ROGER & FRANS PAGES

 

The Teens at The Royal Oak

Friday 5th March  we went to our local pub, The Royal Oak. at Bracknell, to see  THE NASHVILLE TEENS It wasn't quite as easy as walking up the road because I had to drive all the way to Chertsey and back to collect Ray Phillips.  Luckily Colin Pattenden had brought all the sound equipment over earlier in the afternoon, so I didn't have too much work to do setting things up. Ken and Simon also live fairly locally and arrived early. Eventually we were all assembled and the gig began.  Because The Royal Oak is also Spud the drummers local, we had a full turnout of local old friends and many of Spuds family - the place was packed. The band played two sets and considering it is eight or nine weeks since the last gig, they were incredibly tight.  The audience loved them - which always helps the vibe and makes them perform better.   Ray's rendition of Put A Spell On Me was brilliant - his voice was on top form.

 

We were at The Hare Hill Social Club most of Sunday 28th February - to help our old pal Jackie Lynton celebrate his seventieth birthday.  The place was packed with friends and family and there was a festival of music.  After a warm up of acoustic guitar music (sorry - I don't know the musicians name, but he was good); The volume cranked up with Paul King (Mungo Jerry) ; Colin Pattenden (Manfred Mann's Earth Band) and Chris Bryant (Bryant's Guitars - Denmark Street).   After a few numbers they were joined by Ray Phillips (Nashville Teens).   Stevie Kemp provided a disco which linked the bands - and he had a lot of very clever segways, and played a lot of Lynton music - including Again and Again, which Jack wrote for Status Quo.  Jack then got his own band onto stage with a guest drummer who played an amazing solo.  A brief interlude for cutting the cake, and then Jack introduce Predatür - who only played three or four numbers, but who were exceedingly good.  A few more disco records from Stevie and then Jack was back on stage with most of his own band, but instead of Chris Bryant, he had none other than Big Jim Sullivan guesting! Probably Britain's best guitar player - an amazing gig!   Jack stepped down and Tony Phillips stepped up to sing some real old Rock'n'Roll. Almost as impressive as the array of musicians who came, was the list of apologies, which included Rick Parfitt (Status Quo); John Coghlan (Status Quo); Colin Earl (Mungo Jerry) ; Arthur Sharpe (Nashville Teens) and John Hawken (Nashville Teens) A fantastic afternoon and evening - and a real privilege to see these amazing musicians jamming together.

Paul King, Colin Pattenden, Chris Bryant                          and again, with Ray Phillips         Jackie Lynton with Big Jim Sullivan

 

Wednesday 24th February I went to an unusual gig - a performance by The Glenn Miller Orchestra at The Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage. I took my Mum and my sister - the outing was part of my Christmas present to my Mum Glenn couldn't be there of course, what with having been missing for 65 years, but the orchestra were ably conducted by Ray McVay.  He is sprightly for his age even though his pitch black moustache and hair do look a little artificial.  Unfortunately he has a broad Scottish (Glaswegian?) accent, and he sounds perpetually drunk - which of course he wasn't. The music was very "thirties" and "forties" which my Mum really enjoyed, all in all an interesting evening.

The Orchestra, The Moonlight Serenaders, Ray McVay right at the back

 

An unsolicited local gig on Sunday 24th January  at my local Bracknell pub, The Royal Oak.  The band were called Raw Glory whom I knew nothing about, and hadn't planned to see, until mid afternoon when I had a call from Karl Green (Hermans Hermits) to tell me that he was mixing sound for them and I shouldn't miss it!  I'm glad he called. The band were tremendous - four very professional musicians playing heavy metal rock.  Drums were played brilliantly by Mick Underwood (The Herd, Free, Bad Company and Gillan to mention just a few).  He was ably supported by Andy Hodge on Fender Bass. Andy has had a career as a session bassist and has played in the orchestras of many West End shows.  The lead guitar was beautifully handled by Cosmo - of The Heavy Metal Kids; and the lead vocals came from Paul Manzi who has an enormous vocal range, a very musical singing voice and an ability for high volume output! Just the right sort of voice to carry the AC/DC, Zeppelin, ZZ Top and Paul Rodgers mixture that this band thrive on.  It was two and half hours of solid enjoyment - I shall certainly want to see this band again.

Raw Glory.

