Tag: illingworth

New Album from Illingworth; Man Made of Glass

Four years of hard work in the making, and it sure shows, Man Made of Glass, the third album from John and Jolyon, aka Illingworth, is released across streaming platforms this week. If you’ve seen this Salisbury duo performing on the circuit, the unyielding passion they inject into the obligatory classic rock covers set isn’t half of what they put into their own compositions…..

Pardon me if you came here for a respite from the onslaught of inflammatory international headlines and to read a nice music review, Man Made of Glass contains much prose on the tyranny of contemporary politics. As the idiom is defined, this narcissistic disorder of egotistical figureheads is fragile and therefore likely to shatter manifests abstractly, particularly in the title track and single Gaslight, but hey, I think it’s safe to say we know the people it is directed towards.

It’s a floating opening, building in layers, this title track, richly written even if poignantly critical of power corrupting. As ever with Illingworth there’s this breezy air of feelgood rock too, of Foreigner or The Cars, which enriches the sound naturally. Soulless might be the subject, but soulful is the expression; it’s a contrast.

Superior single Gaslight does similar theme-wise, but as powerful as an indie rock anthem, and rolling on a tougher riff than the title track, throughout, it takes the manipulation of its title’s term to the worldly encouragement of avoidance; this “don’t be convinced by propaganda” concept.

Bittersweet is the general ambience Illingworth delivers with here, and that’s no new thing in rock, but they do so with such passion and expertise it polishes the delivery and leaves you feeling alive and stimulated, with nothing bad you could possibly say about their songs. They are rich with honesty over vanity, reflecting on the theme. Gaslight may be the kingpin to the album, the running motif becoming less prominent in the other tracks. Every tune is a beauty though, embracing all stimulating elements of being uplifting, inspiring and catchy, just subtly with differing moods and tempos.

We Don’t Have to Try is a country-rock ballad on an eternal love subject, whereas, Heart To Rule Your Head, is an inspiring “you can get it if you really want” upbeat track. 

Another Passion is upbeat too, of if, buts and maybes, whereas New Year is arousingly paced, reflecting on the unification and love perpetrated by the annual occasion. Love conquering over evil becomes the inclusive factor as the album drifts archetypically. This conquering notion to avoid the brainwashing of those seeking power lessens somewhat in favour of identifying affections, yet never fully expires. The finale is not to let it worry you, as the matter will shatter like glass.

While great, if previous Illingworth albums can feel fragmented, like randomly placed collections of their memorable songs you rarely hear enough of when they’re gigging, Man Made of Glass is more rounded, it has an overall concept. Like a classic rock album, the tracks’ narratives combine and flow wonderfully. It’s not a “concept album,” per say, but in the same classic fashion, and that’s a welcomed rare find these days of media overload and the average attention span of a goldfish!

Man Made of Glass is more suited to a vinyl, CD or cassette format, of a time when album composition contained an all-inclusive message, and you sat in the dark listening to it. Just like those albums of yore it feels like something to cherish, a testament to a bleeding heart of sentiment you identify with and get emotionally involved with, rather than simply hearing it while you wash the dishes. But hey, streaming is the mainstay these days, and that’s where you’ll find this treasure buried.

Apple Music Link

Amazon Link

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Assassination in Pewsey…D’Ska Assassination!

There was an assassination in Pewsey last night … a ska assassination; pick it up, pick it up, Pewsey!

Like buses, ska bands are around these backwaters, which put me in a dilemma. Safe in the knowledge those Killertones will skank up the Southgate in Devizes, I sought to head east to the vale of Pewsey where Eddie Prestidge’s Wiltshire Music Events hosted a new one on me, at the Bouverie Hall, south west’s own D’Ska Assassins.

Salisbury based Wiltshire Music Events have fast become renowned for putting on events of the highest quality, here they gave us CrownFest, a Devizes Corn Exchange sellout with The Marley Experience and countless pub gigs. In the spire city their Tunnel Rat studio is bringing the best out of upcoming artists, but they also love gigging out in the sticks!

The sum of these parts equates to a gig with my name all over it. You know, or should do by now, how much I love my ska. You’ve got to have eclectic tastes to do a thang like Devizine, but influenced by the pop of my childhood and discovering my dad’s old Bluebeat and Trojan records, my penchant for the offbeat remains paramount.

House-duo Illingworth kicked off the proceedings of this Motor Neurone Disease Association fundraiser, which though may sound unlikely, being mature skinheads mingled with Pewsey’s curious or retrospective aficionados, their unique brand of pop-rock classics mounted to a massive appreciation from the audience. End of the day, most skinheads are aware musical links between reggae and rock are close-knit, and hey, they just love music, period.

