Another hugely successful Hemsby Festival - that's the verdict of close to three-and-a-half thousand revelling rockers who descended on the Norfolk camp from all corners of the globe. Parties from Japan, America, Canada and New Zealand plus coach loads from France, Germany, Belgium, Spain and Italy screamed themselves hoarse to make Hemsby 16 THE most successful to date.
In previous reviews I have posed the question "Can Hemsby get any bigger?", and in answer to my own question I have suggested that it can not. The sheer volume of people in and around the exhibition area and the main concert hall itself is the main reason that I answer the question in the negative. So what do Messrs. Ingram and Jeffery go and do? They simply add on another day and a couple of extra venues! Yes, as of Hemsby 17 (October 9th - 14th), the rocking festivities will begin on Wednesday evening! Additional concert halls on adjacent camps are being considered so maybe (just maybe) Hemsby can get bigger. Already confirmed for the five-day October extravaganza are rockabilly legends Hardrock Gunter and Ray Campi plus the most successful integrated doo-wop group of them all, the great Dell-Vikings. I strongly suggest that you book early. The way things are going, surely it can't be too long before the Hemsby Weekenders become Hemsby Weeks...and I shudder to think how long it will take me to get over one of those!
THE REVEREND D. BROWN & THE BOOGIEMEN got things off to a great start with a late night set of piano-based rock n roll on the Thursday evening. Dressed in cassock and surplice, and sporting a nice line in southern Baptist preacher's
HEADLINERS: THE FIVE DISCS, JACK EARLS and THE TRENIERS. Back row (L to R): Hal Keshner, Mike Strippoli, Eddie Pardocchi, Shelly Buchansky, Jack Earls, Don Jackson, Jack Holland and Claude Trenier. Front row (L to R): Paul Abano, Dave Akin, Don Hill and Skip Trenier. (B.D.)
IIt took legendary Sun artist JACK EARLS forty years to make the trip to Britain, but the capacity Hemsby crowd made no hesitation in convincing him that the wait had been well worth while. 'Flip Flop And Fly', Take Me To That Place', 'Hey Jim' and the excellent 'Let's Bop' had them eating out of his hand, and apart from a couple of country numbers in the shape of When I Dream' and 'Fool For Lovin' You', it was rockabilly all the way.
Jack himself was totally overwhelmed by the reception awarded him and emotions ran high in the wings as his very proud wife, daughter and three sons hugged each other as they watched their hero gain in confidence and in strength. His solitary Sun release 'Slow Down' drew the applause it deserved and the crowd were equally impressed as Jack paid tribute to the late, great Warren Smith with 'Rock n Roll Ruby'. Ray Harris' 'Come On Little Mama', Chuck Berry's 'Roll Over Beethoven' and his own adaptation of 'Crawdad Hole' helped keep the tension high, and as he drew his hour-long set to its close with a repeat of 'Slow Down', Jack Earls knew that for that moment he was a star again. Hundreds of fans told him so as they queued to shake his hand, have their picture taken with him or to have their programmes, photographs and albums signed by the man whose one and only Sun record (but what a record!) was released exactly forty years ago. There have been many successful rockabilly debuts at Hemsby Weekenders: The Collins Kids, Vernon Taylor, Curtis Gordon, Rudy Grayzell etc. Add the name of Jack Earls to that list.
What can I say about THE TRENIERS? They were fabulous, magnificent, incredible? Yes, I can say all that and more, but somehow those adjectives fall far short of what this mighty six-piece brought to the Hemsby stage. Fronted by Claude and Skip Trenier, the group 'entertained' the huge audience with music, comedy and sheer showmanship honed to perfection following liter-ally thousands of performances on the stages of supper clubs in Las Vegas. I can throw a few song titles at you - 'Rocking On Sunday Night', 'Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie', 'Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens', 'Rockin' Is Our Business' etc. - but somehow they don't take on much meaning and fail to express just how great they were. You simply had to see the facial expressions, the dancing and the immaculate timing of this group of professionals to appreciate their amazing talent. When bass man Don Jackson delivered the unbelievably fast-worded 'Scatting', the rubber-faced Claude Trenier clowned around the stage whilst Skip asked the fans if they'd written the words down. Corny? Probably. Magnificent? Definitely. Original sax player Don Hill showed his value with a wonderful version of 'Watermelon Man', and as the group went from strength to strength the sea of smiling faces in the audience spoke volumes. The Treniers have spent 48 years entertaining on the world's stages and long may they continue to do so.