 

Mike Windus soloing to a pub full of dancing people

Saturday 16th January  A local gig for me at The Royal Oak at Bracknell, where The Jackie Lynton Band were playing for a special celebration of Trisha Metcalfe's birthday. The pub was crowded - I was surprised that I knew a good half of the people there!   As well as the usual WAGs; Neil Hill had come along ensuring that Status Quo fans were represented - he brought Andrea and her friend Tracy along.  Keith-The-Stalker and his posse were grooving visibly.  Jacky Pattenden brought virtually all of her family, and it was lovely to see Stevie Kemp and his gang again. Ken Osborne and Cola were there too, and of course all the rest of Spuds voluminous family were along to help Trisha celebrate her birthday. That would have filled the pub anyway - but at least two other people in the pub also had birthdays and had brought loads of friends!  The place was heaving for the combined parties, and Jack and the band were on very very good form - blasting out Rock'n'Roll beautifully. Usually pub gigs attract a standing, sometimes appreciative, but mainly inactive, audience. This one broke the mould!  The floor in front of the band was a dance-floor and it was heaving with dancers. Even beyond the dancing area, people were jigging and bouncing with the music - it was an infectious event.

 

Saturday 9th January  An absolute surprise outing to The New Victoria Theatre at Woking to see Cinderella.  Without any children as an excuse!   We had sadly cancelled our planned trip to visit friends in Letchworth because of the weather, and Colin & Jacky had a similar disappointment because Jacky's daughter and grandchildren couldn't make the journey from Cambridge.  So we were all left with nothing to do, but with five tickets to see Cinderella;  so at lunch time - after reviewing the prospect of staying in doing nothing - we all went to the theatre via an early dinner at The Auberge Restaurant in Woking.  The show starred Joanna Page (Stacey, of Gavin & Stacey) ; Jon Lee (of S Club 7) and Michael Aspel (Antiques Roadshow).  Considering that we were four adults with no kids to entertain, we loved it - launching into the "Look Out Behind You"s and shouting for Buttons.  An unusual gig for two old rockers and their wives, but one we really enjoyed - particularly after a couple of glasses of the excellent Rioja in The Auberge!    A great show, very professionally staged and hilarious, not least because of the odd mistakes and asides to the audience about one of the Ugly Sisters popping off stage to check her script !   A surprise evening - loads of fun.

Flier for Cinders

 

Roland, Fran, Roger and Mike So Long Angel       Everybody smiling - The Blues, but fresh

Saturday 2nd January  Our first gig of the new decade was at Scratchers - The Three Lions at Godalming - where we went to see So Long Angel.  It was great to catch up with them all.  Mike & Fran have recently done a "family" radio interview on Resonance Radio (104.4 in the London area); with their two daughters - Fran had sent me a copy which I've listened too in the car several times. Roland was fighting fit and is about to go an on assignment (he is a photographer by trade) to Zimbabwe.  This was also Roger Nunn's first gig since I last saw him at Dr Kings Jailhouse - since which he had fallen off a ladder and broken his wrist - tonight was his repaired wrists first public outing with a drumkit - and he was really tight and didn't appear to be in pain. The pub wasn't too crowded and the temperature was very cold to start with, but there was a very appreciative audience and the pub soon warmed up.  The band were all on top form, very tight.  Fran McGillivray's voice was - if possible - even richer and more chocolaty than usual, and she obviously enjoyed her performance because she was wreathed in smiles at the end of every number.  Just goes to prove that the blues don't have to be dark blue!  Her performance of Spoonful was great - It was the first song I ever heard her sing (in a Church in Hitchin some three years ago or more). Just when you think she's damned good, you discover that she was just cruising and that in fact she is excellent when she really pulls out the stops for her favourites. From her exquisite delivery you can tell that Memphis Minnie's Chauffeur is high on Frans "like list". She also excelled on Ecstasy, which is one of the many which she has written herself.  One of my favourites is another McGillivray/Burke composition called Love is Freedom. This number combines a haunting chorus (gives me Goosebumps) with a heavy drumbeat and some beautifully arranged guitar work.  I recall Jackie Lynton asking me who wrote it when he first heard her sing it - when I said "She did" he remained quiet for a minute as he watched Fran on stage, and then slowly said to nobody in particular, "It's  f*k*ng good".  Praise from the master. Mike Burke's guitar work was impeccable - every time I see him play I get more and more impressed; he has a huge range of styles and delivers them well.  He also has a good voice, but he tends to reserve it for duets with Fran rather than for solo performances.  I really like their duet presentation of the Isaac Hayes/David Porter classic, When Something Is Wrong With My Baby.  They clearly do care for each other very much, and yet - despite the almost smouldering tenderness as they duet - they are wrapped in smiles as they get a huge kick out of bluffing the audience with the false tab at the end of the number.  Linda Ronstadt move over - this is a much better version. Roland Kemp provides the keyboard component which both mellows and rounds the overall sound of this fantastic band.  He brings an almost "jazz/funk" edge to the proceedings. When I hear him I often think of Graham Bond or Jimmy Smith.  It's not that he tries to emulate them - he has his own brilliant style - but it feels like the same sort of class.  Roland also has a good singing voice, and he provided excellent renditions of Going to Chicago and Walkin' The Dog during this performance. Roger Nunn plays the drums - this time with a newly repaired broken wrist, but that didn't affect him.  He was tight and steady. Although Fran plays a gutsy bass, she does so far more tunefully than many "popular" musicians and as a result it is Roger who provides the lions share of the power and drive for So Long Angel.  A great band - brilliant to meet up with them again - doubly brilliant to hear them again - and cant wait to see them again soon.

