MUSIC

Trinity, Bristol (Tue 22 Nov)

It’s a remarkable crowd both in numbers and style, and the crowded Trinity has a fancy dress party feel for the endearing shambles that is Howling Lord. Dressed in a hurry, with a hastily tuned guitar, he sets out his stall of bitterness and defeat with chirpy numbers like ‘It’s All Your Fault’ and ‘I Never Want To See You Again’, his country-got-the-blues voice deceptively strong and his delivery unflinching. There’s a brief pause and, in a cloud of metaphorical sepia, C.W. Stoneking and The Primitive Horn Orchestra transport things to a downtown nightclub in New Orleans circa 1934. With his waxed hair, clip-on bow tie and vintage shirt belied by tattooed hands and battered National guitar, he looks immaculately the part and, as soon as his mumbled vocals start to deliver the ‘Jungle Blues’ to the Dixie wailing of horns pumped up by tuba bass and rumble drums, the illusion is complete. Unlike Seasick Steve – an obvious point of comparison – C.W. isn’t appearing to offer authenticity, it’s more like he’s his own musical theatre show, with long, implausible anecdotes of his life in the land of Hoodoo and blues interlacing his original antique jazz-blues songs. He’s called it Hokum Blues and therein lies the ambiguity – and the appeal. Some kind of bastard offspring of George Melly and Tom Waits, it’s as authentic a sound as a blatant pastiche from an Australian-originating Bristol resident could ever make (and more so than many New Orleans musicians) and it’s perfectly crafted entertainment you can swing-dance to. Well worth dressing up for, and definitely not to be missed. (Tony Benjamin)

Copyright Tony Benjamin 2011