Therefore the warm up was complete and refined, John and Joylon did their thing exquisitely as ever, to encourage skinheads to dance to Dolly Parton is one thing, but they pulled great Bowie and Boomtown Rats covers out of their bag of tricks, and everyone loves a finale of Hey Jude no matter how much hair is on their heads.

It was a quick changeover for a seven-piece ska band, which backfired somewhat, as the engineering hadn’t the opportunity to soundcheck. I sighed as adjustments were quickly made, the enthusiasm of the band seemed to wane too, and on the grounds amateurish ska cover bands we get aplenty here, often murdering the sound I love, I feared this could go Pete Tong. They slammed straight into fifth gear with archetypal upbeat Bad Manners and Madness covers and the crowds were aptly enthused. But picky me felt it wasn’t the greatest of its kind I’ve bore witness to, fortunately I was proved wrong rather abruptly.

Seems the name D’Ska Assassins doesn’t include the assassination of the sound at all, and it felt like the band were merely warming up. All my fears were quashed, three or four songs in, like someone stuck a rocket up their butts. D’Ska Assassins suddenly came alive. Rock steadying the pace a smidgen, here’s my surprise; for a ska cover band to come booming out to such an upbeat intro is unusual, normally they build up and Madness and Bad Manners classics are savoured for a finale. Now concerned they’d played their trump cards too soon, despite a renovated faith D’Ska Assassins had something special; they proved me wrong a second time!

There’s always plenty of upbeat classics in a repertoire of Two-Tone, and D’Ska Assassins, after slowing the pace in the middle of the set, laid down those Specials and The Beat covers thick, fast and accomplished; the latter D’Ska Assassins frontman expressed their joy at supporting at the Cheese and Grain. It was a fairytale ending, with moonstomping in boots and braces, as the crowd didn’t really stop dancing throughout the proceedings. Equating to a brilliant and memorable night. D’Ska Assassins came, saw, and shone like proper job Bobby Dazzlers. 

All the typical elements of a decent ska cover band they pulled out of the hat, astutely handling stage banter, especially when the keyboardist nipped out for cigarette halfway through the set, else covered Ranking Roger’s vocal contribution to Stop! But the true magic was their ability to sustain the pace and enjoyment, slipping in a few original pieces, which is rare, and rarer still, sound at best with the slower reggae tunes. Other unusual elements to the D’Ska Assassins show compared to the archetypal Two-Tone cover bands was the strength of the brass with only one, rather sublime female trumpeter, and lead guitar solos akin to Junior Marvin accompanying Bob Marley and the Wailers.

They perfectly balanced all the elements they broke the moulds of, together with those you’d expect from a ska gig, covering those versed classics, encouraging audience participation and wearing Fred Perry shirts, and they produced a frenzied and highly entertaining trouble-free show at the rather welcoming community venue Bouverie Hall.

As for Wiltshire Music Events, you only need to stay tuned here as we’ll blow their trumpets for them, they’re going from strength to strength. Finalise carnival night in Devizes with a trip to the Corn Exchange where they’ll show off their link to Kinisha Morgan-Williams from Manchester, the finest Tina Turner tribute you’re ever likely to see.

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Illingworth & George Wilding Crowned in Bishops Cannings

Must confess, I’m envious of the good folk of Bishops Cannings, perched here on a bench in an idyllic beer garden with spring sunshine setting, and shadowed by the striking spire church, where tasty, generously portioned yet comparatively priced bar food is served to punters awaiting some live music arranged by Wiltshire Music Events….

Jazzy and Gary, landlords of The Crown at Bishops Cannings give me a warm welcome. Considering the contrast to our now bolted village pub, where staff would barely raise an eyebrow from gazing at Eastenders on the big screen to serve you; to debate whether our pub’s closure is a sad sign of the times, opens a Pandora’s box into what landlords did to prevent it.

Here at the Crown they’re catering for all, with smiles throughout. It’s a wonderful village hub; the kettle is on if you favour a cuppa, young children wander over with their dad from the campers in the adjacent field, the atmosphere is chilled, hospitable, and nothing seems problematic. Regulars join only a sprinkling of gig seekers in a modest heated marquee. I’m here primarily for Avebury phenomenon George Wilding, on shore leave from entertaining cruisers. Illingworth as headline is a bounteous bonus ball.

I’m fully aware, amidst many choicest options being Beltane, back in Devizes tonight is the night electric blues aficionados raise the roof of the Corn Exchange, but our best writers are on the case. Though he messaged me last Sunday, I missed the prodigal son of our live circuit’s unexpected return to the Southgate, so catching up with George was overdue.

