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Saturday 13th March lunchtime Blues Jam 

Saturday 13th March Evening Nine Below Zero 

Sunday 14th March Guitar, Record & CD Fair 

Friday 12th March 2004

Friday night was dedicated to the Chiltern MS Centre with Richard Shirman of Hershey and the 12 Bars taking part. Richard who suffers with MS is a patient at the centre.  www.hersheyandthe12bars.com

Rocking the Blues nominated charity for RTBAT 2004 was the Chilterns MS Centre, in Halton, offering treatment, care and support for those with MS living in the Chilterns. This therapy centre is self funding and needs all the help and financial support it can get  

Registered Charity No. 800853

www.web-shack.com/cmsc/index.htm

Opening up the festival for 2004 was Irish guitarist Damien McCabe. He took to the small side stage with a nervous burst of energy playing acoustic guitar. Damien is definitely not a laid back performer and even opening up on acoustic to a sparse audience in the auditorium he was going at it hell for leather. He may not be the best acoustic player but his enthusiasm made up for any short comings. It wasn't long before the audience began to swell out of interest for this explosive figure. 

Changing on to electric guitar Damien looked more at home playing electric. This is what he does best in his bands Real Free. Still playing in the same upbeat way at times looking like James Brown on speed and looking as if he had a backing band of musicians egging him on to a higher plain. Damien played a selection of covers and his own material. Songs like "Playing in the Dirt" with slide guitar, Man in Pain and Cloud Dog Nine. Apparently this was about a dog hoovering up the coke that his owner had carelessly spilt on the floor. Damien finished his performance with Hendrix's Voodoo Chile and a well deserved applause.

Now it was time for the first band of the evening and a relatively unknown band from High Wycombe hit the stage. Although locally known as one of the best new blues prospects from Wycombe, Stir Crazy are only just beginning to cut their teeth on the national blues scene and a band to watch out for. 

Suddenly, the auditorium came alive with a splash of colour from the main stage and we were hit with a raw and dirty real blues 'Repo Man'. An obscure cover of a Harmonica Shah number from his Deep Detroit album. Next up was a real blues standard - 'Born Under a Band Sign'. However many bands cover this number the riff still stands up as being one of the all time greats and the bad luck lyrics as what the blues is about. Stir Crazy played this full on grabbing the essence of Albert King's funky rocking blues classic.

The next three numbers were originals written by vocalist Ben Curtis and guitarist Steve French. The first 'Rip It Up' a drivin' foot tapper in the Feelgood's / NBZ vein. The second, taking things right back with a slow lazy number 'Save Me From The Blues'. The guitar of Steve French was impressive  flowing from a sweet subtle solo in to a frenzied attack before the band dropped down to highlight Ben's harmonica solo. A real dynamic interactive number. Last of the originals was 'Injustice' capturing personal anger and frustration from the band. 

The band are a tight outfit with Mick on drums and Hugh popping around the stage on bass allowing Ben and Stevie 'Ray' French the freedom to do their thing. The songs and the overall sound is very much blues and not a rock band playing some blues. Gritty vocals interspersed with harmonica and some fine guitar as shown on their last number, the popular 'Voodoo'. Stir Crazy were well received by the crowd and set up the rest of the evening nicely.

Photograph by kind permission - Ashwyn Smyth

Next up were one of my favourite bands, the excellent Hershey & the 12 Bars. It is, perhaps, most appropriate that they should appear at this event as Hershey, Richard Shirman, suffers from MS and is restricted to a wheelchair. His self-deprecating humour about his condition in his many asides is, I feel, a tribute to a man who does his damndest to not allow it to interfere with his love of the Blues and desire to perform

Hershey & the 12 Bars appear all too rarely so it was a real treat to see them at Tring. The band behind Richard is stuffed with talent with the excellent Dave “Munch” Moore on keyboards, Alan Coulter on drums, Chas Cronk on bass and Ernie Hayes on rhythm guitar, every one of them musicians whose CV’s read like the proverbial Who’s Who. New to the band, literally, was the young Michael Coleman, stepping into Mike Summerland’s shoes and who was making his debut appearance with the band and what a guitarist!

The band opened with “I Ain’t Gonna Be Your Slave No More” followed by a trademark 12 Bars number, “Angel of Mercy”. Then came “Shot in the Dark “ which Hershey informed us “was written by the singer!” and this was followed by the wonderfully witty “The Blues Just Ain’t The Same Anymore” which bemoans the effect that political correctness has had on the blues.

The set continued with a glorious rendition of Prince’s “The Love You Save” which featured a beautiful guitar intro and continued with another Hershey favourite, “You Upset Me Babe” and Janis Joplin’s “Move Over”. The band’s closing number was – wait for it – “Voodoo Chile”!!! and what a fabulous version it was. Wonderful keyboard work with an insistent, driving rhythm and the riff from Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Ways” which fitted perfectly.

This was a brilliant set finisher and served to demonstrate not only how good a band this is but also how individual musicians or bands can take the same song and interpret it in their own way and bring new life and a new take to it. One was not left thinking, “Oh no. Not “Voodoo Chile” again despite the fact that this was the third version in three sets. But then it is a great song.    

The festival was trying to raise some money for the Chiltern MS Centre and one of their patients and a rare figure on the UK blues scene these day is Richard Shirman of Hershey’s & the 12 Bar. It was only fitting that his band should play the festival and play they did with style and passion. Although now confined to a wheelchair, Richard sat on a stool from which he delivered vocals that started off a little reserved  but grew in stature through the set in spite of his predicament.

Micheael Coleman was in real rock mode on their last number incorporating Joe Walsh's 'Rocky Mountain Way' riff.  For the third time, would you believe it,  yes you’ve guessed it, - the best version of the night  -  Voodoo Chile. What were the odds on that happening?

The charismatic Marcus Malone headlined on Friday night and immediately had the audience under his spell, although many at Tring had probably not seen or heard of him before. He started with two of my favourite numbers from his cd ‘Blue Radio’ – ‘Hear My Train’ leading with the guitar riff and from the start Marcus showed a quality in his vocals few can match. Next ‘Blue Radio’ is a stomping boogie number with Simeon Jones blowing his harmonica to great effect. Keeping to the ‘Blue Radio’ cd  the funky ‘Supernatural Thing’ was followed by ‘Double D’. and the ballad ‘Walk Away’. Then they were back to the real dirty blues with ‘Candy’. Guitarist Stuart Dixon was impressive and Jonathan Bankes laid down some dependable solid bass lines, locking in with the energetic drumming of Chris Nugent. Marcus then featured songs from earlier cds ‘One More Time’ and ‘Walkin’ Shoes’ finishing with the title track which left a dancing audience wanting more. The band came back to play two encores, ‘Find Me Somebody’ from ‘Walkin’ Shoes’ and ‘Keep Me Runnin’.

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