Frannual
Review
Poster
Raffle PrizesReview
Fran-One at the Cumberland Arms, Byker, Sunday August 6th 2006
In memory and celebration of Fran, tonight’s event is a benefit for a deserving local good cause at the Cumberland, a welcoming, bare-brick no-frills venue that has stayed in another, less artificial time where live music and good beer at realistic prices are decent things to aspire to. Tonight diverse line-ups bring their own sets of followers crowded into this small English heat wave August sauna of a room, where despite the differences, everyone is unaffectedly friendly, smiley, touchy-feely, arty and rocky.
First over the top is the unfortunately named The CAMP . Their discernibly North-Eastern sound is built on a solid foundation with Colin’s edgy vocal (“rock”) pushing against Martin’s grounding, circular mandolin patterns (“roots”) on the opener Take A Walk In My Shoes. Next up, Its You I Can’t Face displays much more thought- through writing before Martin’s She’s Gone (no, not Hall/Oates) tells of ‘your basic bedroom break-up stuff’. Unselfishly mindful of time constraints, CAMP nevertheless find time for the thoughtful Running Blind with Martin’s amplified harp an effective lead instrument that would bring a smile to the face of Little Walter back in 60s’ South Side Chicago, and they leave us with the blood and guts anthem All The Way Down.
Chalk and cheese – next is the very young Josie Brown and Friends, with Alisdair Robertson (more of his brother later) on keyboards, Molly Wright on co-vocals and Dad on unobtrusive guitar. The girls do a wonderful sweet and delicate take on Joni Mitchell's Circle Game, and then Josie/Dad duet Sweet Moon in Nashville, the song Archie wrote for and always performed with Fran, left not a dry eye in the house, but maybe the tears are happiness at Josie’s brave performance and composure given the circumstances.
Newcastle’s own sensation Stan take the room, turn it up to twelve and show no mercy. Driven by Colin Burrow’s unrelenting and punishing commitment, these guys have the furniture shaking and people on their feet. DK (the newest shit-hot guitar slinger in toon), Rob on bass and Pip on drums rise to Colin’s high intensity challenge. Their 11-song set has the energy and the moves of The Jam, the intensity of Manic Street Preachers and the volume of the Live at Leeds Who. Drilled performance perfect, organised, they are danceable too, filling all the entire square metre of floorspace with punters who are word perfect on favourites Lies, Hey You and If You Really Want To. Loud?My oh my, my lugs are still throbbing.
Seaside is a trio featuring Matt Stark (drums), Izzy Finch (bass/vocals) and fronted by the incredibly gifted 15-year old Danny Robertson, who, just two years after picking up his first guitar, is the brightest young prospect I have seen. On stage he strikes a coltish figure, seemingly unsure on his first feet as he leads the band through his songs, punky (of course) with his very own-style Telecaster bounce, and scary present-and-future talent by the brick load. He’s going places and we don’t mean Wallsend - watch this space folks, and remember, we told you first.
By the time the legendary Young Bucks put down their glasses long enough to tune up (more or less), this hot, emotional night has flown and Pat Rafferty (accordion, guitar, vocals), Phil Screaton (guitar, vocals), Neil Ramshaw (drums, vocals), Paul White (bass), Gram Canyon (trombone) and Archie Brown (sax, guitar, vocals) have an endless set list and 20 minutes left. Approximately in running (stumbling?) order came the impossibly poignant, especially tonight, I Believe, the one Arch wrote for their boy Murray Heart That Beats For Me, the from-the-heart tender, intimate Touching You, a storming (What’s So Funny ‘bout) Peace Love and Understanding (Nick ‘Basher’ Lowe via Steve Earle), and, of course and of course it sends me, solid gone, every time, Gloria, the song that Van, were he here tonight, would, 10 minutes in, dig you in the ribs and say “I just heard one of my original lines” as the boys take it on a careering, bounce-off-the-walls dash, playing knock-down-ginger on Jim Morrison’s door on the way and leaving the place in an uproar. Phew!
Tonight was for Archie’s English Rose - having only met Fran on a couple of fleeting occaisions, I didn’t know her. But the people here tonight certainly know her and they love her, something tangible in this room tells me so. And as Yvonne and I make our way home, we have, strangely, given the sad circumstances, a calmness that came to us from all those lovely folk who came to say “hello” to their friend tonight.
Peter Innes (with thanks to our mate Kendo for the support)
Download A4 printable version of 2006 poster: frannual.tif