The weather turns the hour journey into nearly
two, but we arrive on the edge of Southampton at ‘The Brook’.
Unsurprisingly, the car park which hold about 20 cars has
spaces. We find the venue door! Hurray. Then our plans are
slightly thwarted as the man on the door tells us ‘Odgers
and Simmonds aren’t playing.’ But ‘Paul and Swill are’. Hurray.
We walk into the smallish bar, with a decent sized stage,
it has a balcony running around the top and is likened to
a small ‘Mean Fiddler.’ I’d estimate a crowd of about 80,
most sat or stood around the edges of the room. A friendly
looking crowd. We decide the floor is clean enough to sit
on. After a few minutes Swill and Paul take the stage, and
Dave Kent is guided towards the microphone.
Regrettably, I didn’t take my camera but
if anyone wants a fashion run down I can email them privately,
suffice to say I liked the purple shirt. So what can I remember
of the set list.
In no particular order, songs from O+S included
The Trigger, The Light, Rising Road, May Day Morning and Swill’s
rendition of Barratt’s Privateers (wow). I can’t swear they
did sing all these some might have been wishful thinking on
my part! :o) TMTCH ones, Walkin’ Talkin’ Green back dollar,
Pieces of Paradise, Going back to Coventry, Iron Masters,
Scarlett Ribbons (?).
Dave Kent took lead vocals in Liberty Cages’
‘Refugee’ and Gregory’s Girl, he also sang a Christie Moore
song and did sound quite like him. Nervous but a good sound.
He whistled along to songs ( not an easy thing to do properly),
played the harmonica and penny whistle and sang backing vocals
on the others.
The only new song, I think, was Swill’s which
he sang whilst referring to the lyrics written in his notebook
and this was about Colwyn Bay.
The crowd were fairly appreciative, they
came back for an encore, Swill said the audience could suggest
songs to sing, preferably songs from them, otherwise they’d
be forced to leave the stage. Second encore crowd began to
shout suggestions and Swill added that we could only shout
out suggestions that they had already agreed to play amongst
themselves.
Was it worth the drive? YES, of course it
was. TMTCH have energy and I will always dance around at their
gigs, but O+S and Dave Kent are mellow, ‘warming’, ‘toe tapping’,
and proves that much of their material works in an acoustic
atmosphere.
The best bit of the gig was seeing well written
lyrics sung live. The happy smiles from the stage – proved
that the performers enjoyed what they were doing and this
is always infectious. I really hope that in whatever guise
they perform O+S will not loose that.
I got a bit carried away! Thanks O+S and
Dave Kent you did a great job - roll on the next gig - may
it be sooner rather than later!
Sarah Eames
Return
Sunday night, the rain lashing towards
the ground, the wind howling and blowing a gale just the sort
of night you want to drive x amount of miles to go to a gig.
Most sensible people would have stayed at home, in a large comfy
armchair, feet up in front of a warm coal fire with a mug of
hot chocolate (marshmallows floating on the surface optional!)
by their side. But no, Odgers and Simmonds are playing somewhere
in Southampton. So off we set, winds blowing at approximately
90 miles an hour, tree branches littering the roads – sensible
people would have turned round and headed back to that fire
side. But no, Odgers and Simmonds are playing in ‘The Brook’.