The Welsh T Band @ The Crimea Tavern Castleford West Yorkshire 6 th December 2002

The Welsh T Band is starting to make an impact in West Yorkshire and having seen them twice I now know why. I caught their first set at the Boot and Shoe in Ackworth a few weeks previously but I had to go early so I missed their full set. I vowed I would catch up with this friendly band, so when I knew they were performing in Cas Vegas as this town is affectionately known, I legged it there, poste-haste !

This gig at the Crimea Tavern, an excellent live venue, was the bands 108 th performance since they set out on the road together in June 2002. Considering they have only been playing together for less than six months, they are as tight as a drum musically.

The first set kicked off with the Bo Diddley/Eric Clapton song, Before You Accuse Me (Take a Look at Yourself) with lead guitarist Kevin Ackroyd's Gibson Firebird sounding absolutely fantastic through his Marshall Amp. The tone was just fabulous.

Tony Peace was keeping the beat and nodding his head on a fine set of Premier drums linked up with the very experienced David Hoyle on Warwick bass. A Warwick bass is an unusual choice for a blues bass man but the sound was excellent. The Vocalist and Rhythm guitarist on a white and tortoiseshell Stratocaster is the man from whom the name of the band came. He is Welsh Terry John hailing from Port Talbot. It's weird though, one of the Crimea's punters, brimming with confidence and stupidity in equal amounts, shouted, “ Why I Man” mistaking Terry for a Geordie ! Terry's enthusiasm for the music has to be seen to be believed! The Cas Vegas biker chicks were dancing to this band before this opening number was halfway through! Now that is a good sign.

The pub suddenly became packed out to the rafters as the band played My Babe (don't stand no cheatin') It's as if all of Castleford had heard the first song (or the bus had just arrived)! The song was performed superbly well too and went down a storm with the packed house.

The fantastic tone of Kevin Ackroyd's Firebird/Marshall combination came to the fore when the band played a Peter Green style Black Magic Woman . His flowing, fluent, and refreshingly inventive playing was a joy to hear. The rhythm section sounded brilliant too and with Welsh Terry giving his enthusiastic best, the song was a resounding success. This rendition was astonishing. The band was rewarded with cheers and enthusiastic applause. Deservedly so too!

Welsh T told the punters the band were ready to play some blues. Stevie Ray Vaughan's The Sky is Cryin' was introduced by another blistering solo from Kevin Ackroyd. This was a superb rendition of the Texas maestro's classic song. Terry and Kevin were posturing well together during the guitar fills and Terry's vocal phrasing was excellent too. I was pleased to be there at this Cas Vegas venue. The entertainment was first class.

Terry then introduced the next number as a Tommy Tucker song. The rhythm on this version of High Heeled Sneakers was marvellous between Tony Peace and David Hoyle. Tony's facial expressions were a joy to see (a mixture of concentration and pleasure) whilst he kept up the beat on this fast 12 bar, and the extended guitar solo was again stunning! Terry has no difficulty whatsoever with these songs. He sings with such infectious enthusiasm you can't help but like the man! This was a great finale to the first set.

For the start of the second set, Kevin was wearing the same Gibson Firebird and the silliest of hairpieces! Obviously worn for comic effect, it had no effect on his excellent playing during the song Set Me Free ! Another mega guitar intro to a slow song, Hard Times showcased the skill of this truly stunning guitar player.

Terry asked the Crimea Tavern's clientele if they'd like some real blues and although nobody shouted Yes, except me that is, the band exploded into Muddy Water's Got My Mojo Workin' . The arrangement was ever-so-slightly skiffle style. Maybe this was a dedication to the recently departed blues and skiffle king Lonnie Donegan (God bless him). Kevin's biting guitar solo sounded quite like the Sheffield blues legend Frank White on this song. David Hoyles backing vocals were perfect as was his precise bass meanderings. David impressed me once more with his bass playing on the great old number made popular by the Stones, Walkin' The Dog , another antiquity played well by this brilliant set of musicians. Another absolutely cracking Muddy Water's blues was Hoochie Coochie Man . It was fantastic and even had the very masculine Cas Vegas menfolk dancing to the sleazy blues groove! What a very special arrangement this was. This is blues music at it's best, and played so well too.

There was another vintage inclusion to the set and this was John Mayall's All Your Loving , another mega-classic. The Welsh T ‘s simply played it as it should be done, easily as well as Mayall would have. It was that good. I've seen John Mayall play this so I know what I'm saying. I have to say that John Mayall wrote a great song there didn't he? It's one of my all-time favourites.

We'd had enjoyment by the truckload but the crowd wanted an encore! They got one too. Terry John had forsaken his Epiphone Sheraton and Strat to sing the brilliant Summertime (and the living is easy) . Terry is a very nice singer and he sang this number with a much style and feeling. Kevin's rich guitar tone filled this song whilst the excellent rhythm section of Tony Peace and David Hoyle metered the bass and drums to perfection.

The evening wasn't over yet though, and what a finale to their show as the opening riff to Chuck Berry's Johnny B. Goode rang around the room! This was a fantastic version with the same ingredients as all the other fine inclusions to the set. Enthusiastic vocals, fluent tone-rich guitar and rock solid and tuneful rhythm resulting in a very full sound from this very enjoyable band. I'll be going to see this band again, no question. They are the grass roots of this business and to be quite candid, they are more enjoyable to see than some of the big names. It is far more enjoyable seeing bands of this calibre in a lively pub than going to see over-amplified egos in an arena.

Especially when the band is so good! The Welsh T is a good-time band who would be equally at home at a private party or at a Festival in the Summer. As I marvelled over the quality of this band, it's choice of material and the good-time factor, I even envisaged The Welsh T's as a Road House band in the US of A! They are excellent.

Steve Lally ©