The Ron Sayer Band, Horseman Shakes and the Drayman.

Lev 2 Esquires Bedford. 5th June 2009.

There was certainly a distinct lack of atmosphere for this evenings gig on level 2. I suppose a quarter full venue seldom generates it.

Normally bringing along hordes of support are HORSEMAN SHAKES AND THE DRAYMEN. To be fair, their fans were perhaps saving their money as the band have reached the final of the Live And Unsigned competition. This is to be held in Portsmouth on 27th June and I wish them very good luck. Although it is a very small turnout, vocalist Alex quite likes the intimate feel of the gig. He seems slightly fascinated by the almost one-to-one contact that he has with the few. I sense it would be interesting to gauge what reaction they would get from people who are totally unfamiliar with their material. It's blues rock and early on they bring us a surprise, performing a song called "Mailtrain". It's not a usual part of their set, but it fits in well with the low key ambience of the evening. "Trigger fingers" is for the diehard fans, and judging by the cheers there are quite a few here. "Devil under lips" seems to be working its magic, while "Listen kitten" is, by the band's admission, the song that dragged them through the competition. The blues jam that they generate at the conclusion of the song earns long and rich applause as it ends. Older punters in attendance nod their heads in approval at the young blues pups.

THE RON SAYER BAND travel all the way from Norwich. Quite why a headline slot is allocated to them is beyond me. They perform for a mammoth 2 hours, but only half a dozen songs are their own compositions, the rest is made up of covers. At £12 a ticket I feel that it is a steep price to pay. Ron is, without a doubt, a genuine guitar showman-technician. A superb operator of the 'strings'. However, this gig seems to be 'pub jam' night! Even audience requests are taken! The covers are all standards. The usual suspects! Their own material is interesting and I would have loved to have heard more. "Don't make me stay" is rich and bluesy and from their album. Deservedly it garners good applause. "Better Side" is preceded by an honest assessment by Mr Sayer. "Who can write an original blues song these days?" he forlornly asks. As the show moves along from one blues artist to another, I was somewhat disappointed and surprised that he did not make mention of the passing this week of the 'queen of the blues', Koko Taylor. This legendary Chicago lady died a couple of days ago aged 80. Blues devotees mourned her loss.