A learned, matured version of his former self told me of his travels, the ins, outs, ups and downs of performing on cruise ships; he has flourished in skill without pretension, but with the same heart. In turn I explained my pride in not only featuring upcoming young acts, but youths like our Flo reporting on their own circuit. George smiled his approval, expressing how he was once one. And at the dawn of Devizine, when it would be a regular thing to publish reviews on that generation, musicians like Tamsin Quin, Jordan Whatley, Mike Barham, and many others, all blossomed into amazing acts, and George’s were among the best received.

I first met him at Saddleback’s Battle of the Bands in 2018, which he won, but insisted he’d only accept the prize of playing the festival if the others had a chance to too. It’s this gracious benignancy which he greeted me with, and which, coupled with exceptional talent for singing and guitar, always made George stand out. Unpretentious is his show still, nurtured talent, yet the same simplicity of man and guitar is gold. He needs no setlist, nothing is prearranged. He considers himself no better than his audience, and engages with them as if they are lifelong besties. What songs will he cover? It’s interactive, you decide, but whatever is chosen you know George will pull it off, charm and entertain the audience with equal gusto.

Optimistic of the weather, he kicks off with The Kinks’ in the Summertime, runs it into the Jam’s Town Called Malice, but is already asking for input. I sat closer, to take a snap or two, and he’s tongue-in-cheek pulled Madness’s Baggy Trousers out of nowhere! George will tackle anything, yes, he cooked a fine American Pie, awakened me to the greatness of The Fratellis’ Whistle For The Choir, and we were back onto the Kinks with a backstory of Lola. Yet, I’d not recommend anyone taking on Otis Redding, or Freddie, but he does, spins it with convincing originality, making it his own, and delivers with such proficient expression, its joy to absorb, and memorable of so many great occasions to see him perform again.

The clues were all there, but I’m not Poirot; now that I see them for the first time on the same bill it’s obvious, John, frontman of the Illingworth duo is George’s uncle. Though I cannot recall the first time I saw Illingworth play, through seeing them umpteen times since, it was much later than discovering George, and wasn’t until later on John told me who his nephew was. Family connection clicked into place, seemingly, because equal to George’s talent, I never tire of watching Illingworth perform.

John and the curiously talented Jolyn Dixon’s repertoire is more structured than George’s, all sing-along, taking in country rock classics and floating from prog-rock to new wave covers. Still they raise any roof with Pink Floyd, Beatles, to The Cure adaptations, nestle some fine originals, and come up for air with John Denver’s Country Roads. Their show is one to suddenly arise from your seat and dance, without consideration as to how they obtain such a sound with just the two of them, a few guitars and cajon; they do what would take a full band, and what every pub landlord hosting live music really wants, a highly entertained and satisfied crowd.

The memorable night settles in Bishops Cannings; I’m sorry if I promised to freewheel between gigs, but the rare combination of George and Illingworth, the wonderful pub and great atmosphere had me grounded there. It doesn’t matter if Wiltshire Music Events are presenting  large scale events, such as last month’s Marley Experience tribute in Devizes, or simply a free pub gig, there’s a professionalism, in sound and talent-spotting, which will guarantee a good gig. The fact the big chief Eddie is keen to trek up to stage events here we should consider ourselves very lucky; maybe it’s the spire church of BC which makes this Salisbury bunch feel at home?!

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Jammin’ till the Jam is Through: The Marley Experience Came to Devizes 

I woke up yesterday morning long before the rising sun, but I did have a smile, because I witnessed the sheer magic of The Marley Experience at CrownFest last summer, and knew Devizes would be beautifully showered in one love; it didn’t disappoint….

They came to our Corn Exchange, rarely blessed with reggae, to pay a respectful and sublimely entertaining homage to the undisputed king of it, and raised the roof considerably higher. With professionalism, astute attention to detail and a prodigious heap of gusto,The Marley Experience is a live phenomenon must-see for anyone with so little as just a passing interest in reggae; and who hasn’t?! It’s the offbeat, isn’t it? That little jump which makes it so appealing, that, and its marriage between narrative in songwriting and danceable beats we rarely see in other pop genres; well, it is for me! 

I’d only seen a few tribute acts prior to starting Devizine, thus was critical of their worth to begin with. Then my investigations led to an invitation to see a different Bob Marley and the Wailers tribute in the Sham. I thought of this as a true test, to impress me by tributing an artist I idolised rather than one I could take or leave. But they delivered, and this reinforced my devotion and commitment to tributes in general; at the time I never imagined a Bob Marley tribute could’ve topped it.

