Just singin' the blues (From Western Telegraph)

Just singin' the blues

The Mojo Roadshow Blues Night Cottonmouth/The Hoochie Coochie Band/Fred Herring's Band Queens Hall Narberth

Viv Stanshall once sang Can The Blue Man Sing The Whites?, and as the Mojo Roadshow Blues Night hit Narberth, the late Mr Stanshall would have been proud, as things weren't always quite what they seemed.

Fred Herring's Band kicked off their set with a standard Stan Webb's Chicken Shack tune, during which an Ian Dury style old geezer shuffled from stage left (complete with mockney accent) then commandeered the mic, before throwing away his props, wig and stick to reveal himself as Charlie, showman and vocalist.

It wasn't the Blues, but between their own numbers and some great covers, including Van the Man's Moondance (on which they left their own very individual footprints), they entertained us. The band were airtight, flamboyant and theatrical to the end and included Lee Mason, stripped of angst, but with cutting guitar and keyboards, and Bruce (of Winderton Studios), the bassist, who was obviously enjoying being the tiger in the tank.

Frontman theatricals looked set in stone as Tony led the Hoochie Coochie Band on stage. Wearing shades that shouted I'm a blues singer, me, and the standard issue grey ponytail, the band seemed ever so slightly intimidated by the quality of the previous act and took a while to warm up.

But it was formulaic R&B rather than Blues, which kept the floor full of deliriously happy dancers (jitterbugging dads and scrummy mummies). Having finally found the 12-bar blues part of their repertoire (eg Hoochie Coochie Man) they ended up more Cleddau Delta than Mississippi, finishing off not far from the Thames estuary with a Canvey Island's Dr Feelgood song Down At The Doctors.

After the swiftest change over ever seen, Cottonmouth were in the light. The frontman mould crashed to the Queens Hall stage as the distinctly un-dangerous Brian sang Gangster Of Love. The Blues had finally arrived in a density of sound that was flawlessly triumphant, showing Cottonmouth's sincerity towards their genre. They make a rich, warm and utterly cohesive sound that you can almost touch.

Maurice's Gibson guitar sang with the ghosts of all those Blues greats, from Robert Johnson onwards. The elaborate perfection even had Johnny Midnight (legendary guitarist in his own lunch time) vogueing at the feet of his heroes, the transformative powers of the dance floor when the music hits the spot.

The gig was in aid of a new PA for the Queens Hall, but on the strength of tonight why bother? It sounded great to me anyway.

Pictured is Tony, of The Hoochie Coochie Band. PICTURE: Chris Rees.