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Happy 1st birthday to Playing Out Loud! See Reviews for Trowbridge 30th Village Pump Festival, Larmer Tree Festival, Eastleigh Summer Festival, Folk at the Abbey, Magic Car CD reviews & Articles for Basingstoke Anvil New Season, The Spirit of the South Music Festival, Mick Taylor, Hedge Monkeys, The Extraordinaires reviews and more...

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POL Reviews
AUGUST 2003

Festival Reviews

The Rolf Harris ‘Rock ‘n’ Rolf Show
Eastleigh Summer Festival.

EVERYONE’S favourite Antipodean put on a super show to end a highly
successful week of music in Eastleigh. Backed by a seven-piece band the affable Aussie was greeted with a warm wave of affection as he opened with the comic “Jake The Peg.”
Over the next hour or two all the old favourites got an airing as Rolfy
entertained over 1,500 people on a perfect summer’s evening. Out came the famous wobble board for “Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport,” followed by the evocative sounds of the didgeridoo on “Raining On The Rock” and “Sun Arise. “Two Little Boys,” and “Stairway To Heaven” were both given huge bursts of applause, and there were also plenty of songs for the crowd to sing along to, notably “You Are My Sunshine” and “Goodnight Irene.” Rolf was as energetic and good-humoured as usual, chatting to members of the audience throughout his act and meeting them to sign autographs before and after the show. No-one could dislike this genuine entertainer who has the gift of unifying people through music and
bringing a little joy into their lives.
The smiles on hundreds of faces said it all as Rolf encored with the crowd singalong “Waltzing Matilda,” then produced the “British version” of “Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport” sung to the tune of “Land of Hope & Glory!” A memorable occasion and a perfect finish to a great festival. The good news at the end of the evening was that the festival will return next year, thanks to Festival Organiser Peter Chegwyn who is to be congratulated for putting Eastleigh on the map as a music festival venue. Isn’t it about time Southampton had something better to offer than Power In The Park? Send your views to the Leisure Dept, Southampton City Council, Civic Centre, Southampton! (© Peter Ashton 2003)

The SAS Band
Eastleigh Summer Festival.

OVER 1,500 people, the biggest crowd of the festival so far, rocked away in and around the blue and red striped big top with Spike Edney’s stellar band.
The highlights came thick and fast as a host of top vocalists took centre stage
with Spike’s classy bunch of musicians. Chris Thompson belting out immaculate versions of “Davey’s On The Road Again” and “Blinded By The Light,” the giant shaven-headed Fish from Marillion bounding on stage to whip though “Could Have Been Me” and several more soulful songs, the modest Graham Gouldman singing “Bus Stop” which he wrote for The Hollies, “For Your Love” a hit he provided for The Yardbirds, and “Dreadlock Holiday” from his time with 10cc.
Paul Young may struggle a bit with his voice these days, but he is as big a star as ever in the eyes of his fans and just as charismatic on stage. “Come Back & Stay,” Wilson Pickett’s “6345789” and mega-hit “Every Time You Go Away,” were delivered in that slightly strained manner, but warmly applauded.
Next up was Leo Sayer who may have a slightly irritating stage manner, but no-one could disagree that he has a great voice. He certainly got a great reception and his timeless hit “When I Need You” was particularly well-received.
One of the biggest cheers of the night came for reborn singer Tony Hadley, and the suave star with the big voice was one of the hits of the evening.
Very comfortable and relaxed on stage and always ready for a bit of banter with the audience, Tony’s voice is better than ever, amply demonstrated on his own favourite song ”Through The Barricades.”
In between the solo segments, a bopping, clapping crowd were treated to the famous SAS “21 Rock Riffs Overture” with the irrepressible Jamie Moses working overtime on lead guitar as the band played a selection of the most memorable riffs in the history of rock. The atmosphere built to a tremendous climax as first Chris Thompson and then the rest of the star cast reappeared to perform ensemble versions of Queen hits “We Will Rock You” and “We Are The Champions.” Superb musicianship, brilliant sound quality and spectacular lighting effects all contributed to a night to remember. Peter Chegwin’s mission to bring music to Eastleigh is certainly paying off with cheerful friendly crowds creating a great atmosphere, and it looks increasingly likely that Eastleigh Summer Festival will become an annual event. (© Peter Ashton 2003)

