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Ashwyn Smyth's News

www.digitalblues.co.uk

 

Thursday 5th June

Oh what a night! Early June back in 2008! (with apologies to Frankie Valli!!!) What a send off! I would like to say an enormous thank you to everyone who came to the Club on Thursday, we had one of our largest audiences for quite a while and it was great to see so many of you and to have the opportunity to say au revoir!

Thank you for the many cards and gifts and a particular thank you to the Crawdaddy Crew – Paul Dean without whom none of what happens on a Thursday night would happen - his co-Heaters, Paul Milligan, Paul Reynolds and Chris Patching, the lovely French coquettes – Denise & Leslie, to Johnny H & his son Matt for sound and light ably assisted by Annamarie Patching and her brother (how great to see some young blood involved with the technical side). Thanks also to Chris Jones, the Club’s regular sound man who could not be at the gig on Thursday although he did arrive towards the end of the evening. The sound engineers are probably the single most important cog in the wheel and with Chris Johnny H et al, the Crawdaddy has one of the top teams around, constantly receiving plaudits from musicians and audience alike. Thanks too go to Liz, Tom and colleagues from the Belvedere who looked after us so well and even sported their own ‘tribute’ shirts!!!

A big thank you too, of course, to everyone who turned up in a wonderful assortment of extremely loud shirts! All in all, a truly memorable evening for all the right reasons. I will miss the Club and all involved and Thursday nights will be very quiet in France!

The Heaters

I have to say I thought the Heaters turned in an absolutely cracking set – even if I did choose the numbers they played! They really responded to the large and enthusiastic audience and played their socks off treating us to great numbers such as ‘Cocaine’, ‘Still Got the Blues’ and their excellent original song, ‘ Not the only Fool’. I think we often take the Heaters for granted given that they play week in week out and do not accord them the respect and credit they are due. This is a very tight band of a very good standard and they frequently elicit very glowing endorsements from visiting musicians. Their set on Thursday simply proved the point.

The Cadillac Kings

As a member of the audience said to me, ‘What a great band to choose to play such a special night!’ I was really pleased when they agreed to play this gig as they had really only just started out as a band when Digital Blues first saw the light of day. They were hugely supportive and, indeed, it was seeing them play the Hermit Club in Brentwood (what a lovely venue that was) that reawakened my nascent interest in the Blues and put me on the road to where we are today!

It was my first opportunity to see the present line-up with TC Copp on stand-up bass and Mal Barclay on guitar and, as ever, the standard was very high. Thanks to a late licence, the guys were able to play for the best part of an hour and three quarters and featured material from their very soon to be released CD, ‘Trouble in Store’, as well as their acclaimed earlier CD, ‘ Highway 17’.

Mike Thomas is, as always, the consummate front man, with growling vocals and delicious slide guitar. Superb harp player, Gary Potts, blew up a storm and yet made it seem effortless. He also possesses a fine voice and sang a few numbers including his own composition, ‘Hot Rod V8 Ford’, a song about Gary’s other love!

Mike Adcock was exciting, as ever, on both piano and accordion, another great feature of this band. At the back the excellent Roy Webber, a prime exponent of the laid back, inconspicuous drummer school, but nonetheless a wonderful drummer whose style is so right for the CKs. Great, too, to see him doing some bvs.

Mike Thomas, who writes much of the band’s material, is a wonderful lyricist and fills his songs with wry humour, as typified by the excellent ‘Mr Nip & Tuck’ which is just one of the great songs on the new CD.

A special evening was made all the more special as Dave ‘Swamp Cat’ Richardson and Tom ‘Deja Blue’ Mccree joined the band for a tribute to the late Bo Diddley – how excellent to see three former Poorboys together on stage. The band was further augmented by Tim Aves for averse or two of ‘Mona’ and then Chris Pearson, an occasional guitar dep for the CKs took on guitar duties. A real extra treat for all of us to see so many really fine musicians on stage.

It is quite a while since I have caught the CKs live and on the basis of this gig, it is easy to see why they are so much in demand throughout the UK, Europe and Scandinavia.

Thank you guys for a wonderful evening, one that will live with me for a long time!

Thursday 12th June

Another superb evening in store as the highly acclaimed Kyla Brox Band makes a triumphant return after their sensational debut last year. A fantastic gig just get even better as it has been announced that blues legend Victor Brox, Kyla’s father, will be a very special guest for this evening. Kyla is still talked about in hushed tones by those who were at her debut Club appearance last year when she more than proved that all the good things said about her are true & then some! Many compare her most favourably with the top names such as Dana Gillespie and Connie Lush so this really is an evening not to be missed with one helluva lady vocalist backed by a top quality band. You voted her your fourth favourite female vocalist in the Digital Blues Awards for 2007. Victor’s playing career spans many years and he studied under a variety of blues pioneers such as Big Bill Broonzy, Bo Diddley, Brownie McGhee, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter and Screaming Jay Hawkins.

He has played with Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Ritchie Blackmore and Ian Gillian of Deep Purple, Charlie Mingus, Noel Redding of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Memphis Slim, Dr. John, Keith Moon, Alexis Korner, Bill Coleman, Lord David Sutch, Tete Montelieu, T.T.Swanston, Marzetta Watts and Nico.

ln the late 1960s he sang, played guitar and keyboards with The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation whilst in 1970 Victor performed as Caiaphas on the original recording of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar.

Support will come from the Blue Flowers, a new band featuring the mighty Nick Nicholls formerly of the superb Motel Kings.

This is most definitely not a night to miss.

Thursday 19th June

Another return visit by someone who took the Club by storm on his début last year as the high energy Lightnin’ Willie & the Poorboys make a return to the Club.

Larger than life Willie, rocks the night away backed by the superb Giles King on harp plus, for this UK tour, 75% of the Groove Doctors with Fergie Fulton on bass, Digital Blues Award winner Tim Ainslie on guitar and John Butters on drums. Willie has a new CD, ‘Tracks’ released in June and will be playing tracks from this plus a selection of the his great original material and some fine covers. It will be hot as hell at the Crawdaddy whatever the weather outside.

Thursday June 26th

A really strong month is rounded off by bottleneck blues guitar meister Martin McNeill with his excellent band. No news as yet of the line-up but Martin always puts together a top class selection of musicians from the local blues & jazz scene so you can be sure this will be a great evening with one of my favourite performers, a man who is so self-effacing about his talent.

JULY

Another excellent month with Cruisin' for a Bluesin' opening proceedings on the 3rd featuring John ‘Smiggy’ Smyth on vocals etc. (last seen at the Club as part of the Blues Pack earlier this year) followed by the fabulous Bad Influence on the 10th, excellent local band, Bad Hair Day on the 17th, the hugely acclaimed young band, Tantrum on the 24th making their Club debut with the excellent funkydory featuring the beautiful vocals of Lorna Reilly and the wonderful guitar of Jules Fothergill.

What a month in store. You lucky people!

That’s it for now, normal service will be resumed as soon as possible once we are in France and have the home network up & running.

Thanks again for all your best wishes, Patricia & I really appreciate it and thank you for your friendship and company over the last six years. Don’t forget to support live music as without you there will not be any live music.

A bientôt et merci mille fois!


Regards
 

Ashwyn

 

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