Lindsay Hannon (vocals, ukulele, shakers)
Chaplin had the run of the place. First in, dodging the track and trace formalities at the door, Lindsay Hannon's canine companion staked out his territiory. Later he would be joined by his four-legged friend Elvin and his well-behaved master (a drummer of renown on his adoptive Tyneside). Proprietor Mitch had thought it through, unobtrusive Covid-secure measures were in place, this was as relaxed an environment as one could expect given the on-going pandemic.
Shown to a stage-side table by the ever-obliging Mitch, the beer of choice just had to be Prohibition Bar's Prohibition 33 Pale Ale (Allendale Brewery, 4%) brewed to commemorate and celebrate the end of America's National Prohibition Act on Dec 5, 1933. Cheers! As Lindsay took to an adapted, Covid-secure, stage (a perspex screen separating performer from audience) the audience was shocked, yes, shocked, to learn our blues mama was drinking Diet Coke!
No introduction, straight in, Lindsay was singin' the blues. Standing behind the screen, was she in the dock? In the pen? Oh, what had she done to deserve this?! In these stange, Covid-secure times, the idea was for the musician to perform at 'background' level volume and we, the audience, were to applaud quietly, politely. At the conclusion of the first number a collective amnesia set in as cheers, hollers and whistles reverberated around the room. Oops! Sorry guv'nor, we simply forgot ourselves!
Vera Hall, Ozella Jones, names flagged-up during Lindsay's series of superb online, lockdown performances, were in the house, in spirit, of course. What had these women done to be treated so bad? Lindsay sang their song, telling it like it was/is. I'd Rather Go Blind, John Henry (he of the hammer), Gallows Pole (traditional, from Leadbelly to Led Zeppelin) with audience participation, Lindsay interpreting Don't Explain, this is what we'd been missing, live performance, the connection between performer and audience.
Here we were in a Newcastle juke joint just off the mainline, listening to the story tellers - Bessie Jones, Tom Waits, Lindsay Hannon - digging deep, turning stones, revealing the oft hidden worlds of many across the US of A, across the globe and right here in our own backyard. Time for another bottle of the 33.
Russell
No comments :
Post a Comment