Jumpin’ Hot Club stage @ Summertyne Americana Festival. July 19

(Review by Russell).

The weather forecast spelled the end of the world. The Jumpin’ Hot Club’s outdoor stage at Sage Gateshead could be blown down the banks of the Tyne and swept out to sea. The prospect failed to deter the hordes determined to sample all things Americana. The arena to the east of Sage Gateshead – Performance Square – offered little or no protection from the elements so the ubiquitous Stetson could come into its own.

Stetsons, gaudy Hawaiian shirts, ill-advised, ill-fitting shorts, the Geordie Cowpoke was out to impress. Outdoor events distract, entertain and irritate in equal measure. The music was the perfect distraction .Two acts on the day-long bill were ‘must hears’. Opening the show was Hannah Rickard and the Relatives. Rickard and her ‘relatives’ belted out Little Sister. A favourite tune, a great way to start the day. Ms Rickard looked the part in heels, ponytail and shades. The boys in the band, wishing they looked like James Dean, rattled through the tunes with a well-rehearsed nonchalance; a concise guitar lick, booting tenor, a spin of the bull fiddle. You Changed suggested Rickard. The short set included the new release LA Lover. The Stetsons wanted more, a tight schedule denied them, the next band waiting in the wings.

Up above, a gun metal grey sky was about to put the lights out. A well-timed visit to the pub avoided the deluge. The first day of a new exhibition at a nearby art gallery offered further sanctuary.

A break in the weather coincided with the appearance of the other ‘must see’. It had been a few years since Big Joe Louis and his Blues Kings had been ‘up north’. A consummate performer with a beautifully understated guitar style (Jimmy Reed meets Elmore James by way of a Texas Shuffle), Big Joe sang of cheatin’ women (he heard the back door slam shut!) and found solace in the words of the Reverend Charlie Jackson, going home on the Mornin’ Train. Big Joe’s bass and drums (King David and Peter Greatorex) were the business – top class accompaniment from first note to last. Way back (the early days of the Jumpin’ Hot Club at the Bridge Hotel) Big Joe made many friends here on Tyneside and took time out to thank Graham Anderson and friends for inviting him to play at this year’s Americana. Here’s to the next time.   

Russell.