The Worried Men Take the Pump

And Morpheus said unto Neo, “unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.” Funny cos, I kinda feel similar about The Worried Men! So much so, it’s worth forgoing my weekend cider ration to drive down to the Pump to catch them…

Fast becoming our flagship grass roots music venue, enough for Wiltshire Council’s area board to reward them with a grant, Kieran and his team have transformed The Pump in Trowbridge from its origins as a folk club, through offering a diverse programme, and we love it here at Devizine Towers. It’s quirky, quaint, and most importantly, it’s impressively welcoming.

The grant was used to purchase some new equipment for The Pump that will enhance the artist and customer experience. There is no need to up their game with the programme of events though, in my honest opinion. Every show is a gig in heaven already, if heaven has an antique pitcher pump as a feature! Kieran said, “we’re really trying to contribute to our community and thank you for joining us along the way!” The pleasure is all ours, thank you Mr M.

Their worthy Future Sound of Trowbridge project to promote youthful upcoming bands at the Pump may well be in full momentum, but was put on hold for this Saturday night to make way for experienced, marginally older musicians! One thing you could be certain of, Worried frontman Jamie Thyler handles his guitar like Michelangelo handled his paintbrush. Cruising that well-oiled machine through a medley of every known Renaissance blues and rock guitar riff, with the ladders of his highly accomplished bassist and drummer, moulds them into one beautiful Sistine Chapel ceiling.

The Worried Men show consists of a few originals from their extensive discography, which sound like rock classics anyway, meddled with this cascade of known riffs and only pauses to allow some time for Jamie’s quick-witted, Gilbert Shelton humoured quips. They’re not wholly covers, per say, more improv homages and nods to his influences, the guitar heroes of yore, the blues master axemen from Muddy to Howlin Wolf and Hendrix to prog-rock’s Deep Purple or Zeppelin. Enthusiastic trainspotters will pick out Mungo Jerry, Spencer Davis, The Stones, but never will Jamie simply re-enact, it’s simply acknowledged in a beautiful mesh.

Opening with a decidedly Muddy Water’s version of Just Make Love to Me, and ending with a Jumpin’ Jack Flash encore, it truly was a breathtaking barrelhouse of delta to electric blues, with enough psychedelic swirls to overspill a sugarcube at Woodstock, but more importantly, it was delivered with sublime passion and exceptional skill.

First time I caught the Worried Men was at our trusty Southgate in Devizes last April, I made an odd but fitting oral hygiene comparison, “Jamie holds an expression of concentration, occasionally looking up at you through these spellbinding Hendrix fashioned excursions, as if to ask “is that alright for you?” Like a dentist with his tools stuck in your gum, you feel like responding, “yes, fine, thank you doctor.”

But none of this magic occurred until after newly-formed indie-punkers Future Plan gave us a grand support. With an attention to the heady dawn of punk, Future Plan attacked an indie set with ferocity and fire, making for a wild ride of originals. It was confident, rocking, and having it. Particularly entrapping was a track they called Rinky Dink, Future Plan might just be the most bookable pub punk band, if the landlord wants drinks to fly off the bar. With a debut EP in the pipeline, and some singles pre-released from it, find them on Faceache here, and I look forward to catching them again on the local circuit.

Another, what might be usually fantastic night at The Pump, and a most agreeable double thumbs-up from me. Though, I’m still none the wiser as to what worries the Worried Men to call themselves such, if anything I’d say if it’s not ironic, it should be.