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The Winter Warmer
Hemsby, Norfolk
November 2nd,3rd,4th 2001 |
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At 38 you would think that I�d be hanging up my Fred Perry and getting comfy in a nice cardie. Not this old mod! Here I am at Hemsby for the Chelmsford Scooter Club�s �Winter Warmer�.
The usual touches are there, helping to make the whole weekend special. Good music playing in Reception as I check in, related videos on the TV screens, lots of Who footage and old Jam stuff. Well-done C.S.C., you really have excelled yourself this time.
A check in the programme shows Karaoke in the Queen Vic Pub; and the first band in Lunar�s at 9pm, so there�s time for a bite to eat. Reception fills as old friends meet up and plan for the weekend.
At 8.30pm, Lunar�s is slowly beginning to fill. The mood is being set by the DJ; some top ska, soul and mod numbers are getting a good spinning. We are all ready for James Michael Cooper, a band I have had the good fortune to see a few times before. |
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They are a lively, young three-piece, with obvious mod, punk and power pop influences. Within seconds the crowd is on side, singing �Don�t wanna go back, Don�t wanna go home�! A change of E string for Andy Hughes (lead), and then bouncing into �Your Life�. The set is in full swing with the catchy �Too Much� followed by a great version of �The kids are all right�, I bet Steve (bass) gets fed up with playing this track! He is also the bassist in Who�s Who (see tomorrow�s review). They finished off with the fine single �White Lies� and played out to �Won me Over�, which indeed, they had! If you like your music fast, loud, melodic and powerful - get yourself along to a James Michael Cooper gig, you know it makes sense! |
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After warming up with a few pints, a bit of a dance and some good company I�m beginning to really enjoy the atmosphere here. Maybe this is Mod-topia?
Just when you don�t think it can get any better, the next band take the stage. Tribute bands aren�t normally my cup of tea, but this weekend I am going to see two of the best in the business.
The Jamm open up with �When you�re Young� which draws the crowd forward, like moths to a flame. We thunder through �Tube Station�, �Start� and �Pretty Green� and are also carried along to the sublime strains of �Liza Radley� and �The Butterfly Collector�. I saw the Jam forty-one times, and these boys are as close as you are going to get! |
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Now things get tricky. I have to tear myself away from those thumping riffs and spiky chords to experience a far deeper, darker pleasure. No, not a pint of stout, although that was nice too! - Jimmy James and the Vagabonds are appearing in the next room, The Fun Factory.
The dance floor is full as ten of the best Northern Soul jocks put the dancers through their paces, the atmosphere is building in here, too. |
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Jimmy and his Vagabonds run and impressive show, �How sweet it is�, �My Girl� and a soulful medley of old gospel numbers keeps us all moving into the early hours. He treats us to his three big hits �Red, red wine�, �I�ll go where the music takes me� and �Now is the time� - this is what we want. I have now stopped trying to be a reporter and have started moving and grooving with the rest of the crowd. We had fun with �Mustang Sally� and �Knocked on Wood� after �The Midnight Hour�, what a night! |
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As my dancing turned to drunken staggering, Jimmy left the stage to a standing ovation. The DJ�s came back with their vinyl and the true Soulies got back in their stride.
Feeling every one of my 38 years, I left them to it, deciding an old bugger like me should be in bed by two a.m., and I�ll need my energy for tomorrow! |
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