This
one was a bit of a welcome late call; off for October half term but with Covid
travel restrictions (and our kids’ passports elapsing!), not off somewhere hot lying
on a sunbed, we’d nonetheless planned for a day out today. However, general
apathy and disorganisation precluded against that as well (!), opening up the opportunity
to catch a “live” set from Bristolian “modern folk” act Chris Webb, whom we
know better as one of “live” favourite Gaz Brookfield’s cohorts in his Company
Of Thieves band. Having seen him at this very venue a couple of years back (gig
1,152), I knew a good time was guaranteed, and happily “Tupp” landlady Linda
made good on a long-standing promise to allow Logan in to attend too!
So,
after a boys afternoon out at the cinema to see sprawling Sci-fi epic “Dune”, a
boys night out started with me needing to scrounge a couple of quid off my son for
parking (!) after a drive up the hill, then into the Tuppenny to be greeted by
promoter Ed Dyer for a movie chat (not music for once – how multi-faceted we
are!), then grab drinks and a table at the front, ironically right in front of
Chris’ occasional bandleader Gaz, plus Mrs. B and his lovely beagle Reuben, out
for a Brookfield family night out in Swindon!
A
quick greeting with Chris before he took the window stage at 8.30 for the first
of his 2 sets, opening with a hazy, pastoral English folky number, ironically
about the recent lockdown! Then, after a groovier toe-tapper “Check Mate” and
before the splendidly upbeat and strident chorus hook-led “Breakfast”, Chris
regaled us with a story of getting lost in the Lake District and needing to get
rescued after a night out in the wilds!
This
set the tone for the whole evening; a relaxed, entertaining performance from the
affable Chris, plying his trade of usually upbeat, 4/4 time, folk numbers,
picking out little vignettes of everyday life, elevating them with the strength
of his arrangements and complex, intricate fretwork, and playing them with easy
calm. Lacking the strident shout-along choruses and overt energy of his “boss”
Gaz, Chris instead relies on his understated charm and bonhomie “live”, which
worked perfectly in front of tonight’s audience of friends and fans. Newie “Clown
For Sale” saw Chris ask collaborator Gaz if he’d brought along a harmonica, “in
the key of “C”?” (he hadn’t – shame!); a later, almost Love-like Spanish guitar
riff-led number saw him miss a line, which prompted Ed (down the front with us)
to retort, “something you know!” when Chris subsequently asked for requests;
and the pastoral Laurel Canyon 70’s psych-folk of John Martyn’s “May You Never”
rounded off set one very nicely, thank you.
A
short break for drinks and a bag of pork scratchings for Logan (in lieu of the kebab
he wanted to go for afterwards – that doesn’t happen every gig, mate!), then
Chris was back “on it” with a more buoyant and animated “Man from The Moon”,
which got Reuben animated too, Gaz’ beagle barking along to this “beagle-friendly”
number! A few more barks in the second number however prompted a departure of
The Brookfields (Reuben clearly having reached his limit for the night), which itself
prompted Chris and Ed to trade beagle puns, Chris then commenting, “I hope
no-one’s reviewing this shit!” then noticing me taking notes down the front. Oops!
A subsequent “We Always Loved The Mad Ones”, with it’s shifting change of pace,
was probably my set highlight, although another cover of Squeeze’s New Wave
classic “Up The Junction” and the subsequent debate about the song’s protagonist’s
wife’s “30 minute” labour (really??) ran it close. A properly frisky “Let’s
Crash A Ceilidh” and the undulating wordplay of “Heat” preceded “one final
pandemic number,” a more plaintive “Empty Living Room” before Chris announced
his recent fatherhood, so clearly lockdown wasn’t all that bad! A cover of Neil
Young’s “Harvest Moon” (for Ed) rounded off the second set, punctuated by an
encore and a quick whip round by Linda, both Logan and myself happily chucking
cash in as suitable recompense for being right royally entertained tonight.
A
quick departure afterwards – ok it’s not a school night but it’s still late for
my little man! – and home just before 11. A welcome late call indeed!
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