 

Monday 28th December  A long drive to The Pokey Hole Club at Moira, near Ashby de la Zouch, for  The Nashville Teens playing their last gig of 2009. It was quite a long drive and the weather promised to be bad (although it wasn't, so we were lucky).  We took three vehicles for the six of us and the equipment; and were set up and sound checked by six o'clock.  It is a nice little club (old miners welfare club) and had a very professional looking bunch of sound engineers. Unfortunately their equipment wasn't the absolutely best and their concept of stage lighting was a tad garish - never mind - the place was packed and the punters seemed to like it. The support band was an interesting collection called Absolute Cr*p - They were a bunch of musicians from the local village who exhibited varying degrees of talent, and who play together once a year or so. They were all reasonably competent, although clearly un-rehearsed !  Their sax player was a delightful young blonde lady named Jacy Charlton , and she was noticeably good.  In fact Ray asked her to join The Teens on stage for Route 66 - and she played it like a pro! (video on You Tube is linked from The Nashville Teens website.) The sound engineers kept the sound extremely loud, but I enjoyed it through my earplugs - it was a concert style show, with no space for dancing.  The band were on form and everyone seemed to enjoy it all tremendously. The show wound up at a quarter past eleven and (partly because of the threat of snow and other nasty weather) we had struck the stage and packed the vehicles by midnight.  As it turned out the bad weather didn't catch us and we were safely back home by half past two in the morning.  A nice end to a great years of gigs.

The Teens at The Pokey Hole

 

The Lynton Band on Sunday

Sunday 20th December  A long drive to The Three Lions  (Scratchers) at Godalming to see  The Jacky Lynton Band playing their last gig of 2009. I was there early because I was carrying Spud and his drum kit. The Three Lions was unusually packed and with a very appreciative audience.  Both Mike Windus and Chris Bryant were on top form with their guitar solos, although Chris was feeling a little under the weather.  Jack was sparkling - he has been steadily improving over the last few weeks and is really enjoying his gigs now.  Colin Pattenden played well and Spud Metcalf is getting hotter and hotter as a rock steady Rock'n'Roll drummer. A great last gig for this band for 2009 - everyone parted with Christmas cards and looking forward to Jan 16th when we'll all be together again at The Royal Oak in Bracknell.

 

Sunday 13th December  Not a gig - but a fascinating and very privileged Jam Session chez Dave Peabody.  It was Dave and Jane's Christmas open house event  - lots of wine and nibbles, plus - inevitably - a lot of musicians.  They had all brought along something to play with so we witnessed a Jam Session which was a fascinating blend of acoustic guitar and mandolin work with added harmonica and some excellent singing from several people.  And all performed by a group of excellent professionals whom you wouldn't normally see in the same room unless you happened to be at a major music festival. We were delighted that Fran McGilllivray and Mike Burke were there, as were most of The Spikedrivers, Corinna Poore and several other faces who looked and sounded familiar, but who's names I didn't know.  Of course, Dave himself joined in as well. Those of us watching were extremely privileged to witness such an array of talent all playing together, and obviously loving every moment of it.

Fran & Mike in Dave's front room