River Rat Pack Tour - Abingdon, 7th June 2008
If there was an award for 'best tour by nine bands on two barges travelling the Thames playing free gigs' then the River Rat Pack Tour would surely walk (or cruise) away with it. But then there aren't many tours quite like this one. In fact, I'm pretty sure this is the only one of its kind. And it's pure, simple, blissful genius.
Living and travelling together in barges and playing gigs by the riverside and venues in the towns they moor in, the tour set sail from Camden and then took in Henley, Reading, Abingdon – where we saw them on Saturday - and finally Oxford.
Slightly dodgy navigation skills aside, a quick phone call later finds us en route to the venue, amidst the scorching sunshine and idyllic surroundings of this gorgeous city. The excitement appears to be justified, as walking up the stone steps into the courtyard, the setting itself was as quirky and different as the tour. Having left the barges tethered at Henley, the first of two gigs today was held in the Unicorn Theatre, which is attached to an old Abbey – it all feels terribly English and altogether lovely and quaint. There's a relaxed friendly vibe in the air, with large sunglasses and Magners bottles the accessories of choice, and everyone mingles around with the excited buzz of anticipating something special.
Packed in to the compact theatre, everywhere from the upper tiers, to the stairs, to the concrete floor is filled. It's a wide variety of people either making return visits after earlier gigs, or newcomers who have picked up on the buzz.
I don't know how well this translates on the page, but rather than with most gigs where you feel you're making the effort of going to watch the bands, with this unique offering there's a definite sense of the bands coming to perform for you … and from the first song right through to the end, you want to endlessly thank them that they did.
The whole afternoon is less like a set of bands performing one after another, and closer to a 2 hour festival (Riverstock?) … so well do they play together. They wander in and out of each others' sets, often seemingly on a whim, and come across as a collective, blurring the lines between each performer. That said, every set is a treat, starting off with a musical tour of folk history and wanderings from wordsmith Derek Meins, taking us from 'Nick Cave does Nashville' roots through bluegrass and veering off into poetic monologues. Beans On Toast makes us think along with the humour, with catchy social commentary, politics, and eco-musings. He's a very funny cockney rhyme merchant, with simple, catchy acoustics who's set is obviously tailored to a more adult audience, as he humorously attempts to finish a song before realising he can't sing the next verse due to the kids in the audience. It's this kind of interaction that keeps the afternoon warm and friendly, and continues with Nat Jenkins delivering some gorgeous solo efforts before being joined by drums and bass guitar for something decidedly more country-Elvis. We're all getting into the rhythm of the down-to-earth atmosphere and appreciatively soaking up everything that's played.
Looking delightfully natty and superbly like Pee Wee Herman does Little Richard, Singer-songwriter Josh Weller wows you not only with his hair, which must add another 6 inches to his waif-like frame, but with a breathtaking set of songs and guitar skills. The gracious camaraderie continues as Josh invites bass, drums, keyboards, accordion - and whoever else wants to join – on stage, showing just how much more important the music and the passion of performing is to this newly formed family above any personal egos or band hierarchy. And when you can write and play songs as sublimely beautiful as he can, why would you worry. We certainly don't and are toe-tapping and clapping away.
Josh Weller - Photo Rob Ball
Despite being on stage most of the afternoon guesting on the other slots, Mumford and Sons take the stage proper and are brilliant. 'White Blank Page' is achingly gorgeous and beautiful enough to make you cry. The bluegrass influence of banjo and keys has us stomping along to 'Awake My Soul's rhythm; every song resonates perfectly throughout the theatre, from plaintive country yearnings, through harmonious folk and sumptuous melodies. Mumford and Sons have us feeling as warm and joyful as the afternoon sun, making it impossible not to sway and clap along; our 'whoops' have been going all afternoon and we're still at it – looking down on the rest of the crowd, it makes me feel like all we're missing is a campfire and clinking glasses. Truly a band to stalk feverishly and follow like mad!
The collective extended family feel has left barely a gap between performances, but we get a small interval as SixNationState need to add a bit more juice before they simultaneously excite us further and sadden us by bringing the whole joyful mini-fest to a close. On a journey that has taken us through the whole spectrum of folk, bluegrass, roots and soulful country; we're now treated to even more musical variety as SixNationState give us an energetic offering with their assured blend of styles in an acoustically tailored set. Including a new song, a Drifters-like 'doo-wop' harmony, the ska playfulness of 'Everybody wants to Be my Friend' and then finally, some crowd pleasing call and response, which we're only too eager to join in on. Replying on cue with our unified '…1,2,3,4', the band raise the roof and are taking us out in style … 'this time I think I've had enough' chimes in Gerry as he takes over the chorus. He couldn't be further from the truth – we haven't had nearly enough, and the whole thing has been as perfect as you could wish for.
SixNationState - Photo Rob Ball
This afternoon was a very special event indeed, and all of us walked away truly grateful to have been blessed with such a talented group of musicians performing and showcasing their enormous talents to us for free. We all thank you very much.
For more info on the tour visit http://www.rawrip.com/features080602_RRP
Chris
www.winchestermassive.co.uk
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(Also published at Girls In Green Shoes)
