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Nick Morgan and crew
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Concert
Review by Nick Morgan |
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THE BARCODES AND THE INCREDIBLE BLUES PUPPIES
The Eel Pie Club, Twickenham, London, March 5th
2008 |
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The
Barcodes |
| It’s
been a little while since we’ve been to see
the
Barcodes, Whiskyfun’s favourite
London based blues band, and purveyors of their
own fine brand of “jazz and blues with soul”,
as they like to describe it. That’s why we’re
here at Richmond’s famous Eel Pie Club, a
celebration of famous 1960’s rhythm and blues
venues in the vicinity of Eel Pie Island (now home,
you may recall, to the Mystery Jets) such as the
Crawdaddy Club, the Station Hotel, the Imperial,
and L’Auberge. It was here that bands like
the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds started, and
artistes such as Jimmy Page, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton
and Jeff Beck launched their careers. There was,
and is, a west London music mafia (most of the major
labels have their offices over here, convenient
for the large riverside homes of many of their senior
executives) and it started here. Actually it feels
like a lot of the old blues foot soldiers are in
the audience. In fact, to be honest it’s a
bit like waking up in an R&B rest home (Dungroovin’
perhaps?), which is something like my idea of heaven,
and it’s no surprise that by the end of the
evening there seem to be more people on stage than
there are in the audience. |
| It’s
a launch party for the Barcodes new CD, Live! In
Session for the BBC, and very nice it is too, even
if the title is a bit of a cheat, as the album is
a recording of a live session in Ipswich for BBC
Radio Suffolk. Cheeky boys. The Barcodes, if you
don’t remember, are keyboard player Bob Haddrell,
with a smooth soulful voice who’s always at
his best singing the works of Mose Allison (like
‘Parchman Farm’, on the CD but not performed
tonight) or Willie Dixon (7th Son, ‘which
is’). Haddrell’s a big man, but he removes
his shoes to play the bass pedals with wonderfully
delicate stockinged feet. |
Alan Glen (The Barcodes) |
| Equally
delicate, subtle and deftly laid-back is drummer
Dino Coccia – as the evening wears on he’s
almost impossible to see, but you sure know he’s
there. And fronting the band on harmonica, and with
some very tasteful blues licks on his Gibson guitar
(note to artist – please clean guitar), is
Alan Glen. Tonight they also have world-famous conga
player Robin
Jones, and on saxophone Nick Newall, who’s
worked with the likes of the Kinks, Zoot Money,
Gary Brooker and Andy Summers. Later they’re
enhanced by “the saxophone-playing orthopaedic
surgeon” Art Themen, veteran of Stan Tracey’s
bands, and more importantly a stalwart of the early
London blues scene. Later still, the Barcodes are
joined by Dr Feelgood and Yardbirds guitarist and
Hammersmith native Gypie Mayo and for their final
song, ‘Everything or nothing’ by vocalist
Paul
Cox. |
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Art
Themen, Nick Newall, Gypie Mayo and Alan Glen
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The
Incredible Blues Puppies |
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I suppose that could have been it, but it’s
not, because the second half of the evening features
special guests The
Incredible Blues Puppies, a spin-off
from the Barcodes with Haddrell (only an occasional
member), Coccia and Glenn being joined by Costa
Tancredi on bass and John O’Reilly on guitar.
They work through a gutsy and energised set as
befits “some of the best blues hounds around”,
being joined on and off by Cox, Mayo, harmonica
stalwart Shakey
Vick, Jim Mercer on bass and slide guitarist
Tim Nolan (the inspiration behind the Eel Pie
Club). I’m sure that there were even more
people on stage as I was almost left standing
on my own by the end, and I quite fancied the
thought of having a go myself, but that no doubt
was pure bravado brought on by the generous helpings
of red wine that my companions were serving me.
Anyway it was great fun. If you ever get the chance
you should see the Barcodes, and for that matter
the Incredible Blues Puppies. And if you don’t,
well go and buy Live! It’s as good as the
Barcodes get – and highly recommended. -
Nick Morgan (photographs by Kate)
Kate's
Barcodes photo album  |
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Nick's Concert Reviews
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