Review by Tim Marcus with photos from Sam Conquest Photography
We’re back at the Springbok Park Estate on the Surrey/Sussex borders for the fifth consecutive year to cover this great little (but ever growing) festival once again. We’re here this evening to take in the prelude party taking place for a few hours in the small marquee alongside the bar. The first thing we notice on arrival this evening just before 7pm is that the little area where tonight’s performers will be, for the first time since these sessions have been running, has some proper stage lighting – something which will no doubt please the photographers amongst tonight’s gathering.
The other, and most important noticeable difference compared to this time twelve months ago is that Festival director Dave Rees is on site and it has to be said I’m delighted to say, looking very well indeed as we collect our press accreditation from him. For those who are unaware, less than 24 hours before last year’s festival was due to start, Dave was rushed to hospital having suffered a suspected heart attack.
Surprisingly to many he still managed to make a brief appearance on the Saturday, stopping off at the site for a couple of hours after being discharged from hospital and en route to be driven back to where he lived at the time in Newcastle upon Tyne. Another thing that is different this year is that the small marquee stage has a name; The Mick Hulme Stage, named after one of Dave Rees’s best friends and a big supporter and sponsor of the Alfold Rock and Blues Festival.
Once again this year, there are four acts lined up to entertain us this evening the first of which I have to admit I know nothing about whatsoever. Described as delivering psychedelic country rock, proceedings are kicked off, without any introduction (their wish apparently) by Blimus. They’re certainly pleasant enough and easy enough to listen to however by the end of their set I have to admit to still having no idea what psychedelic country rock is!
Second up tonight is one of several Alfold regulars around this weekend, Stevie Simpson (of one bloke, one mandolin fame) performing with his band The Damn Fine Folk. Joining Stevie to make up this trio are double bass player Nick Drury and drummer Miry Gonzaga. It’s only a relatively short set and as always with Stevie it’s a fairly eclectic one.
There does however seem to be a common theme running through his set list tonight though, (quite appropriately really given that the festival is staged in the grounds of an estate that provides homes for retired seamen) as he kicks things off with a sea shanty style of song called “The Bosun”. Next up we get “The Gallows Song”, a song about great ships of the 1800s, “Steamers” and the theme continues on with “The Catch”. Finally, Stevie and his band leave us with a song which he tells us is about friends with whom we’ve lost contact and friends that are no longer with us, “Long Time Gone”.
Following Stevie Simpson and the Damn Fine Folk onto stage is another Alfold regular, the now 85 years young Jackie Lynton. There are two things about Jackie Lynton which I believe are not in doubt; one, he’s an absolute legend and two he’s very much an acquired taste. There’s no questioning his legendary status, he’s been performing with various bands and song writing now within the rock n roll and blues arena for the best part of the last sixty five years, however my own first experience of Mr. Lynton was not until 2021 when he appeared at the very first Alfold Rock and Blues Festival. Already in his eighties his performance that day appeared to be as much about his attempts at stand up (or in Jackie’s case, sit down) comedy as it was music.
The music was great. Jackie Lynton was clearly born with rock n roll in his heart and I don’t think it’s ever left him. However his attempts at joke and storytelling on the day I believe were sadly misguided. I’m no prude and believe me at times and given the right circumstances my language can be choice and explicit! That said, given the family nature of this wonderful festival and despite the fact that those familiar with Jackie knew exactly what they were going to get, I felt that on that particular day, his choice of language was unnecessarily crude, vulgar and offensive. Yes, there were people laughing however like me, I think it was more through embarrassment for him and were laughing AT him rather than with him.
Fast forward nearly four years to this evening and this is Jackie’s fourth appearance here at Alfold in the five years that the festival has been running and he’s here accompanied by a four piece band. Whether through direct feedback or whether just through sensing audience reaction to his performances I don’t know however Jackie certainly seems to have mellowed in his ripe old age
. Not a lot: the swearing and bad language is still there – it wouldn’t be Jackie Lynton if it wasn’t however a lot of the unnecessary vulgarity that I recall from his first and subsequent performances here seems to have abated. Either that or I’ve simply become oblivious to it. In fact, in closing his set tonight Jackie even makes a point of apologising if he’s offended anybody – the first time I’ve ever heard him do that and at heart I’m sure it’s not something he sets out to do; it’s just the loveable rogue he is. But having written chapter and verse on his use of language, let’s face it, what this weekend is really about is the music and in that department there is no questioning him at all.
Like everyone else this evening he only has a short set however it’s packed full of great rock n roll and good humour – eventually that is after an opening ten minutes of chit chat! Included within the set tonight we get some great versions of songs such as “I Hear You Knocking”, a Little Richard cover “Gonna Rip It Up”, a Chuck Berry cover and a wonderful bluesy version of The Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” with the lead vocal sung by Jackie’s guitarist, Chris Bryant. The set is concluded with a great energetic version of “Matchbox”, a song I believe originally recorded by Carl Perkins.
As I said at the start, Jackie Lynton is very much an acquired taste however I have to confess that, whilst it may have taken a few years, he’s won me over through, if nothing else, the sheer passion he has in his heart for the music he grew up with and still loves and performs today. No longer will I raise my eyes to the ceiling with a deep sigh the next time I see the name of Jackie Lynton on a festival billing. God bless you Jackie and may you continue to rock and entertain!
Closing proceedings on this informal first evening at Alfold, as they have done in the previous two years, are local rock covers band FMOB. If you want to know what FMOB stands for then you’ll have to check with Festival Director Dave Rees however I’m led to believe from a reliable source that it has something to do with a sexual act conducted with some aged footwear!
FMOB are fronted by “The Guvnor!”, Sam Clayton on vocals and guitar, plus the three members of Voodoo Lake (appearing on the Main Stage tomorrow), Dave Strange on lead guitar (and Peter Frampton style Talk Box), Mark “Bomber” Random on bass (not to mention also being Stage Manager of the Mick Hulme stage) and James Fileman on drums and backing vocals. For the next hour it’s a classic rock party as they give us numerous great rock covers one after the other. Amongst the many songs we hear from them tonight are; “20th Century Boy” (T. Rex), “Rocky Mountain Way” (Joe Walsh), “Simple Man” (Lynyrd Skynyrd), “Jailbreak” (Thin LIzzy), “Waiting for The Thunder” (Blackberry Smoke) – probably my favourite song of the whole night, “Tush” (ZZ Top), “I Want you to Want Me” (Cheap Trick) and last but by no means least “Keep on Rocking in The Free World” (Neil Young).
As always it’s been a wonderful, friendly, lively and informal opening evening to Alfold Rock and Blues and as we make our way back to the car park to return to our nearby Air BnB we’re already keenly anticipating the three wonderful days ahead.
PS: This review is written amongst other things, in appreciation of Trevor Rapson (Main Stage Manager) and his crew who whilst they may have heard a bit of what was going on, missed a great deal of this fabulous evening that the rest of us all enjoyed as they’ve been working hard behind the scenes on the Main Stage to ensure that everything is up and ready to go bright and early tomorrow morning so that all of us here and the artists appearing over the next three days all have the best possible experience.
+ There are no comments
Add yours