Topic: Mitch Laddie
Finally! Got this year's concert diary up and running after our one winter snow storm put the kybosh on King King 2 weeks earlier. I was getting so desperate waiting for a gig I was playing Cure Cds to cheer myself up. Anyway, barely a week goes by that Tommy at Hartlepool doesn't serve up a treat and Friday he pulled of a combination that worked well last year, but with a twist.
Poplar Jake, came up again from Oxford and did another spellbinding set of acoustic, rootsy blues despite a very painful sounding sore-throat. Jake did a very brave show, with the aid of a bit brandy (purely medicinal) of his mix of Robert Johnson's and other archival classics as well as a couple of self-penned numbers. The rawnes of his throat gave a gritty quality over some great acoustic guitar; he put a lot in to his set, just hope it hasn't aggrivated his throat more.
Mitch is back on the road to push that "tricky" second album, and most of his split set was based round it, 6 or 7 new songs in all. Don't think he's going to have any problems with the album though, what I heard sounded pretty sweet and you wouldn't think a Geordie could sound that "funky". There's still very much an Eric Johnson sound to his playing but So Excited showed a more conventional "blues" edge. However, it seemed to be one of those injury prone nights; don't know if it was by accident or intent but Mitch called a short break after a blazing Hendrix cover after ripping a hang-nail and his Fender's scratch-plate looking more like a blood-spattered crime scene.
Finger taped up and band fueled on the customary free nosh that Tommy lays on, they tore into a couple of new and old numbers before our treat - Mitch was joined on stage by Andrew Pipe of The Mentulls to sit in on storming covers of Standing On Shaky Ground and Foxy Lady. Last year, I'd say that Mitch played a key role in 2 of my 10 highlights of the year, and judging by the toe-to-toe he did with Andrew, and later with Poplar Jake on slide guitar, he's aiming to do the same again.
Unfortunately, and my apologies to Mitch, I wasn't able to stay till the end of the gig, but what I heard was a pretty good way to get things started.
Mike
PS, anyone wanting to catch up with Mitch:-
THE YARDBIRDS CLUB, GRIMSBY UK - 01/03/12
THE GRAND, BISHOP AUCKLAND UK - 02/03/12
THE BROOK, SOUTHAMPTON UK WITH WALTER TROUT - 06/03/12
NEWCASTLE 02 ACADEMY, NEWCASTLE UK WITH WALTER TROUT - 07/03/12
LEEDS CITY VARIETIES, LEEDS UK WITH WALTER TROUT - 08/03/12
SHEFFIELD 02 ACADEMY, SHEFFIELD UK WITH WALTER TROUT - 09/03/12
CLITHEROE GRANDE, CLITHEROE UK WITH WALTER TROUT - 10/03/12
NEWCASTLE GUITAR SHOW, FEDERATION BREWERY GATESHEAD UK - 11/03/12
THE LOWRY, SALFORD UK WITH WALTER TROUT - 11/03/12
LE BLUES AUTOUR DU ZINC FESTIVAL, BEAUVAIS FR - 22/03/12
LE BLUES AUTOUR DU ZINC FESTIVAL, BEAUVAIS FR - 23/03/12
LE BLUES AUTOUR DU ZINC FESTIVAL, BEAUVAIS FR - 24/03/12
BULLINGDON ARMS, OXFORD UK - 26/03/12
100 CLUB, LONDON UK WITH STAN WEBB’S CHICKENSHACK - 27/03/12
THE STABLES, MILTON KEYNES UK WITH VIRGIL & THE ACCELERATORS - 03/04/12
THE DEMI, CONSETT UK - 07/04/12
MANCHESTER 02 ACADEMY, MANCHESTER UK WITH OLI BROWN - 11/04/12
MOJO CLUB 62 PALLUEL-PAS-DE-CALAIS FR - 14/04/12
LEAMINGTON SPA ASSEMBLY, UK WITH OLI BROWN - 28/04/12
THE APEX, BURY UK WITH OLI BROWN - 30/04/12
HEBDEN BRIDGE BLUES FESTIVAL, HEBDEN BRIDGE UK 02/06/12
DURHAM BLUES FESTIVAL, DURHAM - 23/06/12
CLEETHORPES BLUES FESTIVAL, CLEETHORPES UK - 24/06/12
RHYTHM FESTIVAL, BEDFORDSHIRE UK - 24-26/08/12
Give back the lemons. Why were the lemons free? What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...
