Venue:
Hen and Chicken, Bristol
Date: 26/11/2019
I posted on a Blogger Takeover thread about Geraint Watkins most recent album ‘Rush of Blood’ – a wonderful thing, full of invention and romance.
This gig, with a small and hugely talented band, was an absolute delight.
Singing and piano playing from Geraint of the highest quality featuring new and old original material and impeccably reworked covers.
The band playing only whats needed and nothing more.
And he’s very funny!
The audience:
The band are not in the first flush of youth and neither were the audience!
It made me think..
Anybody who hasn’t heard Geraint’s music really should. Try the videos on his facebook page.
Who is his band, these days, @geoffbs7 ? He is a fella I have always liked to see crop up in the credits of an album, whether Van or, preferably, Balham Alligators. I always saw him as part of the Rockfield studios mafia (tafia?) who could pop up on anything related to Rockpile and their alumni and way beyond. A bit like Terry Williams, post-Man and pre-Dire straits.(So per-Rockpile) I have a solo CD somewhere but I recall it all a bit the same, old timey 60s style rock (&roll), tinged with C&W with alternating barroom piano and accordion. Which, put like that, sounds top notch!
I’m hoping for a Scottish gig. Failing that, I’ll have to head to Newcastle.
His “Bold as Love” album is especially good. I’d really like to see him leading a band.
I’ve seen him backing Nick Lowe and with the (latter-day line-up of) The Balham Alligators, in Glasgow.
He’s the proverbial national treasure.
Can’t tell you the names of everyone in the band but the sax/clarinet player is Martin Winning and the guitarist is Oliver Darling.
You’re right Iainiain that he should be a real national treasure. So much, funnier, friendlier and more musical than that twat Jools.
Retropath2 – you should dig out some of his CDs (there aren’t many!) – all sorts of variety on them.
He played in London the night before Bristol and there’s some bits on YouTube.
Also this:-
Full band listed here. Bassist was in Nick L’s touring band of Impossible Birds, and Balham Alligators, alongside Geraint:-
https://thecluny.com/listing/geraint-watkins-band/
The drummer was exactly right – a proper drummer. When I look him up (Malcolm Mills) I discover he’s a founder of Proper Records!!
Mills and the other Proper records honcho, ex-Chilli Willi and Roogalator bassist Paul Riley, often get in the groove behind artists on their label, being admirable ballast for the King of dieselbilly himself, Bill Kirchen, at my last exposure to him.