Amazing as this other Wailers tribute was, particularly visually, I felt the show was, at times, rather unmalleable, or structured, by comparison to the loose and causal vibrations of the real McCoy. To have been lucky enough to have seen Bob Marley and the Wailers perform during their peak would, I’d imagine, have been an experience less lucid, more spontaneous and extempore. While arguably not quite as meticulous visually, The Marley Experience seem to have a better handle on this looseness priority, projecting a far more relaxed and comfy attitude, and resulting in something less ostentatious, joyful in ambience; precisely how I’d imagined a real Bob Marley concert to have played out.

Amusing story from a documentary, when the original Bob Marley and the Wailers lineup with Peter and Bunny attended an Old Grey Whistle Test for the BBC in 1973. A BBC engineer had a wonky preconception of the mechanics of the reggae style and tried to intervene, claiming what the band were playing wasn’t reggae! Whatever his presumption was didn’t matter because reggae, from ska to dancehall, is progressive, never stagnant; these were raggle-taggle Trenchtown rudeboys doing what they do, I think they knew full well what reggae was, and that you’d have been extremely foolish to question them about it! 

Reggae branches on equally as many tangents as rock or soul, perhaps more. It’s this pliability which rewards it with its charm and magic. No tribute act is supposed to be Madame Tussauds, particularly a reggae one! It’s surely a musical commendation and adulation, something The Marley Experience clearly acquired, proudly and ingeniously; musically precise, and that is, after all, what we surely want from a tribute act, not a duplicate, but an interpretation of, a homage.

There’s a plentiful beloved back catalogue of Bob Marley and the Wailers not to have to delve deeply into rarities, rather provide the audience with a setlist of the songs they know and love, and they did this. From One Love and Three Little Birds, they sure moved the crowd. Ballads like Stir it Up and Waiting in Vain were irresistibly causing partners to embrace, and his militant songs of unity, Buffalo Soldier or Get Up Stand Up were performed with such superlative passion, well, it might as well have been the real thing. And as Bob Marley & The Wailers fanboy number one, that’s definitely the highest accolade I could reward. 

They held Exodus off until the encore, leaving the crowds screaming for more. Perhaps the most obscure song choice being Soul Rebel, they marched on through the known classics with certain professional ease, and appeared to have a lot of fun doing it. The joy of performing reflects on the audience, and I didn’t notice one face in the crowd not in awe of what they were witnessing, much less attempt to stand still!

The atmosphere was enhanced by the quality of sound and lights, and the perfect engineering we’ve come to expect from Wiltshire Music Events; they promise to return to Devizes in style; watch this space.

The brilliance of The Marley Experience took flight only after a wonderful set from John and Joylen, aka Illingworth, an acoustic duo with said worth, active on the local pub circuits and a cut above the rest. Favourites of Wiltshire Music Events and session musicians for their Tunnel Rat Studio in Salisbury, the pair did themselves proud, I’d have expected no less from them. With some wonderfully executed covers of rock classics, it made for an alternative to the more common option of a reggae DJ to support, and Illingworth saw it as a convenient opportunity to add a higher number of their own compositions as they might usually perform in a pub scenario; something you’ll never see me grumble about.

But, if there was a natural mystic blowin’ through the air last night in Devizes, if you listened carefully you’d have heard; watching the news and international tensions unfold, there’s timeless words in Bob Marely’s writing equally as poignant and relative today as they were when he wrote them. Yeah, we have this film, yeah we have Marley grandchildren sampling his works, but more grounded and achievable to go see, the strength of a good tribute act to him will do more than entertain, one hopes, it will serve to continue and resound the plain and simple message he profoundly wailed, and The Marley Experience have that commitment, passion and skill to do exactly that, plus get us easy skanking, naturally!

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Who Broke into Joyrobber’s Car?!

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The Marley Experience Coming to Devizes Corn Exchange

With a Bob Marley and the Wailers biopic finally hitting the flicks this month, One Love; The Movie had its London premiere this week and opens Feb 14th, the reggae legend in general will surely be in the media spotlight and a focal talking point once again… and rightly so.

Devizes this spring will have its own celebration of the king of reggae and the matchless band behind the legend, when, thanks to Eddie Prestidge of Tunnel Rat Studio and Wiltshire Music Events, tribute The Marley Experience pays a welcomed visit to the Corn Exchange on Saturday April 13th.

For me personally, though excited about the movie and now this announcement too, Bob Marley and the Wailers has never waned as my favourite band of all time, and doesn’t really need any such hype. True, reggae is my choicest music, yet the aurora surrounding Bob Marley transcends musical genre. As he spread reggae and his message from Jamaica to an international market, it not only incorporated rock, and enveloped soul, positively uniting all, but developed into a mystical and legendary saga permanently imprinted on society.

