Reviews

Artists:Tessa Bickers - Four Hand Reel - The Frankie Milner Band
Venue:Bournemouth Folk Club @ Centre Stage
Town:Bournemouth
Date: 270507
Website:http://www.myspace.com/bournemouthfolkclub

It was a traditional British Bank Holiday. Raining cats and dogs, the entrance hall into Centre Stage was full of buckets catching the water coming through the roof. Still I'd only come a mile or so from Poole, Tessa Bickers had driven up from Bristol in appauling conditions.
Fortunately, Centre Stage it's self had avoided the worst excesses of the weather. It's a neat venue. It shares it's time between being a music venue and a comedy club. It's an ideal venue if you want to take the weight off your feet, sit down and appreceiate the finer things entertainment has to offer. Needless to say there's a bar, but it's off to the side so you can get a drink without distrubing the performers.
The night was a combination of open mic and a headline act, in the shape of the Frankie Milner Band. Tessa Bickers was second on.
Tessa is a singer songwriter, that can perform solo or with her band. Tonight, it was just her and her guitar. Fatea has been following Tessa for a while now, but this is the first time I've seen her play live. I sort of know what to expect, but with a three song limit, Tessa has a lot of work to do to make an impression. She kicks off with "Slide", the lead track from her new album "Pot Luck". It does the job, catching the attention of everyone in the room, as well as giving her an opportunity to plug her most recent album.
Enthusiastic and well imformed applause greeted the trio of songs. Live, Tessa applies a different spirit to the material, her performance isn't simply an attempt to recreate the songs on the album, she gives each song a work out, so by the time she performed her third track "Twenty Four" you were absolutely sure you were in the presence of a real performer as well as a talented songwriter.
Next up was a good floor singer, whose name I managed to miss. In a scene likely to be repeated until it's banned completely, the smokers seemed to take the opportunity to huddle in the leaky porch. As the stage was arranged for Four Hand Reel, I took the opportunity for a comfort break. The change over was quicker than I expected when I get back they were already performing their first number. I realised I'd left my camera bag on the tabel, hence no pics, but rather than disturb other guests I waited at the side.
For most of their set the band came across as a highly competent folk duo. Artists that new their way around their instruments and songbooks. They had really saved the best 'til last. They introduced the final song with an eulogy to one of Britain's great lost composers, Leslie Phillips.
What followed was a medley of Phillip's tunes from Camberwick Green, Trumpton and Chigley, including a shout of "Hugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble And Grub". It wasn't a piss take. You just had to look at the intricies ofv the playing and the looks on the guys faces to realise that this was a genuine homage. Phillips really was a great writer and to hear great tunes that brought back good memories made it all the better.
After a short break, which included the obligatory raffle, it was time for the evening's headliners, The Frankie Milner Band. The band, including Frankie, are a four piece all female outfit, keyboard, drum, bass and guitar in prominence, but also including whistle and sax.
A couple of technical glitches affected the first two songs, but once these were resolved, the band really got into a swing. The songs focused mainly on matters of the heart and drew mainly on a jazz/folk vein. I found the set entertaining and the obligatory encore was well deserved and well delivered. There was a lot of mopvement on stage as the band swaped instruments a lot during the set, with just the drummer staying in the same seat throughout.
It was a really good night, half a dozen acts for three quid(apologies to those we didn't have the space to cover). Bournemouth has a great club and the 27th was a really good night, an excellent way to while away a wet bank holiday weekend.

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