Live at The Sailors Home – A Review

In November we were back playing at one of our favourite haunts, The Sailors Home in Kessingland, where we always get a warm welcome. Sailors regular Patrick Nugent left us this lovely review which we just had to share on the website.

“A beautiful, but blustery day by the sea at Kessingland today; so a brisk walk was the order of the day to clear the head of the Jolly Boys’ outing to Gorleston yesterday, and subsequent SH evening session. Blew into the Sailor’s on the way back from the Hundred River (I didn’t get very far), a bit windswept, to catch the estimable Hot Cold Ground (bit like wiring a plug: Live, Neutral, Earth). They have lots of history at the Sailor’s, though I’ve not seen them before myself. [Landlord] Paul Poppy informed us, from the stage, that they were the first band he ever booked for the Sailor’s Home thirteen years ago.

“I missed the first half hour or so, and they were well into their stride when I got there. At first I thought they were a straight R’n’B band but actually, though that might be at their root, they do cast their net a bit wider (sorry about the mixed metaphor). They are a tight, direct, no-nonsense kind of an outfit, with a brisk approach to their arrangements and playing, so the whole thing skipped along at a good pace. As well as some swing/shuffle type R’n’B they picked up Little Richard, Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry along the way. And there was a version of ‘Wipe Out’ with very convincing drum breaks by Richard. All this delivered with a crisp energy. There was also some more laid-back, Southern groove stuff too: including a segue from ‘Lay Down Sally’ into ‘Call Me The Breeze’ via a nicely executed key change, up a tone from A major to B Major (or was it G to A? Not sure, now I think on it). [Actually A to B flat – HCG]

“Mr Poppy got on board for a classic ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’ and later returned for a fine edition of ‘Jumping Jack Flash’, which I’ve not heard him do before. He’s been hiding that one under a bushel, ‘cos it really cracked on. One for Thursdays Paul, I feel.

“A couple of reworkings: ‘There is a Pub In Kessingland’. I think you might know what that was. Actually, ‘House of The Rising Sun’ was the first song I learned on the guitar. It’s a very tricky song to sing though, because it’s a high key to get in full voice (à la Eric Burdon of the Animals), but Daniel did the vocal well. Impressive. Also, we got ‘Get Your Kicks On The A146’, which I caught just as I was leaving to go and cook me tea. I’m glad I caught it. It was a hoot.

“So, there you have it, Hot Cold Ground: Daniel, Dave, Richard and Trevor, long-standing friends of the Sailor’s who play with a nifty blend of energy and skill, creating a perfect musical atmosphere for a Sunday afternoon.”