From this last paragraph alone you can tell I’ve always been somewhat obsessed with reggae in general and the king of it; I’ll try not to chew your ears off on the subject! Needless to say though, if there’s one act I’ll nitpick and be sceptical about a tribute to, it’s Bob Marley and the Wailers. The Marley Experience played CrownFest last summer, and I stood my ground there, waiting for any slight niggle to unrest my critical response, but it never arrived. The Marley Experience recreated the sound, the ambience and magic of Bob Marley and the Wailers sublimely and was thoroughly entertaining.

The weather at CrownFest last year had a lot to be whining about, the staff of the Crown, the organisation of the event and all of the acts performing there saved the day; The Marley Experience was the icing on the cake. I said of them at the time: “The Marley Experience was everything I could have wanted and more, truly a dedicated and precise homage to Bob Marley and the Wailers of the highest quality and sublimely executed entertainment. They marched through the classic discography, and saved time for a few lesser known tracks, like Soul Rebel.”

Illingworth

It is unfortunate CrownFest takes a break this summer, with the superb crowd pleasers Illingworth in support, this event will surely heal any wound. Tickets not out yet, watch this space, but don’t worry about a thing, put every little thing in your diary for Saturday 13th April aside, because this is going to be more than alright! 

Tickets HERE

A Typical Saturday of Live Music in Devizes is a Beautiful Thing!

If Devizes was a woman, my patient and understanding wife would be livid because I’m smitten, and I’m about to explain my reasoning. Please humour me best you can…..

Starter for ten, ignore the sensationalising of a few roadworks by the local press, it’s having no negative effect on congestion, and ignore political sway, for the corruption is nationwide. I’m about entertainment in our humble market town, of which comparatively we’re punching well above our weight, on any atypical evening such as this.

Such causes me the dilemma of what pub to pick and what live music to enjoy. A problem I sought to solve by attempting to trundle between all three, though with questionable repercussions; I don’t get to witness and report on an entire set for any of them. A personal niggly I’m willing to shoulder, for the average punter either choice saw a great night of talented musicians doing their thing. Devizes is open for business, and is highly flammable!

Yes, I’d have loved to have dropped into the Pump in Trowvegas, Wiltshire Music Centre, and the Crown in Bishops Cannings, where they hosted a free all-dayer with Talk in Code and Purple Fish, but this takes driving, and occasionally, I want a cider, or four! There’s a thing, doing this is a hobby, you wouldn’t deprive me of sticking around the Vizes and enjoying a jar, would you?!

There is no grand public event in town tonight, as often there is, just three honest and wonderful pubs putting on free live music. My starter was the Southgate, where, after guesting at a particularly memorable Jon Amor Trio residency, Philadelphia-born axeman LeBurn Maddox made a welcome return. Justified as my top choice, because while I’ve witnessed the other two more local acts in The Lamb and Three Crowns before, the chance to catch this bluesman doing his thing is far rarer. And boy, can he play the electric blues with passion and plentiful saucy banter; a sublime performance in our lively juke joint, a longstanding blessing to Devizes.  

Another outstanding night at the trusty Southgate, which despite having the most varied and regular music programme in town by a country mile, predominantly remains favourable to the Mel Bush effect of Devizes being a blues town, appreciated by the regulars and reverberating this afternoon when Jon Amor makes his regular residency.

But though I coulda-shoulda stayed for the duration, I gotta dust my broom and make haste for The Lamb. Once the go-to pub in town, the birthplace of Sheer Music in the Fold, and historically simply a functioning and aesthetic tavern, it’s recently waned in popularity, but while it’s certainly true tonight, they’ve attempted to bounce back and have the breathtaking gothic-folk-rock four-piece Strange Folk to assist. Hailing from Hampshire, this proficient band we’ve seen playing these backwaters at the Gate, and on the Vinyl Realm stage at a DOCA street festival of yore, still, they’re not widely known here, ergo attracting wider appeal to a pub rarely providing music was never going to be a simple task.

Strange Folk are tight in performance, unified in sound. With the hauntingly impassioned vocals of Annie, a kind of PJ Harvey or Kate Bush, they polish covers with uniqueness, such as the apt Stones’ Gimmie Shelter, and have a repertoire of epic, mind blowingly emotive original pieces. Think Fairport Convention doing a Siouxsie and the Banshees tribute in the vein of Pink Floyd with Evanescence, if your imagination stretches that far!

