Vic King's field notes of music in the South Wight
Sandy Denny time of year
Vic King winters in Ventnor and Chale on his holidays and hangs out in pubs all week to listen to:
Monday, November 2nd, Wight Mouse, ChaleJC and Angelina The coast road to Chale is windswept. Out on the sea it's 'underwater moonlight', almost. Inside the Wight Mouse fires are glowing. There's a small crowd, and we talk about it being that "Sandy Denny time of year", with her songs like 'After Halloween' and 'Late November'. Take a walk through quiet Island villages like Bonchurch at the moment and you will know what we meant.
In three sets we get all self-penned stuff from JC and Angelina Grimshaw except for just the one cover, 'Lullaby of the Leaves'. The Grimshaws are going through their archives, we get guitar styles that seem to switch from the combination of Pete White and Al Stewart on 'Rhymes in Rooms' to Dylan and Morrison when they were halfway up that Greek mountain. Some of Angelina's stuff in particular, to me seems very 'Foreign Window.'
In addition we got JC's 'Robert Hunter' word imagery and Stevie James Gadds tea chest bass solo on 'The Ballad of Rod Garfield' which is described by John Grimshaw as being "Like the charge of the fucking Light Brigade."
During the third set a guy wanders in with several boxes of eggs for John Grimshaw.
Tuesday, November 3rd, Wight Mouse, ChaleChale Wailers Still bright moonlight, although tonight the songs are about a Cajun Moon moving across a Southern sky. Chale Wailers line up is Ric Otley, violin; Ross Elliott, banjo, bouzouki, guitar, harmonica, vocals; Rick Stokes, guitars, vocals. Tonight's songs are all covers, but a very interesting choice. Rick Stokes plays bottleneck on the old Mississippi Sheiks jazz number from the thirties, 'Sittin On Top Of The World', sings a Michael Murphy song, adn then gives The Stones 'No Expectations' a fast bluegrass treatment.
When Ross takes the lead vocal we get Michelle Shocked's 'Fogtown' dedicated tonight to Blackgang and The Waterboys 'When You Go Away'. "I like to slip the modern ones in so that Rick doesn't notice comments Ross later.
The second set inludes 'Deep Ellum Blues' and four impromptu songs from Lucy and Bran of Void, backed by Richard Otley on violin. These include Void staples covers: 'Zombie' and 'Lady Madonna'.
Wednesday, November 4th, Spyglass Inn, VentnorLast Orders The huge full moon is still there. On Ventnor seafront it's 'underwater moonlight' literally. There's a huge patch of it somewhere off Shanklin. Some fiery reels from Last Orders. The whistle, violin and mandolin are high up in the mix. Loud, but it cuts a swathe through the bar chatter.
As a diversion John Mansell sings Paul Weller's 'Wildwood' with great mandolin from John Newman. The only other tune with vocals during the first set is 'Brown Eyed Girl'.
The pub is packed. Chris Colley (Bob Dylan's Island chauffer . . .) is there and says "Doctors ought to prescribe this. It's better than antibiotics."
Thursday, November 5th, Spyglass Inn, VentnorJC and Angelina Guy Fawkes Night, and also the last day of Ventnor's Real Ale and Pasty Festival that has been going on for over a week. Again very busy in the Spyglass. JC is back from watching the Martin Taylor jazz gig at the Turner Sims in Southampton the previous night. He vocalises a trumpet part, Richard Sinclair style, on an early song, and then there's a great line about "Django on the jazz box".
We get some Eastern European polkas. The pub almost empties at nine o'clock when the fireworks on the sea front start, and then fills up again half an hour later. In the second set JC plays slide as Angelina sings Bessie Smith's 'Oh Papa'. We also get the story of the travelling bluesman again, 'The Ballad of Rod Garfield'. To quote the song 'It may sound country, but it comes from the blues'. 'Sinking Stone' has two guest musicians, Doug Watson on harmonica and a percussion player.
At the end, walking back to the bus. 'Underwater moonlight'. Patches of it everywhere, and a pounding, roaring surf.
Friday, November 6th, Spyglass Inn, VentnorPete Hogman Blues Band Tonight the moon is obscured by clouds. We get Hogman favourites like 'Hey Bartender', 'Money Honey', 'Stormy Monday' and 'Help Me'. There are two couple in full Blues Brothers gear up and dancing. Apparently, there had been a Blues Brothers style wedding.
Pete Hogman and Brian Sharpe both play acoustics these days, lots of superb twin lead work. Martin White underpins it on drums, Gill Hogman sings lovely breathy vocals. Mr. Sharpe takes to the mike for a fast paced 'Mercury Blues'. The highlight for me is BB King's 'Full Time Lover' which for me almost got into Big Brother territory. I look forward to their forthcoming CD.
Vic King
Underwater Moonlight is a Robyn Hitchcock song (with the Soft Boys)