Blues State UK
17th Dec
2007 by Lee Price
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It was a
welcome return to the Borough Blues Club for Eddie Gartry and the boys………Blues
State UK.
Last at the
club in September ’06 for the first anniversary gig when they went down a
storm, it was nice to see Eddie, Richie Davies, Mickey Jones, Rob Venables and
LJ Hamilton back in the fold..
It was a good
turn as expected providing a great start to the party season, and the boys were
in superb form providing the soundtrack to the night.
They kicked off
with Chuck Berry’s “Don’t Lie to Me” and then jumped straight into “Wish You
Would” by Billy Boy Arnold without stopping to catch their breath.
They stormed
their way right through to the interval taking the likes of Muddy Waters, BB
King, Slim Harpo and john Lee Hooker with them finishing up with Big Joe
Williams’ “Please Don’t Go”.
Thankfully they
didn’t and they kicked off the second half with an excellent version of Bob Dylan’s
“Like a Rolling Stone”. Not strictly blues, but hey we can forgive them that
when they’re this good. Covering Dylan isn’t such a heinous crime anyway. Just
ask Jimi………..if only we could.
They were soon
back to business with “Boogie Chillin’, and our ex Chairman was heard to shout
“Yahoo”. Perhaps he’d already consumed a little too much
It was a
rollicking second set which included a few more from Chuck Berry and Muddy
Waters, Little Walter and JJ Cale to name-check just a few.
Before we knew
it the night was up and the band finished off the crowd with a montage of
“Mustang
Once again, a
superb night of blues at the BBC, and thanks once more to Eddie and the boys.
Hopefully see you in 2008.
Memphis in the Meantime
– Gig Review 5th January 2008 by Adrian
This was an
eagerly anticipated return of a very good group to the Borough Blues Club. At their last visit in November 2006
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It was
unfortunate that the group decided to include a huge amount of original
material in their set. This might have been
OK if it had been blues but a lot of it seemed to have more of a country
flavour. It is doubtful that there was
enough blues in between the self compositions or the music of other styles to
warrant the title “blues band”. What
they did was excellent but certainly raised comment among BBC members that
detracted from what could have been a superb night’s blues!
The issue was
raised with the band in a very gentle way and it will be clarified in future
that for “Memphis in the Meantime”
and for other bands appearing at the Borough Blues Club the expectation is that
blues or rhythm and blues will form the major part of what they will be
expected to perform. It is, after all,
the Borough Blues Club. We like variety
and originality to go with the skill – but all in the best possible blues
taste.
FORTHCOMING
GIG PROGRAMME
Built for Comfort
Gigs for 2008
Mar
1st Built for Comfort
Apr
5th Mango Crow
May
3rd A Special Treat
Presenting an international act
Mick Pini and his Blues Band
Then!
June 7th Afternoon Blues
Festival
And in the night ‘The Accelerators’
It
is our intention to try and book at least
Three
‘Top bands’ each year, and we decided
that
Mick Pini would do just fine for starters.
We
want to book the bands that you would
like
to see so:-
LET US KNOW
WHO YOU WOULD
LIKE TO HEAR
AND SEE AT THE
CLUB!!
COMMITTEE
MEMBERS & CONTACTS
Please contact a committee with any
ideas for your club, Band suggestions
always welcome.
Dave Lewis – Vice Chair (07899
936217)
Adrian Powell – Secretary (07814
032008)
Tony Smith – Treasurer
(07971 701979)
(07902 292397)
David Leek - Membership
Secretary
(07969 838319)
Steve Savage –
Co-opted Member
(07855 414084)
MEMBERSHIPS
For anyone wishing to join our club, or to renew their membership, Dave Leek is the man to talk or write to.
To aid anyone to renew or join, a form is attached at the end
of this newsletter for your convenience.
Memberships
benefits include reduced ticket prices on club Gig Nights, a regular newsletter,
trips, (which we’re hoping to increase this year) and access to the club’s Blues
Workshops – of which we have some great new ideas to work with for this year.
(See Membership
Application form attached)
Club
News
Within the next two months we will be holding our Annual General Meeting where you, the members, will have
the opportunity to register your approval, or displeasure ay
the way your club is being run. It is important that all members take an active
part in the selection process of committee members. – It is YOUR CLUB, and the
direction you wish it to take lies in your hands.
We will be
contacting you again soon with details of the meeting, and with the name of the
committee members who intend to stand down, as per the constitution – two
consecutive years service, and if they intend to stand for re-election, and the
procedure for submission names for election to the committee.
A
FEW NOTES FROM THE BBC WORKSHOP
Blues Workshop
The members of
the Workshop band have really got the bit between their teeth since their
concert to raise funds for the “Upton-Upon-Severn” flood disaster relief fund,
and are now nagging us to provide them with another challenge. So what better
challenge than to perform for you all at our very own Blues Festival
We are always
looking for vocalists, Key-board players, and drummers, in fact anyone with an
interest in joining with the happy gang we have already. If you fancy a go, or know someone who does,
just let us, and them, know and they’ll be made very welcome.
The only rule
is that you have to be a member of the Borough Blues Club to attend, and the
cost will be £2.00 per session. We meet at New Panteg RFC every fortnight on a
Monday, and we run from
New
players/singers are always welcome, so check website for dates,
and-come-on-down. .
Dates of forthcoming workshops:
Unless notified
otherwise, the workshops will run every week on Monday nights at the Rugby Club
starting at
NEXT
GIG AT THE BBC!!!!
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TICKETS
FOR GIGS
Tickets for the
next gig will, as always, be available from the front desk during the break on
the gig night. And of course, tickets are available from the Treasurer, or from
your committee members – contact numbers can be found within the newsletter.
Tickets are
sold on a ‘first come first served’
basis, and tickets may be available on the door on the night, but please
remember;
When the house is Full……the house is Full!!!!!
Ticket prices: - £4.00 members, £5.00 non-members.
All pre-paid tickets not received, will
be issued at the door on the gig night.
(Subject, of course, to the usual name and address
confirmation)
To Order Tickets, Please
fill in the application form attached with this Newsletter, enclose a cheque or
postal order for the appropriate amount, and send to: -
The Treasurer: -
Henllys,
Cwmbran,
Gwent
NP44 6HE
Your Tickets will be available for
collection at the door on the night of the gig.
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