Bottom line, Strange Folk deserved a bigger audience. Getting a foot on the first runner of live music in a small town with two other venues renowned and currently trending for it is no easy task. I suggest The Lamb books acts popular locally to attract a returning crowd before an outside chance such as Strange Folk, wonderful as they are.

Leaving the Lamb with reservations, if we don’t use this iconic tavern do we risk losing it to another antique shop?! I’m not willing to let it happen, not the Lamb, it’s legendary.

With the night coming to its cumulation, I hotfooted it across the carpark to the rear of the Three Crowns, echoes of Illingworth covering Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here growing as I approached, upset this is usually the outro to their set, but too steadfast to check the time! 

It unfortunately was, my consolation being I’ve seen the Illingworth duo play a number of times, and you can guarantee the creme de la creme of acoustic era-spanning covers, the kind of setlist to appease the broad demographic of the Three Crowns. Here’s a town pub currently winning the race, deservedly. Food served late, efficient cashless bar, its spacious, comfortable, covered, and heated yard has an epoch of supporting wider-appealing local live music acts. The benchmark for booked bands is literal here; blast nostalgic Britpop covers to attain tabletop dancing!

It was as rammed as expected there, my only reservation being I only caught the finale of Jon and Joylen, a duo you cannot fault. Still, I downed a Thatchers haze, got a cuddle and good chat with them both, and blagged a haven for eating the best chicken sandwich in town, from the most excellent Kebab House, in Jon’s van, which he gratefully dropped me home in; what an utter legend!

In conclusion, even if there’s no grand ticketed event at the Corn Exchange, Devizes is happening, and is the perfect town for a great night out, thanks to wonderful pubs like the Southgate, the Three Crowns, encompassing other lively options such as karaoke in the Pelican,  and I sincerely hope and pray, The Lamb rejoins the list too, we simply have to support it. Please keep an eye on our event calendar and weekly roundup articles .The next music night there will be advertised, and I hope to catch you there then.

Illingworth Celebrate Their 100th Gig!

Salisbury-based acoustic rock duo John Illingworth Smith and Jolyon Dixon play The High Post Golf Club, between Amesbury and Salisbury this Friday 2nd December, and celebrate that it’s their 100 gig.

Although the duo had been collaborating musically for over three decades, gigs dried out proir to 2019, and they stopped, as Jolyon vaguely explained, “for one reason or another!”

He told of how around the Christmas peroid of that year, “John and I were chatting about how we missed doing gigs, wondering if we should maybe get a set together and have go at performing again as a duo.”

“We wasn’t certain if anyone would want to listen,” Jolyon continued, “if we could actually get any gigs at all, or even how to get the songs working with just the two of us playing.” Today it’s still a wonder to us how they manage such a gorgeous sound as a duo, but they do! At Bishop’s Cannings’ CrownFest this summer they stole the stage following two heavy rocks bands, and to see Illingworth stamp their mark on a cover as technical as Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, or The Beatles’ Hey Jude, is something really special.

To maintain a pub circuit, Illingworth have mastered the cover scene with a plethora of memorable and sing-along rock classics, but neither are they strangers to creating originals, knocking out two breathtaking albums to date. This is where their relationship with Salisbury’s Tunnel Rat studio producer, Eddie Prestidge, comes in handy.

“Our good friend Eddie encouraged us to give it a try,” Jolyon said, “offered to become our manager and handle the bookings. So, we gladly accepted and sure enough we got our first booking in February 2020, with several more following soon after. Of course, early in March the lockdowns started and we couldn’t go out and play. We were gutted, but, undeterred we used the time to make a new album of original songs and we did gigs whenever the restrictions allowed.”

“Well, this weekend will be our 100th gig, So we would just like to say thank you so so much to all the excellent venues that have booked us, the weddings, parties, festivals, celebrations and absolutely everyone who has come to see us along the way! It’s been an absolute blast getting to this point. We still love doing what we do, and hope to make it to our 200th gig!”

With the trajectory these guys are flying on, I estimate that’ll be around spring! What more of an apt venue name, then, for their 100th gig than the High Post?! But seriously, these guys could bring joy to punters and provide a cracking night to any pub. I’d wager they could even raise the morale of the Queen Vic in Eastenders given half a chance!

Congratulations to John, Jolyon and Eddie, and hope to catch you again soon, guys.

Top Marks For CrownFest

Sitting by a controversially purple outside bar, contemplating my debatable definition of the term “festival,” yesterday in Bishop’s Cannings, while Freddie Mercury sauntered past and the sun toasted me another shade closer to “calypso berry” on the Dulux colour chart… this isn’t your average day in this sleepy Devizes-hugging parish, it’s the meticulously planned and aptly named “CrownFest,” at their only central village pub, The Crown.….

