Chris Jagger’s ATCHA and Blog AUGUST 2011

Chris Jagger and his band’s post-modern style of Louisiana Cajun/Zydeco/Swamp Rock never ceases to entertain with its adept musicality and wit. The band’s energetic, catchy and uplifting numbers are Chris’s original compositions, featuring brilliant and well-crafted lyrics, flowing freely from this charismatic and flamboyant vocalist who moves about on and off the stage with his washboard, guitar, harmonica and dancing.

The above was the write up for the Brecon Festival which went pretty well, the event moving to a larger hall as the scheduled venue was sold out. There’s something about school gyms however which doesn’t really appeal and seeing as that place was jammed too it might have been better in the larger tent. It seems like some people liked us as an antidote to all the jazz trios circling around Brecon like wasps buzzing away in the damp summer air. I did see some good acts there, Monty Alexander and Allen Toussaint to name drop two piano players. Allen has written so many good songs that he is able to jam them on stage and make medleys from them too.

In late July we played a one-off show at Earl’s Court for the Great British Beer Festival, really nice people who volunteer for the cause of a better pint. And there were a few to be had in the hall too, even Wilkin’s cider from Mudgley. Not wanting to let this pass by I did a couple of chorus’s of ‘Drink up thy cider’ by Adge Cutler in his memory. The gig was also the first time we played together as the band and trio as Charlie Hart was in Cornwall on holiday so Dave Hatfield played double bass and Elliet Mackrell the fiddle while Jim Mortimore played guitar and Malcolm the drums. It was a very relaxed gig and we found time for Elliet’s digeridoo to shake the walls of the great big shed. The last time I saw a band there was Led Zeppelin I think, or was it Pink Floyd? Anyway the sound was pretty horrid. Fortunately we played at one end screened off by curtains so the sound wasn’t too bad. After next year’s Olympics the place is due for demolition I hear.

Added to that the Marlborough Festival was great for us too and I knocked myself out in a two hour set back in our usual Dolphin Brewer tent. It was the time that the drought and famine in East Africa came on the news and so two songs before the close I announced that all sales from the CDs would be sent to Save the Children, and then we played the tune from Act of Faith titled ‘Rain’ hoping some might fall in Somalia. At the end everyone was very generous and we raised £350 towards the relief effort. Thanks everyone and have a good summer what is left of it.

Chris