Last night was the first Kimberley Sessions of the year and my first since November as I was away doing A Christmas Carol last month. The night is now under the stewardship of Roger Kerry (aka Bill Kerry III) who has kept the standards up and the year got off to a fine start. I arrived earlier than usual but still missed the very beginning (stupid buses) act, a duo called Beaty and The Badger (above). While they were a charming act with a good line in old jokes, they were nothing amazing but got everyone in the mood with a handsome selection of covers, some better known than others. Not that I am knocking a band for doing covers as pub gigs can sometimes be an intrusion and if a table of indifferent drinkers hears something they know it can get them onside. The Nelson and Railway is a long pub and the music is situated at the end so those who are there for it tend to gravitate in that side, leaving those who are there just for the pub-ness can get on with it and thankfully not drift their conversations into the music. (Have I mentioned...)

Talking of pub covers, at November's show Bainy (friend and former radio colleague who leads the quite good band Blue Vulture) showcased a side project called Salisbury and Bain, who did a covers set that I was rather impressed with (not that I would tell him, the idiot*) including a grand version of 'The Man Who Sold the World' by David Bowie.

As usual I had one eye on The Random Sessions, which is where I first encountered (but shied away from talking to) Claire L Shaw who has already filmed an episode and I met Ben Smith, a talented young singer who I was previously acquainted with on Facebook. We got talking and he is up for filming his own episode which is cool, we also talked about a shark who calls himself a promoter and is gradually being seen for the money grabbing cunt that he is. It would be wrong to name and shame him on this blog that's read by literally dozens of people, so I won't mention Ian Russell of Scorpio Promotions and advise any musician to keep the hell away from the grasping greedy shithouse who ripped a 21 year old woman off to the tune of £300 when acting as her manager. 

The other singer on the bill was Cookie, someone I have heard of but can't remember having seen before, although I recognise him enough to know that I have. It was probably at the Kimberley Sessions on another occasion. Anyway, his set, great as it was, was marred by a distraction that myself and Roger/Bill became pre-occupied by. Cookie had a cup of tea with him and was three songs in before he removed the tea bag. I like a strong cuppa but three songs is pushing your luck a bit, he also kept drinking it throughout so surely he missed the optimum temperature window. You have to admire people who are willing to suffer for their art.

*Banter

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