Grimethorpe in Concert

Grimethorpe Colliery (UK Coal) Band
Conductor: Garry E. Cutt
Soloists: Richard Marshall, Jonathan Beatty, Sandy Smith, Ian Shires, Michael Dodds, Nigel Fielding.
Egon Recordings: CD SFZ 105
Total Playing Time: 72.13

~ Buy with 4barsrest shopping

In the surreal world of Bruce Forsyth, Jimmy Tarbuck, Ronnie Corbett and rest of the golfing glitteratti, fame is defined not by the size of your swimming pool or Lexus car (a la Alan Partridge), but by the way the great unwashed that is the general public recognise you not by your surname, not even by your Christian name, but by your moniker – your tag, your nickname, your nom de guerre.

The very mention of the names "Brucey" or "Tarby", "Dezzy", "Edmonds" or heaven forbid "Davro" conjure up men who can go through life without the hindrance of the formal introductions we mere mortals have to contend with. "Brucey" is "Brucey" – "Nice to see you to see you nice!". You don't need anything else – recognition comes with a single word. That my friend is what fame is all about.

Therefore, you should never ever have to refer to the Grimethorpe Colliery (UK Coal) Band than anything else than "Grimey". Stick them in multi coloured golfing sweaters, drive them up to the local golf course in a fleet of Lexi cars (the plural as Alan Partridge memorably states of a Lexus), pour them a G&T and these lads would be to the manor born with the legends of the entertainment world. Forget "Tarby", Grimey are the "Daddy's" of the entertainment firmament that others bands fear to tread.

And with the release of this corker of a CD, Grimey stride onto the stage, pick out the spotlight and royally entertain you in a way no other brass band can manage. Where others copy and mimic, Grimey invent and innovate; where others try to make us chuckle, Grimey get the belly laughs; and where others huff and puff to blow the house down, Grimey just place a few well positioned explosives under the foundations. As the song from the Bond film says, "Nobody does it Better".

Grimey are possibly at this moment in time the only band in the UK who don't actually have to compete in contests to maintain their profile. Even the Open or Nationals are now secondary objectives on a forthcoming calendar of engagements that will see them once more travel the world bringing their unique brand of entertainment to the lovers of all things pseudo working class. "Brassed Off" has been the catalyst, but you don't get invites back to places such as the Sydney Opera House and next year, to Carnegie Hall in New York if all you can offer is a cheap impression of of a band of mining folk, brought up on dripping and brass. These lads are professionals in the very best meaning of the word and where others may think a 15 minute blast through a test piece in a half full Royal Albert Hall is the pinnacle of musical excellence, Grimey have a CV that would make even Tom Jones nod in approval.

They benefit from excellent direction from Garry Cutt – the rightful inheritor to the title "The Wee Professor" and a musician of the highest class. He brings out the best in Grimey whenever he directs them and it amazes us at 4BR that the band doesn't use him for all their premier contest appearances. The others they have used have just not come up to scratch.

This concert programme sees them give an hour and ten minute show that reeks of quality. Right from the atmospheric start with Elgar Howarth's arrangement of the "Agincourt Song" the band display a marvellous traditional tonal quality – clean and crisp from basses to sop and with a middle as plump and round as Ann Diamond in a swimsuit. Just as this fades away with images of Henry V and English bowmen sticking the vickers up to the Frogs, the band wham bam thank you Mam their way into "Mambo Caliente" and display stunning virtuosity – especially in the solo features. This is a potent as a pint of Bacardi and Coke and leaves you literally banjaxed by it all. Back to the traditional and a whip through Walter Hargreaves arrangement of "Russlan and Ludmilla" that retains echoes of the old man himself with it's precision and brilliance, before Richard Marshall showcases his considerable talents with a sublime bit of playing of the old, old cornet classic, "Zelda".

It may be as ancient as Max Bygraves but "Zelda" is a very difficult caprice to make come off. Richard Marshall has just the right languid approach to proceedings that hints at something a touch "been around a bit" in the woman's makeup. Zelda with a touch of the Mae West.

The middle section of the CD features two fine solos from Jonathan Beatty in "Feelings"– although he bends a few of the notes more than David Beckham let alone Neil Diamond could manage and Sandy Smith gives "Evergreen" a splendidly virtuoso rendition that old Babs herself would have hard pressed to better.

"The Australasian" march is given a spanking work over that English cricket players can only dream of, whilst there is a timely reminder of how good Gordon Langford was as a "Cut and Paste" arranger with his "Sullivan Fantasy". This is middle of the road entertainment repertoire that the likes of Perry Como would die for and Grimey do it all justice and more, whilst "Gaelforce" has just the right amount of blarney ‘oirsh wit, cheer and Guinness induced higgledy piggledy about it that others fail to even recognise.

Ian Shires is top class in his feature, "Body and Soul" as is Michael Dodds who whips through "Blue Bells of Scotland" – much more effectively than many a top class trombone player we have heard. "I'll Walk with God" is one of those inserts that keeps your Gran happy with memories of Mario Lanza in his prime before there is a splendid kitch bit of work with "Bill Bailey" arranged by Goff Richards that features some superb percussion playing and a never ending ending - if you know what we mean. It's as seventies as Kevin Keegans perm – all fizz and flurry and is a classic example of how to make a single tune go a long, long way.

Last up, Nigel Fielding giving it all and more with a lung burster of a performance of "Nessun Dorma" that we are sure gets audiences all over the world up on their feet - even if the ending bears no relevance to the actual solo itself, whilst "Crown Imperial" is as English as a pint of Mild and a Ploughmans lunch in the Kings Head on a Sunday lunchtime and is played with a rare detailed brilliance that turns it into stonker of a finisher.

Who needs Bruce, Jimmy and Noel when you can have Grimey on this form. When they play like this, Saturday Night at the London Palladium, not Saturday afternoon at St. George's Hall, Bradford is their rightful home. Splendid indeed.

~ Buy with 4barsrest shopping

^back to top