IF THE DEVIL
CAST HIS NET ... Oh what a catch he'd make 

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Rogers personal view of the gigs he has attended
Not all are Rock'n'Roll - Roger likes all live entertainment

Disclaimer: All the views expressed herein (unless otherwise ascribed) are those of the author and may
be unsuitable for overly sensitive persons of low esteem, or irrational religious beliefs. Any attempt
to sue me over the contents will constitute an irritating social faux pas.

Ray Phillips with Skeleton Crew

The Old Crown is a characterful pub right on the confluence of the River Thames and the River Wey, and literally next door to the riverside abode of our pal Paul King - one of the founder members of Mungo Jerry. On Sunday afternoon Paul's band - Skeleton Crew - were to play outside on the pubs garden terrace - a two level lawn with tables and chairs which leads down from the pub to the river.  As well as Paul King himself on vocals and a combination of guitar, banjo, kazoo and harmonica - the group comprises Colin Pattenden on bass guitar, Chris Bryant on lead guitar and Rob Collins on drums. They were joined for some of their numbers by Ray Phillips of The Nashville Teens.
The band was ready to start just before four o'clock and the outside space quickly filled up. The garden area comprises two terraces with chairs and tables set down by the river, and is overlooked by a railed area on the edge of the pub car park. We also had an audience sitting out on their boats in the marina immediately behind the pub. At top count we had about one hundred and twenty spectators - not all as "socially distanced" as should be - but relatively sensibly spaced. It was great to catch up with so many old friends in the audience, people we regularly saw at pre-pandemic gigs, but whom we haven't seen for almost a year now. It was great to catch up with Sarah-Jane Bryant and Paul Kings girlfriend Pat again. Wesley Phillips was there with his friends Pat and Nikki, as were Graham Pereira and his friend Jo, and it was a delight to see the irrepressible Janis & Jayne again. Part way through the first set Frans ex-boss John and his friend Leslie arrived, and then Melanie & Ray Phillips joined us.  As the show progressed many of Rays family joined the crowd including his daughter Vanessa (who performed at my 70th birthday party) with her new son, eight week old Oliver.  Ray, Colin and I flaunted our new Nashville Teens - Hard Drivin' Rock masks which I had commissioned from a pal with a sewing machine. The band played for almost three hours with only a short break. Paul sang many old favourites including Jo Rushes Money For Rope; classics like She Wore a Long Black Veil; A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall; She Belongs to Me; Move That Thing and - of course - In The Summertime; along with some excellent numbers of his own like Let's Kiss, Let's Dance.  Chris Bryant sang You Ain't Going Nowhere. When Ray stood up to join in he started with a special dedication to the late great Peter Green - he sang a stunning version of Need Your Love.  Ray also gave us great renditions of Nadine and Hoochie Coochie Man and he and Paul dueted on Together We Stand, Divided We Fall as a finale number. Overall it was an excellent performance - refreshing for both artists and punters after a long drought of live music.