| The distinctive
sound of a slappin’ upright bass seeping out onto a Saturday
night Church Street whose pavement is filled with sharp-looking dudes
sporting precisely tapered sidies and immaculate quiffs or flat-tops
can mean only one thing: hillbilly rockers The Brick Lane Boogie Boys
are back in town for their now monthly free residency at Stage B.
‘Anyone here know Lefty Frizzell?’ asks the
Boys’ very own man in black, vocalist and rhythm guitarist
Charlie Wilson, to a ripple of alert audience acknowledgment, before
kicking into a rockin’ version of his Cigarette and Coffee
Blues. While the introductions to more obvious material by Johnny
Cash and early Elvis might garner more recognition, it’s the
Boys’ eclectic selection of covers from their beloved boogie
back-catalogue that keeps their sets (two per show) very much alive
and kickin’.
And their affection and devotion to this music is evident in the
grins of delight on the faces of lead guitarist Gerry Collins and
bassist Mark Feld, while their technical ability seems almost casual
– for instance, the deft, seemingly indifferent way pianist
‘Big’ John Carter’s right hand becomes nothing
but a blur on the top of the keyboard, throwing cascades of excited
triplets out over choppy rockin’ country rhythms.
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