For those of you who haven't been to Bob Trollop, it's definitely a quirky bar with an authentic, rustic feel to it...and more twists and turns than you can shake a stick at, finding the bathroom is definitely an adventure in itself. But it just adds to the fun, right?! Plus, for a double Morgan Spice with mixer for a reasonable £3.95...you can't complain.
Run by Tynesidemusicians.com, the evening had a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere which increased as the bar filled up with an eclectic mix of people. The man in charge, Simma, cracked on with those of us who were patiently waiting for him to start performing. We know show-man ship is always a plus, and this guy definitely has it by the truck-load.
When the performance kicked off with Simma's upbeat rendition of BB King's 'How blue can you get?', we were hooked. It's got to be said, the man has a powerful voice and a distinctive sound. I can definitely speak for myself, my friend and the guy making his way steadily through a bottle of red behind us, that we were instantly tapping our feet and were fully engaged in his performance! The tempo slowed with a heartfelt version of Lindisfarne's 'All Fall Down'. The emotion in the room was definitely an experience, definitely forgot for a moment I was sitting in a bar in Newcastle. Which can be a positive in itself, depending on how you feel...
Simma's show-man ship continued with a quick sample of the Wallace and Gromit theme tune...Just for a giggle, or an enthusiastic fan? Either way, I enjoyed it!
Amongst others, a self penned track written with, and I quote, a 'Sonic screw-driver pen' named 'Records' was played, from Simma's album 'Trouble Sleeping'. Self proclaimed acoustic funk which was lively and upbeat...Kids, there is an iTunes download for you right there. I certainly loved it and am proud to say it has made its way onto my iPod. The whole album is available for a bargain price on iTunes, definitely worth a buy if you are interested in local artists and Newcastle's music scene. Remember how Sting started...
Another guy worth mentioning is Craig Johnson, whose beautifully soft voice provided a wonderful rendition of the True Blood theme 'Bad Things'. A song that stuck out for me was 'Why Aye Man', by Mark Knopfer for Auf wiedersehen Pet...it's always going to get a giggle out of a bunch of Geordies in a pub in Newcastle (myself included)!
Overall – for randomly stumbling across and checking out on a whim, a (free!!) event in Newcastle, I feel it was a pretty good way to spend my Monday night. Would definitely recommend for a wintry Monday evening, particularly in January when purse strings are tight. Guaranteed a fun and a lively atmosphere…will definitely be returning!
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