see us soon.


An important date for your diary is Fri 26th Oct, when the Unicorn Folk Club will be celebrating its 27th birthday with a very special guest.

Bob Fox is currently playing Songman in the West End production of War Horse and he has found time in his busy schedule to play a rare gig in the area. The Bradford Arms on the A5 at Ivetsey Bank is the venue, and tickets are just £8 with full support. Contact Vicky on 01952 810355 or see  HYPERLINK "http://www.unicornfolkclub/" \h www.unicornfolkclub for more details, but be quick, tickets are going fast.

Can You Help With This...

 If anyone can help set up it would be appreciated, it might earn you a drink.

Can anyone help these aging rockers out with this song!!!

See you tonight..... Don't be late !!