Because while grateful for the pub trend of sticking a man with a guitar under a gazebo and hoisting in a hotdog van, it hardly constituents a “festival.” Even the Easter musical event at The Crown received a higher-scoring mark than that, and it wasn’t labelled a festival; just a free social gathering. This time around though, attendee’s entrance fee was exhausted with a proper stage of quality sound and pyrotechnics, and the semi-permanent marquee where performers were shoved into a corner of last time, this time was filled with a whopping selection of affordable homemade pasties and sausage rolls; that’s me set in for the day!

Okay, so here’s my vague scoring system; to me “festival” must include multiple happenings; variety, if you will. If you’ve one act, or even one and a support, it’s a concert. If you’ve one food choice, it’s a beer garden barbecue, and if you’ve one barrel of flat, warm ale, well, you’re really asking for it!

I’m pleased to announce, with a great line-up, two bars plus the pub operating as usual, two barbecues, aforementioned pasties, sweeties and doughnuts stall, a kiddies fairground ride, and Devizes’ Italian Job airstream caravan, who I strongly suspect are following me around the local festival circuit(!) for an inaugural village festival, CrownFest ticked all my boxes and went way beyond expectations.

With a Queen tribute headlining, for example, a local spray-paint artist laboured the entire day, reconstructing a colossal portrait of Freddie Mercury, to be auctioned for charity. Just one of many unique elements which drove this mini-festival to punch above its weight, and a marvellous time was had by all. In a nutshell, it was a generous slice of fantastic.

On paint, a few nick-picking peevish keyboard warriors would’ve had you believe the Crown’s intentions of bringing a community together for a party was counterproductive, highly illegal and a nuisance to the tranquillity of life in Bishop’s Cannings, should you follow pitiful Facebook rants. Desperate for an angle, it backfired bizarrely, through petty complaining that the outside bar was painted purple! But if shock, horror meanderings divided a community online, there was no sign of it in the actual.

Despite the town carnival clashing, the event was moderately attended. The damning report for said pessimists is only a handful arrived from town, rather the bulk was made up of villagers, overjoyed entertainment of this calibre had parachuted into their village. Still though, to those unconvinced I’d say, I accept your concerns and respect your desire for tranquillity, but give and take in this world, and for just one night a year, a little compromise wouldn’t surely go amiss? While a significant event for a small village, noise levels were controlled and full-proof yet friendly security kept the peace; it hardly reached the intensity of living in Pilton.

The alternative is the reality of many a village pub, and excuse me if I’m wrong on this, but I also believe the Crown was suffering from the damning predicament prior to new tenants, that they fail to be a hub for villages, resulting in a dull life for its inhabitants. Providing such a service is essential for a demographic, as if house prices aren’t bad enough to drive the young away. Village pubs should take heed of the remarkable turnaround of the Crown at Bishop’s Cannings, owners employing local youths on a grander scale, building bridges between folk and providing entertainment to an otherwise archetypal sleepy community. Jazzy and Gary, you should be very proud of your achievement, and CrownFest was surely symbolic of the respect you’ve earned since taking the tavern on.

Eddie of Tunnel Rat Studios appears to have made coordinating the musical element his baby, the icing on the Crown’s cake. Though, running ahead of schedule, my bus journey ETA fell short of catching Pete Lamb’s Heartbeats, I can console myself upon the notion we’ll meet again some sunny Full-Tone day, and not forgoing, a band I’ve been meaning to tick off my must-see list, Devizes-based Paradox, were bundling equipment on stage superfast.

Paradox are entertaining, period. Kicking off with the Kinks’ You Really Got Me, and particularly adroit with the Beatles’ Day Tripper, yeah, they’re predominately covers, but their few originals came to a hilarious apex with a soon-to-be redundant satirical stab at Boris Johnson. Still, they were fun all round, and frontman, Derrick Jepson slogged it out as an amusing compere.

With George Wilding reassigned to a cruise job, and Isobel Thatcher signed off with covid, any doubt the two unfortunate cancellations would affect the schedule were abandoned when guitarist and sax backing for Thatcher surprisingly, mostly to themselves, produced a sublime set.

Then two hard rock bands, Melksham-Devizes crossover Plan of Action and Pewsey’s Humdinger contested for the best Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell cover, but also separately blessed the afternoon with back-to-back rock cover sets, that, while not entirely my cuppa, were exceptionally accomplished and certainly got the party going. While it was the heavier end of the scale which floated my boat from Plan of Action, covering Foo-Fighters yet also fantastically replicating Ready to Go, by Republica, the most appealing from Humdinger was certainly the breezy and encapsulating cover of Stereophonics’ Dakota. Both took no prisoners; drink was taking effect and CrownFest was gathering pace.

