The Bluesome Twosome Have A Few Words With Death-To-Mediocrity
James WilliamsFor twenty years or so, two guitarists have been playing their own brand of blues in and around Sheffield. You may have seen Andy and Dick, and if you have you won’t have forgotten them. Having been entertained on more than one boozy night we thought we’d try to get a few questions to them.
How did you come to form The Bluesome Twosome?
Andy: It started about four years ago. Originally, I was playing with a guy called Charlie. Charlie decided that he didn't want to do it any more after a couple of years, so I called Dick and asked if he'd like to have a go. The rest is history.
The energy and passion that you both put into your music makes your live performances stand out as being authentic and a hell-of-a-lot-of-fun.How much enjoyment do you get out of playing to live audiences?
Dick: A lot. Playing is purely medicinal for me, it's essential, it's my lifeblood. Andy: I love playing long sets for an enthusiastic blues audience. I've also enjoy playing some shorter sets for more general audiences. A lot of the energy comes from our different playing styles and approaches to the music. Dick comes from more of a rock-based background, I'm really just into playing the blues, although I do have other musical interests too.
Is there a favourite venue you play at?
Dick: It's a melting pot really, it's hard to single out one favourite place. Andy: We used to enjoy playing fairly regularly at The Bath Hotel, but recently they've only been booking one act per week. We both love it there, the mix of people there is always interesting to play for and it's just a great little pub. The tiled floor makes the sound carry really well, the staff are a great bunch and they sell excellent beer.
The regular slots you have at the Red Deer invite other guitar players to join in and jam. How did that start and do you enjoy the various interpretations that other players bring?
Andy: The Red Deer acoustic blues nights started when Charlie and me were looking for gigs. The landlord suggested that we start a music night instead, to try to attract other players into the pub. It occurred to me that there are already an almost infinite number of folk nights in Sheffield, which doesn't really interest me, so we started the session hoping to find other 20s and 30s blues enthusiasts. We get quite a few players with different takes on the blues, ranging from hardcore Delta types to jazzy fingerpickers and all stations in between. The juke-joint players of the pre-war blues didn't have the luxury of electricity, so we try to keep that tradition going by playing completely un-amplified. This helps to prevent the session degenerating into one of those deals where people step up with a Stratocaster and go "widdly-widdly" for twenty boring, self-indulgent minutes. I really love hearing the different takes on the blues that some of the guys bring along. It's a great night out for me.
The Blues has a long and colourful history. Do you guys try to keep that tradition up?
Andy: The Twosome was my attempt to approach the old Blues recording tradition of guitar duos, I suppose the greatest of which was Charlie Patton and Willie Brown. I love the way that their different styles compliment each other and, although each player's part stands up as a tune in it's own right, together the whole becomes greater than the sum of it's parts. A lot of the time when you see blues acts in pubs, they're just rock bands who don't actually play anything that's genuinely recognizable as blues. I really don't want to go down that path.
Who are you influenced by and is it reflected in your own music?
Dick: It's a melting pot really, it's hard to single out a single influence. Andy: I suppose Lightnin' Hopkins influenced me most, listening to Lightnin' taught me to throw away the plectrum and to use my thumb! Apart from that, I suppose Elmore James has been a big influence, but really it's like Dick says: there are just too many influences to name.
Do you prefer playing covers of old classics by the likes of Robert Johnson, or playing your own songs?
Dick: It doesn't really matter who the song is by, you have to put your own expression into it to make the song your own. Andy: I really like both. I try to throw a few of my own songs in amongst the standards. Writing my own blues is a good way of keeping the tradition alive. I write them in what I hope are recognizable blues styles that people can relate to. Come to think of it, I do prefer playing my own songs, but I love playing some of Robert's and Elmore's too.
Have you recorded? Is there an album that people can get their mitts on?
Andy: Currently, we have no album available. There are a few recordings on our Myspace page
When did you last go to the crossroads?
Dick: Every other day the Black Dog haunts my doorstep. Andy: I live by a roundabout, is that close enough?
The Bluesome Twosome are playing a gig on Sunday 21st Oct at the Dove & Rainbow. Check out their website For anyone who enjoys listening to authentic blues or fancies getting involved, I’d highly recommend them.
Dead Flowers by the Sea
James LockDead flowers by the sea laid on
sandstone rock.Weighed down by the pebble she left,
that he took.From the centre of her world he'd gaze
all around.Till she left dead flowers by the sea,
on the sandstone rockThey had found.
Art of Being
Olivia MadinNew canvas
Clean the brushes
Don’t leave them in the water
It ruins the tips
Open the paint
The top may be hard to unscrew
It might spill out on you
If you can’t squeeze out the last dregs
You could cut the bottle in half
And scrape it out with the other end of the brush.Then wipe it onto your palette
You can use your fingers
The sensual pleasure
The liquid colour on your skin
Cotton buds to smooth it out
Smear the charcoal
Add a little water…
Watch it run.Can’t go back on the canvas
It will never be blank again
Always tainted
Even if you whitewash it, traces will still be distinct
You might have painted the wrong colours…
But you painted on instinct.
