The Mersea Session: July 2010

30 July 2010

Regatta Song & Dance 14th August - tell everyone!

(click on poster to enlarge)

26 July 2010

Coming soon at the Coast Inn - The Scary Bitches

On Wednesday 11th August, session regulars Liz and Hilary will show an entirely different side to their musical talents as Alma Geddon and Bet the Lincher in "The most up front, in your face, arse kicking vampyre band on the planet” (Kaleidoscope Magazine). Buy your tickets from the Coast Inn now!

Visit the Scary Bitches Website.

Thursday 22.7.10

This week's photos are by Iona Doyle. Unfortunately, the camera gave up the ghost part-way through, so the pictures here and in the Gallery sadly don't capture some of the evening's excellent singers. If anyone else has photos from past of future sessions which you'd like to share, email them to us and we'll post them here asap.

22 July 2010

Shanty Night - Thursday 12th August

To celebrate the spirit of Mersea Week, there will be a special nautically themed Session on Thursday 12th August 2010.

We're advertising it as 'Shanty Night' - and traditional seafaring tunes will certainly play a large part in the evening's musicmaking - but all kinds of songs inspired by the sea (however tenuous the link!) will be very welcome.

This one should be quite a party, so bring all your family and friends along. Posters and fliers are available at the session - if you can stick one in your window to help publicise the event, that would be great.

18 July 2010

Thursday 15.07.10 - Billy Bragg: Session Musician!

I have been specifically asked to pen a few words about last Thursday night, without being sycophantic, oily, ingratiating or self-aggrandising. So that has saved everyone a long waffly read!

Suffice to say that none other than a former guitarist in Steve Rice's band sat in and gave us a couple of songs - a gentleman known worldwide as Billy Bragg. With Steve tinkling the ivories, Billy gave us "Me & Bobby McGhee" and finished with one of his greatest hits, Essex Man's answer to Route 66, an epic road song that starts in Wapping and ends up in Shoeburyness, unsurprisingly called "A13" (he couldn't get anything to scan with A12, but included the heckler's suggestion of 'shelve' as he closed the song). I managed to get a phone recording, which is pretty poor, but a great memento of playing with the big boys. Thanks to Chrissie for the pics.

It was a great evening all round, as Billy's presence raised all of our games, and we hope our reputation as the rockingest session in Essex will pull in a few more muso celebs as a 'must play' gig.

Hopefully, a few of the pub audience will chip in here with their account of the evening by leaving a comment. Here's hoping, anyway.......

All photos © Chrissie Gamble .

[NB - owing to some technical glitch, this entry has come up as having been posted by Juliet (who wasn't there) but in fact it was written by Greg (who most emphatically was)!]