There were some comments on the website like “What’s the point of turning up to play 3 songs?” Well, everyone got to play a 20 minute set, and recently on Comic Relief Eric Clapton turned up to play ONE song. There was also a comment that I really didn’t get, saying that in their opinion the music was very poor and they’d rather have just given a fiver and stopped at home. Well, I guess you can’t please all of the people all of the time…
To organise a Big Gig in aid of the tsunami disaster in two weeks from start to finish and raise over £3,000 think is totally awesome. Andy Rogerson came up with the idea, and together with Greg Oldfield, and sound engineers Bill Leach, Stu Joynson, Phil Woodbridge, and Jake from Stig, they made it happen. 14 acts, on two stages at either end of the venue made for non-stop, top quality music all night. Many more local artists offered to play but just couldn’t be fitted in.
There was already a good crowd in to see the first band at 7pm, INERTIA, a young band who played a poppy, funky set, closely followed by NORTH, an extraordinary young band from Widnes’s West Bank. With brothers David and Daniel Pye on guitars and vocals, Laurie Walker on bass, and 14 year old Andrew Finney on drums, they are a very intense and very talented force to be reckoned with. They played a song they’d written especially about the disaster, plus a few more of their own melodic songs. ROBBIE HOUGH played an excellent acoustic set of his own work, then it was over to dirty noise-niks STIG. Beats! Trumpets! Slide guitar! A great selection of original material pleased those who are already Stig converts, and positively bamboozled those for whom it was their first Stig experience. “This is all very Joolz Holland!” says Jake, as they go into their last song. And it is.  
clive with Muddy Head Greg oldfield
The venue is now heaving with a good natured audience, who give a warm welcome to COALHOUSE on the other stage. Uplifting, tuneful songs with an edge and a nifty bit of mandolin playing from Little Jay; great stuff! Over to THE BEACON who play a powerful rootsy set, then epic rock from THE POND DWELLERS underpinned by the swirling keyboards of Gary Brandreth. THE CHIMPS are up next delivering their hearty ‘spaghetti skiffle’ with Andy Rogerson on double bass, then it’s over to GREG OLDFIELD who gave a truly magical performance; brilliant songs, fabulous voice. It’s been a diverse and varied mix of music all night, and more top quality delights to come, as LOVECRAFT launch effortlessly into their very special, very unique songs, finishing with ‘I Was Your Boyfriend In A Former Life’. Fresh from a UK tour supporting The Coral, TRAMP ATTACK play a crowd-pleasing rollicking set, then it’s Widnes’s own ska-tastic ZEN BASEBALLBAT, warming up for some very special dates supporting The Specials. They are absolutely on top form tonight, and the dancefloor rapidly fills as the band plays gritty, witty songs from their first and second albums.
 
robbie hough tramp attack CHINA CRISIS (they’ve been on TOTP you know!) play a short set, that’s Gary Daley and Eddie Lundon, with Andy Steele on guitar, then Andy moves over to main vocals for last band of the night, MUDDYHEAD. He is joined by Russ Williams on mandolin, Graham Chesters on drums, Colin Lambert on slide guitar, and Gary Daley stays onstage on bass. When they finish, there’s shouts for more but it’s midnight and we have to finish. Thanks to HBC for giving the venue free, everyone who played, who offered to play, who helped out, the sound engineers, the bar staff, and everyone who packed the place out as audience. A truly amazing night.
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