The good, the bad and the lyre (Open Mic #7)

When nothing goes to plan, though everything turns out right, you know the night has gone as it should.  Terry from Hemel Hempstead, now living in Huddersfield, knows the score; he arrived for this special duo and bands night with an experimental outfit he called The Good, The Bad and the Bastard.  I wasn’t sure which one of them was the bastard, but having acquired the drummer from My Mate Dave (Russell) they knocked out some Left! Right! Left! Right! and finished with an improvised set on lyre and bass guitar.

The lyre is a six string instrument stretching back to Greek classical antiquity and was often used to accompany story telling.  Fast forward to the present and it was being fed through high end reverb and hit with small sticks to create an ambient tone.  This was another first for my night and the whole point of these gatherings – expect the unexpected.

The featured act this month being The Chokes (above), a recently formed duo of local lads Dan Gallo and Tom Swales.  They play loud, uncompromising and passionate punk rock in a down to earth style.  Lad’s Army fills the bar with the stop-start-stop-start of lead guitar and drums as Dan sweats and rocks with an outstanding performance more fitting of a festival main stage than our humble proceedings in humble town.  Half way through the set the hot summer night gets too much and Tom throws off his shirt as Dan is dripping with sweat at a pace and volume which may have lost a few people who don’t like their music this loud, but gained plenty of new fans in the process.  Let me tell you now, here is the new punk rock and music has a future.   

This night was also graced by the return of the band My Mate Dave from Leeds, playing a mix of their own songs and covers.  Amy the lead singer has a powerful voice and presence and the drummer is second to none.  If any of you pub owners are reading this blog I thoroughly recommend these guys.

My mate Greg also came down to perform with his mate Lance, performing as Wing and Prayer, a name I rather like.  And we also got a wonderful introduction to the night from local choir Singing for Fun, organised by Louise from the newly opened Holmfirth music shop Hot Banana, as well as some superb punk folk tinged tunes from her partner in crime Steven Whiplash (pictured left).

It was also good to put real faces to the names of hardworking Wakefield duo Peculiar Blue as I’d heard so many good things about this pair from my travels around the Northern open mic scene.  They didn’t disappoint and played some wonderful original songs including We All Go Down Together and How Could You Leave.

There was poetry from Jim, Petra and Victoria leading us nicely into a random finish and a bit of a jam that combined kaossilator, lyre and spoken word – a collision of ancient and modern technologies that probably didn't sound as good as we thought it might at the time, but that’s what it’s all about after all and if you don’t try these things you’ll never know.  On this theme the next open mic will be on 29 August 2013 and will be an all acoustic affair downstairs at Cellar 88 – music without the aid of a PA. So please bring instruments and performances to suit.

A kaoss end to a chaotic night:

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