Power of soul at The Wishing Well, Hayes.

For Robyn and me, it's all got a bit too hard - so while we had a whole choice of music on Saturday night there wasn't any argument.

If you can only get a couple of hours together we knew what we needed, we headed down to the Wishing well in Hayes to catch 'The Power of Soul'.

It's not cutting edge, it's not going to change the world.

The band certainly aren't the youngest but then a table of ladies in the pub were having a bet on how old I was. The sweepstake ran from 67 years to 75. I know I've been having a tough time recently (and believe me I have), but that's quite a way out, ladies.

Here's the band's history;

      Founder members Gavin Barnett (bass ex Albert Lee) and Ted Cullen

      (trombone ex Scratch Perry) have kept the flag flying for Classic Soul
      music and with accomplished accomplices in Adrian Barry (vocals), highly
     
      acclaimed guitarist Steve Kempson, plus George Lee (alto sax ex Jimmy

     Cliff and the Amboy Jukes) all powered by the drummer’s drummer the

     amazing Mac Poole (whose Soul background included taking over the drum

     stool in top Birmingham Soul band Locomotive to let  his pal John Bonham
     leave to try his luck with Led Zeppelin).
So we are talking experience and style here and it showed.

There were all the soul classics you'd expect; the best that Motown has to offer.

And the pub was soon on its feet;

 
   

                                                   

And it takes some doing to thaw out either of us these days, but they managed it;

                                           

 

As the evening moved on, the beers started to work and by the third session there was a bit of jamming - a bonus for me; stylish instrumental music played with real blues and soul.

 

Then Adrian Berry got out his own guitar and the Funk started; a couple of Prince numbers. A little Bob Marley too and suddenly midnight was just a memory.

 

It's just a shame that real life comes barging in through the door when the music stops.

 

Neil Harris

(a don't stop till you drop production)

 

Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com

 

Contact: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

 

 

 

The Reggulaters at The Carpenters Arms, Hayes.

That looks like the makings of a good Saturday night; The Reggulaters playing Hayes at The Carpenters Arms.

And that meant a whole lot of West London’s Skinheads were in Town (plus one MOD and Robyn)- thanks to everyone for a warm welcome.

What was in the bag?

Just the finest, clearest, cleanest rendition of the classic Ska and Rocksteady of Trojan Records back catalogue.

These are the Mighty Reggulaters;

 

And the Saxophone was in particulary good form on Saturday;

 

Not to forget the unforgettable sound of the keyboards;

Which made some of these classic dance tracks unbearably good and had me beaten in the hat department too.
If you click on a picture you get better quality and a slideshow.

Now if I’ve wetted your appetite how about a trip to The Brookhouse, Hayes on 11^th July when it’s all happening again?

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)
Home:  helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me : neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

 

The Reggulaters at The Brookhouse, Hayes

If you imagine a pub on an industrial scale - that's The Brookhouse. It's my first visit and when I got in I found a pub rammed full of youngsters and with the Jagermeister on tap.

Jagermeister is a German herbal liquer, drunk as a shot. It's an unlikely drink for Hayes but 'Jager Bull's' are very fashionable - a beer glass with a shot glass full of Jager inside and surrounded by Red Bull.

As a driver, I haven't had the pleasure of trying one of these yet - when I'm too ill to drive I think I'll explore the palliative effects of a Jager Bull. Now I think about it, the waiting room at Charing Cross Hospital would benefit from a Jager bar.

In Hayes the Jager was on draft - they had a machine so that they could get the shots out quick enough. It was that kind of pub.

The Reggulaters had a tough old time - they play the Trojan back catalogue of Ska and Rock Steady and are completely uncompromising about it. My collection of Trojan isn't small but they play stuff I don't know.

Up against them was a DJ playing music fast and furious and a load of youngsters up for it.

So for the first set the two cultures clashed.

There were lots of shouts for Two-Tone Ska, which I love and which even young people know and like.

At halftime, most bands would compromise and change - not The Reggulaters.

 

 

 

Then at the same time as the Jagers were doing their work

the DJ played 'Billy Jean'. That always had a near reggae beat, so much so that Shinehead did a celebrated 12" Dub version merging 'Billy Jean' into 'Mama used to say'. That did the trick and had both groups dancing at the same time.

 

For the second half it was mayhem, someone chewed my tie.

 

I had a chat with Karl from The SkaSouls who was filling in as drummer for the night. At heart we both prefer pure Trojan - the roots of reggae pure and simple. Dancehall stuff.

 

But then again for me I grew up with Two-Tone, it combined Punk with Ska - it's always going to be a part of me.

 

This was quite a special night for another reason - I met Daniel, who is severely disabled and came out in his electric wheelchair and with his carers. He's obviously a regular at music nights at The Brookhouse - everybody came up to shake his hand like I did or, in the case of the pretty girls, they queued up to do selfies with him on his mobile.

 

You can only ever judge people by the way they treat vulnerable people.

 

Not by whether they are necking Jagers or the kind of music they like.

 

 

Neil Harris

(a don't stop till you drop production)

 

Hitting Hayes.

The HighsF

Friday night found me in Hayes, wondering why it’s taken me three months to see The Highs again.

 

If your interest is 1960’s British Rythym and Blues, 1970’s MOD revival and The Jam, 1990’s Paul Weller or a smattering of Northern Soul – this is the band for you.

I hit Hayes with a hacking cough, some recent bad news, it was cold and raining on me – what a grouse. I still had a great time;

 

There was The Who, The Spenser Davis Group, The Small Faces and of course, The Jam.

As the rain was blowing along The Uxbridge Road I was enjoying ‘A Town Called Malice’ for all the wrong reasons.

Some of my favourites were the instrumental numbers; ‘Green Onions’ and ‘Sliced Tomatoes’ and then there was Martha and the Vandela’s ‘Heatwave’ played with all the pace of The Jam’s final e.p. ‘Beat Surrender’.

It’s always a great night with The High-s  and if you want to find out just how great that is, you can catch them free on the 19^th April at The Sun. Over Easter they are one of the bands playing Brighton Pier to commemorate 50 years of The Mods.

Nice one.

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)

Home:  helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com