Thanks to a generous offer by a good friend, I managed to get out of town and into the sticks up at Blakey to see this much talked about guy, Prendo. With good company, fine ale and a packed house, all I needed was a good band to set the rest of the night right.
John
Prendo and his band fit the bill completely. I confess I really
didn't know what to expect. I'd been told he was good, and the
packed bar of music lovers comprised many who had seen him before.
That was reassuring, but I had no idea of his style or genre.
I was soon to learn that I didn't need to know.
John Prendo simply walked up to the stage area, picked up his guitar and strummed a few chords as if warming up before the gig. After a half dozen chords the band - just bass and drums - kinda looked round and decided to join in. Such a relaxed air I've never experienced before. A gentle soft, almost spoken voice was accompanied by super cool guitar work. Rock licks, blues licks and quite a lot of pretty smart lead breaks that fit into no specific category were handed out not too sparingly, but with grace and style - and never, ever too loud (now there's a surprise these days). Unusual technique made this guy difficult to compare with any one else. Covers of old favourites such as Hendrix and adaptations of J.J.Cale, Lou Reed in the first spot were handled in such a way as to make them that little bit different. His own compositions were, for me, probably the highlight of the evening, (although I never did understand "The Man with the Light-bulb Head").
I don't think he put more than two words together to either the band or the audience until he bust a string. I think if the string hadn't gone he might have just kept playing all night.
The band, pulled together for the night (not that I would have noticed without been told), comprised a very competant Pete Bell on bass and "Fatha" Trevor from the Blueflies on drums. The band were as tight as was needed with such a laid back musician and they complemented Prendo's singing and guitar work superbly. The drummer deserves a special mention because quite simply he was just red hot. A great night out - let's hope there are many more to come. I think it won't be too long before I'm back that way again.