Trowbridge 30th Village Pump Festival
Trowbridge.
July 27, 2003

This year’s line-up was the best for several years and it just so happened
that three of my favourite acts were appearing on the final afternoon, so off we went to Trowbridge. For those music fans out there who haven’t been there, the festival site is in a valley with a river running through the middle. When it rains, the whole area becomes a sea of mud, and that’s what we had to slog through after parking the car on a hill over half a mile away.
The brave souls who had weathered the conditions for three days, many of them camping out, should get a medal. It was like walking though porridge all over the site, and apparently it had been worse the previous day. Fortunately all the music was under canvas, and the tent for the main stage was crowded all afternoon. First up we had Bayou Seco from New Mexico, whose range of dance tunes and cowboy songs was totally engrossing. The Cajun, Zydeco and Tex Mex styles produced by Jeannie McLerie, the heavily bearded Ken Keppeler and Paul Rangell on a range of instruments including fiddle, accordion, banjo, guitar and harmonical got a great reception.
Chris, Denny and Nick who make up Last Night’s Fun are always worth
watching and hearing, and their set was as witty and invigorating as we have come to expect. Concertina player Chris Sherburn’s good-natured banter, often aimed at shy Nick, is a running feature of their act, but it’s the sheer velocity and power of their playing which makes Last Night’s Fun such a popular festival act. Making traditional folk music as exhilerating as they do is no easy task and their playing is off the highest order, from Chris’s dexterous concertina, to Nick’s superb uilleann piping and Denny’s singular guitar.
Los Pacaminos were the next act on stage - the ultimate good-time band with their brand of rocking Tex-Mex laced with a few country ballads. Paul Young may be the star but it’s an ensemble act who all appear to have as much fun as the audience, many of whom were dancing away by the time Los Pac finished with “Woolly Bully.”
Derrin Nauendorf and David Downing closed the afternoon’s entertainment with their totally original sound. This duo make friends wherever they go with David’s percussion dramatically underpinning Derrin’s powerful voice and plangent guitar playing. From the moody opener “Ghost Town” to the closing unique version of Bob Dylan’s “Ballad of Hollis Brown” the Aussie pair were totally compelling. (© Peter Ashton 2003)

Eastleigh Summer Festival
Dennis Locorriere
The Point, Eastleigh.

“I thought I’d be in the tent with the other guys,” said the affable American singer now based in the UK as he kicked off the Eastleigh Summer Festival with a solo set. In front of a sell-out crowd the former Dr Hook man opened with “If I Had A Nickel” from his last album. From then on for over two hours it was just Dennis and his guitar and that rich, golden voice offering up over twenty songs mixing some great Shel Silverstein compositions, many Hook single hits and a selection from his revitalised solo career.
A skilled and versatile guitarist as well as one of the greatest voices in
pop, the charismatic Dennis achieved an instant rapport with the crowd as he belted out “Queen of the Silver Dollar,” “The Millionaire,” and “Carrie Me Carrie” from the early Hook days and new self-written songs like “The Heat” and “Shine Son.” All got an equally enthusiastic response from an enthralled audience. Finishing up with an invitation to the “Freakers Ball,” Dennis was cheered back on stage for encore after encore, including “A Little Bit More,” “The Soup Stone” and of course “Sylvia’s Mother.”
“Incredible!” said the lady next to me at the end of the gig, and I
wouldn’t argue with that. Superb entertainment from a warm and gifted entertainer on top form. (© Peter Ashton 2003)

Gig Reviews

CD Reviews

Magic Car.
Yellow Main Sequence.
Tiny Dog Records. TDR003.
Playing time: 49:58

Twelve tracks of Americana from Nottingham-based Magic Car.
Mostly mellow and country-tinged with a few upbeat songs adding a bit of variety. Vocals are divided between Hazel Atkinson and Phil Smeeton, who wrote all the songs.
Nothing exceptional or particularly original here but you can’t fault the
production, vocals or instrumentation. Stand-out tracks include “Piano Wires,” “Night So Blue,” “Phobic Phoebe” and the closing instrumental “Yellow Main Sequence.” File under easy listening. (© Peter Ashton 2003)

Rose Kemp
Glance
Park Records PRKCD63
Running time: 41:40

The daughter of folk icon Maddy Pryor, Rose Kemp has a great voice and could develop into a good songwriter judging from the twelve self-penned songs on her debut album. I found some of the slower songs just a little boring, to be honest, despite Rose’s soothing voice. Thankfully, they are all under four minutes long! Maybe I have just heard too many wistful acoustic female singers recently, but I much preferred the more upbeat tracks like “Note On The Fridge” and “I Won’t Run,” two bluesy country songs which allow Rose to rock a bit.
The highlight of the album for me though was the jazzy “No-One,” a great arrangement with Rose’s vocals reminiscent of Eddi Reader. Overall a very listenable and promising debut. (© Peter Ashton 2003)

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AUGUST
Featured artists:
(see Articles for info)

Status Quo - Basingstoke Anvil - New Season
Status Quo Basingstoke Anvil New Season

Showaddywaddy - Southsea Bandstand - August 25
Showaddywaddy Southsea Bandstand August 25

Mick Taylor - Mr Kyps - Sep 23
Mick Taylor
Mr Kyps
August 23

The Hedge Monkeys - Various gigs throughout August
The Hedge Monkeys
Various gigs throughout August

The Extraordinaires - Quay Arts Centre Newport - August 24
The Extraordinaires Quay Arts Centre Newport
August 24

Susan Maughan - Bournemouth Pier - August 3 to September 7
Susan Maughan Bournemouth Pier
Aug 3 to Sep 7

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