Confessions time; I neglected to tell John of Illingworth he was up for a mighty fine review regardless, until after he dropped me off home! Though despite following two heavy rock bands, this duo acoustic set with Jolyon Dixon, for me, was the kingpin in the line-up. Illingworth are so utterly skilful in driving a cover headlong into sentimental city, it’s always a pleasure. With heart and soul channelled, two guitars and a foot drum are all that’s required from Illingworth to produce breath-taking versions of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, and The Beatles Hey Jude, among others on this refined setlist; The Waterboys, Oasis, et al. Songs which could be considered cliché if anyone other than Illingworth were stamping their authority on them.

Time was nigh for the finale, Real Magic from Leicester pulled out the tribute act costume shop to replicate a marvellous homage to Queen, of which goes beyond comparison, likely because I’ve not witnessed another Queen tribute before. If doubts of how well they’d accomplish such a feat were mildly enthused with quantities of alcohol, but nevertheless were absolute perfection. Through every legendary hit they covered them with precision and finesse, it was a sight to behold, truly confirming the kind of magic CrownFest had monumentally achieved through just their first attempt. What a wonderful way to end the day, as villagers lit up the area with a true bond to be proud of. Spot on, I say.

I believe some folk need to get over the antiquated notion festivals are only for a raging mob of crusties, as trends have changed dramatically from the anarchist balls of the eighties or illegal raves of the nineties. Music festivals are today a stalwart of family entertainment, churches of popular culture and performing arts. They’re controlled, they’re mainstream, and the industries’ essentiality for them will not be put off by a whinging minority. It was great to meet Peggy-Sue of Swindon 105.5 radio, who for the past year has been producing a show wholly dedicated to local acts, and Mark Jones of Fantasy Radio, as we got along handsomely, chasing the shade in squatting his gazebo. So, if us media giants can get along, I’m sure a village community can too!

We look forward to the possibility of this being an annual fixture, word passed around CrownFest in the heat of the moment was positive it would be, meanwhile they’ll sporadically host smaller music events, and if true it’d be wise to bookmark CrownFest 2023 on your calendar.

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Song of the Day 31: Ilingsworth

My classic excuses don’t wash in an online era; the dog ate my Song of the Day blogpost, I’m certain I put it in my bag when I left school, bull like that.

I know, right. It’s been a while since my last Song of the Day, a post I promised on a daily basis but failed, miserably. I got nothing, no excuse that’ll wash. But the moment you hear this tune from John Smith and Jolyon Dixon, the duo known as Illingworth, you’ll understand the need to bring it back.

They’re the Kenco of local music, instantly, each new song comes across as a rock classic, sounding as if it’s always been swimming around in your head.

But Man Made of Glass is emotionally topical and contemporary. Just, go on, have a listen, and I might be persuaded to realign my promise to bring you a song of the day each day, else I’ll have to change the title to song of the month, which is a bit lack lusture of me.

Pulling my finger out, if you’re looking for someone to blame; Netflix. There, it’s out there. Why has every fair idea got to be flipping twelve season series of 200 episodes each, consisting of a drawn-out narrative a better writer could’ve concluded in a hour and half movie? For God’s sake, bring back live music!

Anyway, I’m waffling, feel free to stop me; that’s my song of the day. Very good, carry on….

Fairy-Tale of New Park Street; And Better Local Christmas Songs!

It was Christmas Eve moi lover, outside Carpet Right, an old man without facemask said to me, won’t be seeing another one, and then he yelled a song, Shaky Steven’s Merry Christmas Everyone, I turned my face away, and puked all over you……

Okay, I’ll hold my hands up, that’s all I’ve got when it comes to writing a Christmas song. Time to call in the pros, because without venues many of our local musicians are so bored, they’ve produced some great Christmas songs! As ever I’ll list them alphabetically, not to prove I know my a, b, c, but because whenever I do these “listy” type articles some of you assume it’s a top ten countdown. This isn’t Top of the Pops, but we do have some nice tunes for you:

Ben Borrill – (untitled?)

Colm McCarthy – Christmas Time – 2020 Remix

Gecko – Last Christmas’ sung by a sad bird

Illingworth – Yes It’s Christmas! 

Peloton – Father Christmas Won’t Be Long

Pete Lamb & Colette Cassin – I Remember Christmas

Sound Affects – Taking Back Christmas

Splat the Rat – 2020 you Arse (Ho Ho its Xmas)

Will Lawton – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Did we miss you out? I’m sorry, tell me quick and I can add it!