29/03/2026
Last night saw Coolham full for another evening of top class live music provided by two contrasting acts, both guitar led and both with their roots in the blues.
Opening the evening was a duo comprising Neil Grove on guitar and Chris Sentance-Geraghty on harmonica, with both taking a turn at lead vocals. From the opening number it was clear that they are both extremely competent players with a knowledge of and passion for the blues of the 40’s,50’s and 60’s.
Their 60 min set included a mix of covers of material from some of the legendary blues musicians of that time along with that of some more obscure but excellent players, plus a good smattering of Neil’s original songs.
Throughout, the guitar picking and harp blowing was superb and the vocals strong. The audience loved what they delivered and a standing ovation said it all.
After the break, the volume and tempo increased as Mat Day and his band launched into their high energy instrumental take on ‘Eleanor Rigby', giving all 4 band members an opportunity to show their prowess. Their 90 min set went on to include a selection of Mat’s own well crafted compositions, interspersed with some well chosen covers.
Mat’s virtuosity on guitar was well known to those of us that had seen him previously but this time he added his lead vocals and band management skills to the mix and what we saw was a fully formed performer who is developing his own career and certainly has the potential to become a stand out live performer.
The charity collection produced a further £275 to bring the club’s total donations to Chestnut Tree House to £22, 929. As always, thanks to our audience for coming out and supporting live music and for their generosity in supporting the Childrens Hospice. Also to Ian and Mark for getting the sound and stage lighting spot on yet again.
