NORTHUMBRIAN MUSIC
NIGHTS
What we said about
Mad Pudding & support
The Elderberries
Mad Pudding, Canadian Crescendo
at The King's Head, Allendale
The evening started out at The King's Head in Allendale in comfortably sedate fashion, with an accomplished set from newcomers The Elderberries, an acoustic cajuny-folky-blues combo with a unique sound.
Cath McGrother's voice and weaving ambiance required a carefully positioned hed mike to capture it all, and the treat of 'Ride that Moon' accompanied by Dave Yeomans on Spanish guitar will stay with me for some time, since I bought the CD!
But the audience had come for a jumping Celtic storm of rhythm, rock and reels, and as Mad Pudding took to the stage, half-way through their current UK tour, it was clear there would be no disappointment this evening.
It was especially nice to hear 'Rattle on the Stovepipe' again, reprised from their brilliant set at Brampton Live this past summer. And then out came the unique vocal sound of Puddings Amy Stephen and Andy Hillhouse on 'Spanish Lady', and we were just gobsmacked as the sound swirled around the intimate room.
'The Weaver' featured in a Canadian collection, and it wooed the unwary as the tura-lura-luray chorus hypnotically repeated itself. But the overall sound owed a great deal to Allan Dionne's solid drum backing, and the steady bass guitar of Boris Favre, who exhibited a fine set of stomping feet as well!
Allan's own tune, 'Robika' showed us, against expectation, that drummers can actually put a few notes together, and the pathos of this Hungarian-based melody was striking. Jumping along towards the break, it hardly seemed credible that another whole half awaited.
But back came the band, and with new member fiddler Moritz Behm leading on 'Reel di Janeiro' it was a musical journey around the world's rhythms. Mixing it up well with one of the few cheerful Leonard Cohen numbers extant, it was time for a special 'Celtic Funk Stew', and suddenly there were dancers at the front, dancers at the bar, and heads bobbing, hand-clapping and general extravagant enthusiasm all around. It's not hard to jump into the music when it's right there with you!
I think I caught the 'Dance of the Hungry Panda' and I know I caught the infectious enthusiasm of 'Le Beaujolai est arrivé' , but it was a great delight to experience the zipping encore composed entirely of Canadian fiddle tunes. Great fun, great music, great atmosphere, Canadian band of course!
