25th September 2004 Colchester Arts Centre
Martin
(left, yes it
is
he) started the proceedings on solo piano with
'Before The Hurricane'
which can be found on 'The Greatest
Living Englishman' album.
Next up was The Wicked Witch on which
Martin was joined by Paul Rutterford on guitar and Nelson on upright bass.
which
can be found on 'Radio Autumn Attic'.
Then they played the legendary Cleaners From Venus song 'Living With Victoria Grey' which can be found on 'Going To England'. Martin then introduced the next track as a Brotherhood Of Lizards tune and he and Nel (on mandolin) 
sang 'Carmosine'. Which
is from the eponymous Brotherhood Of Lizards album.
Then a lone Martin played 'The World Strikes One' from The Brotherhood's second album Lizardland. The last song Martin did in this set was 'Straight To You Boy' from 'The Greatest Living Englishman' album. Then Strum
and Bass , Nelson and Paul Rutterford, performed a belting set
of covers. 'Love Her Madly' (The Doors), 'Let's
Spend The Night (afternoon?) Together' (Rolling Stones), You
Make Me Feel So Young (Sinatra and all), Wichita Lineman (Glen
Campbell) Martin and Nel returned to the stage, after we had stocked up on cakes, and performed 'A Woman & Some Whiskey' from Radio Autumn Attic. Martin on guitar treated us to a new song called 'The Wooded Hills', a poignant song about a lost love and a peripatetic childhood. ("Utterley wretched" to quote Newell himself.) Next the dynamic duo of Nel on bass and Newell on guitar gave us 'Clarendon Lane' from The New Europeans E.P. 'You Made It Rain', another unreleased song (It may be on The Golden Afternoon CD from Jarmusic later in the year) was followed by a set from American singer songwriter Kerry Getz who was the very special guest of the day. Kerry began with Martin's
song 'She Rings The Changes' which she had contributed to Re N
ewell, the Martin Newell tribute CD, a few years back. She followed
this with ' This
Thorny Rose ' from her Live At The Galaxy album.
' Suspended
In December ' from her Xmas album 'It's A Wonderful
Life' was followed by ' Amnesia
' from 'Little Victory'. Finally,
and the highlight of her set, was a beautiful rendition of ' Inhale
' from her album 'Apollo' and soon to be released
on this album
, which she dedicated to her late older brother.
I'd say Kerry earned herself a few new fans that afternoon.
Martin's third set started
off with 'The Gretest Living Englishman' on piano. As Paul and Nel
joined him on stage, and began preparing themselves, Martin performed
an impromptu self penned bawdy piece called 'Keep
Your Gherkin Gleaming'. Then we got 'Grenadine and Blue' from
the new album. Alone again Strum & Bass played their final set, tackling The Smiths' track 'There Is A Light Which Never Goes Out', 'Itchycoo Park' by the Small Faces, Cole Porter's finest hour, 'I've Got You Under My Skin' and 'Sheena Is A Punk Rocker/She's So Square' by The Ramones / Buddy Holly. Martin then decided time was running out so he invited us to take another cake break but he would wander amongst us and play at our tables, so armed with Mandolin he regailed us with 'Home Counties Boy' rom 'The Greatest Living Englishman' album. , Led Zep's 'Gallows Pole' (briefly) and 'I'm Henry The VIII th I am'. Then back on stage with guitar he played a lovely version of Herman's Hermit's 'Mrs Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter.' Nel and Paul joined him for 'Sugarcane' from The Spirit Cage album. Then Grahame Andrew came up to add harmony vocals for a belting 'Miss Van Houten's Coffee Shoppe' from The Off White Album.
As an encore Martin did a solo guitar version
of a so far unreleased song called 'Better Than Anything'
which
may or may not be on the new live album.
Then the entire cast
joined him onstage for 'Bus Stop' by the Hollies
Martin's
recorded version can be found on 'Don't Step On My Rainbow'.
|
at the piano Martin played another new one called 'My Lost Weekend'.
Paul and Nel reappeared to back Martin on the old Brian Protheroe
song 'Pinball' which they also performed last year
and it'll be on the forthcoming live album.
