OXJAM Bedford Esquires.
Lev 1 & 2 Esquires Saturday 18th October 2014.
If it's October then surely it must be time for Oxjam. This charity organisation links live music with raising money for those people less fortunate. This year it appears that the event has been scaled down somewhat. Indeed, in Bedford town centre only St Cuthbert's Hall and The Bear are joining with Esquires in uniting and promoting live music. As in years gone by, Esquires has opened up all three of its venues and the day played host to near on thirty acts of varying genres. Unfortunately, this review only contains the bands and performers that I managed to see, so my sincere apologies to those that played so hard and enthusiastically but have not got a mention.
I arrived in the bar at 2.10 with acoustic artist Chris Hepworth already in full flow. He signs off his covers set with the Sheeran penned "18". Next to the mic is the delightful Samantha Hughes. She is young but her covers are vintage. Her attire is retro and matches her fondness for all things fifties and sixties, especially Connie Francis. On this exciting day Samantha is intent on "Bringing back the good times". Next on my list is someone else with the surname Hughes. It is 3.30 and Adam is on with Henry And The Bleeders. Holy Moly's fills up quickly as the psychobilly quartet roar into sweaty action. They have an early start as the band are straight off to do an evening gig in Reading. This set is a perfect warm up for them and one of the highlights of my day.
After managing to get a quick burst of Olivia Rose, I was back in Holy's for Robed In Desire. It's a chance to see one of the unsung heroes of Oxjam, bassist Jon Andrews. He has a busy double shift today as after this goth tinged set he is hot-footing it to The Bear to do his bit for The Tendons. Clad in black with his low slung bass, Jon is a valuable member of the Bedford music scene. After a slight delay, the main stage opens up for business at 6.25. It's certainly a lively start as the always impressive Yellowknife Bay infuse some skewed post punk into the proceedings. "Maria" is the choice cut from their musical joint. Following that fine effort could have been a daunting prospect for Feedback Aftermath, especially on a level 2 debut. No worries because this MK trio were, in my opinion, one of the revelations of the day. Slightly hardcore in flavour, their great band name sums up the nature of their fast and heavy music. However, they did deserve a few more in the crowd for their frenzied set.
There were no problems with crowd inactivity when Near Moments played. Once more, Adi cajoles and rallies her fans throughout this dynamic set. "Drunken mistake" and "Too much" are my highlights. The crowd flock back upstairs for Ray Guns To Stun. A polished indie rock band with a smart look to match. They have a classy sound and confidence oozes through their well constructed set. They even find time to slip in their famous cover! A quick sprint downstairs proves worthwhile as The Paul Hegley Band return to Esquires. Slick hair, waistcoats and smart trousers add to their smooth jazzy bluesy sound. They round it all off with a spectacular rendition of "Johnny B Goode". The band dedicate it to "all the ladies who want to dance". Upstairs we witness the Silver Tongue Bandoliers mix up the blues and Lenny Kravitz. Back in the bar and The Bluebook Project continue to "Keep to the rhythm". It's a real shame that not more people watched this cracking set by a band that I always have a lot of time for.
Doghouse Roses step defiantly onto the main stage for the very first time. Tonight they are joined by James Burke on guitar. He offers a good balance to their sound and stage presence. Suited and booted, the Roses offer a wad of new material which complements their more well known ones such as "Never look back". I especially enjoyed "Wait on you". It does appear that the bulk of Biggleswade have hit town to support their own boys Tequilla Mockingbird. They bring a bit of rough edged raucousness to Oxjam as they declare that "Charity seasons over". That's their new song by the way. The party spirit is in full flow with Tequilla. Last year's Oxjam on level 2 not only ran very late, but also rather sputtered to a boring end. This year it finished in magnificent style with those ever-popular country rock exponents The Whybirds. They entertain and enthrall a busy room with a great set from their long career. Right from the start, with the beautiful "Jenny can we take a ride", through to the rousing finale of "Before I go crazy", the set is alive with pure passion and adrenaline. The crowd just love it as they dance around the room. In fact Dave, Luke and Ben have infused so much joy into the room that they have gained themselves a Whybirds moshpit. Wow! "Girl is on fire"! A fitting end to a long, but enjoyable festival day.
A post script to the review. As of Tuesday 21st October a total of £4600 has been raised with some money still to be added.
Review by Martin Stapleton. www.bedfordalternativemusic.co.uk