Rod Clements & Ian Thompson

Sedgefiled Manor House - 3rd Feb

Saturday night at Sedgefield manor was something of a change of pace from the previous night’s gig in Hartlepool. No bands of twenty-somethings in skinny jeans roaring round the stage. Instead a more gently paced evening from a N.East legend who’s done all that in the past and now enjoying a more leisurely pace.

Rod is perhaps best known as one of the founders and long-standing bassist ( & sometimes violinist) for Lindisfarne and their splinter group Jack The Lad (who here remembers them?). interesting aside, Ian Thompson currently occupies Rod’s Bass position in the recently revised Lindisfarne, Rod now on lead guitar. It was no surprise then that the evening started with striped back versions of Rod’s early Lindisfarne contributions, Road To Kingdom Come and Train In G Major (or E Major these days). It was also great to hear again some of the old Jack The Lad numbers as well as a couple of songs from Rod’s time working with the great Bert Jansch.

Lindisfarne reformed after a few years, and following Alan Hull’s death in 1995, Rod became principal writer until the band broke up again in 2003, and many of Rod’s songs from this era were represented in the show as well as solo numbers including another (minor) hit, Can’t Do Right For Doing Wrong,  which charted for Erin Rocha in 2003, however, not quite as high as Rod’s biggest hit Meet Me On The Corner which was the sing-a-long of the night.

For the Blues purists, Rod tapped into his enthusiasm for little-know Shreveport Blues artist Oscar “Buddy” Woods with a paean Blue Goose, and one of Rod’s dryly humorous introductions which were a feature of the evening, as well as a coupe of deft instrumentals, Billy Taylor’s I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free and Dobie Grey’s The In Crowd

A sublimely laid-back show from a sublimely laid-back duo; much recommended if ever they’re in your neighbourhood.

Apr 13th - Wokingham Music Club; Emmbrook Sports & Social Club, Lowther Road, Wokingham RG41 1JB

Train In G Major (E major): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n19ANnoU0Zc
Ramblin's Gonna Be The Death of me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUWA4hogDF4
The Old Blue Goose: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClhA8aM9orw