Black Bart: A Band to Blow Your Mind and Take You Back to a Time When Musicians Cared

Putting on my crazy combination hat of music journo / passionista (hey, cool word!) / and musician led me back last night to Southampton's The Talking Heads, for their weekly 'Candle Club' open mic night. My own official 'debut' performance came on that stage about three years ago and contemplating a return, I was itching to see how things had changed.

Not only does The Talking Heads retain the dingy, smokey, laid-back atmosphere I first encountered when I moved to Southampton as a student in 2002, the usual rollar-coaster of events have not only survived but been enshrined and held up for reverance. There were the usual spatterings of poets, classical guitarists, jam-session teens (one with a pretty funky performance on a didgeridoo, that made the lounge setting feel like an acoustic Mogwai gig at one point) and those that really shouldn't step up before an audience (namely the 'terrible joke' of the night tradition).

There were also a couple of surprises. The opening act (if you read this and know his name, please let me know, I didn't catch it) played a bluesey-rhythmic couple of songs with a more than decent voice; good solid performance and I was duly impressed.

But then, came two guys, one with an acoustic guitar and harmonica, looking devilishly like a cross between Neil Young and Ryan Adams (my own personal music god)and another with some kind of Bodhran-type drum. I was already getting excited by the Ryan Adams reference and then he opened his mouth. If you can imagine a voice that represents the perfect blend of Dylan and Young, whilst simultaneously managing to sound original, you're getting close to what Simon Stanley-Ward churns out.

Singing from his guts with a passion and sincerity akin to his aforementioned predecessors, Ward dipped between blues, folk and alt.country, unremittingly forcing out words that hinted at the Dylan-entrenched upbringing he must have consumed. I found myself holding my breath to discover that even in Southampton, where I often feel I must be the only true slave to the alt.country blend that hails back to its kings and queens of the sixties and seventies (CSNY, Joni Mitchel, to name a few), there are in fact more like me. Not only do they listen to the original classics, they breathe them with every fibre.

The guys later revealed they were members of the Bournemouth-based band Black Bart. The whole band will be back at The Talking Heads with a longer set February 3rd (I'm pretty sure I'll be there!).

I cannot say enough good things about these guys - from just a 10 minute set and a little online research, I'm already a huge fan and can't wait to see them again soon. Well done guys!

...And if you have any shred of self-respect when it comes to musical taste, check them out on their website: www.blackbart.co.uk

and their myspace page: www.myspace.com/blackbartband