Ben Waters Band / The Outlaw Orchestra / Chris Payn And The Parade
Live & Unheard: Legends – Lighthouse, Poole
For the first Hangover Hill Live & Unheard event of the year, the team has gone big moving the show into the main theatre at the Lighthouse in Poole. The decision clearly paid off, with ticket sales just shy of 300 for a bill of three local original bands — an incredible achievement. Watching this event grow over the last few years has been a real joy. As with last year’s Legends, the move to the larger theatre allowed the production to be stepped up and with Lighthouse technician Sam Coombes on hand, that meant one thing: pyrotechnics.
Opening the night were Chris Payn & The Parade. Chris is no stranger to this crowd — a performer who demands attention from the moment he steps on stage. Fresh from a run of South Coast dates, it was clear those shows served as the perfect warm-up for a night of this scale.
The set began with a single spotlight on Chris as he took to the piano for a solo rendition of “The World Is Still Mine”. He was soon joined by his band: the towering Sam Churches on guitar, the sturdy and reliable Duncan Petrus on bass and the ever-capable Paul Miller on drums. Together they played with confidence and a wondrous ease, bringing Chris’s original compositions vividly to life.
With a home crowd behind them, the support was immense. Fans of all ages celebrated their love for the music and when “Choose” kicked in, things stepped up another level. Sam Coombes unleashed the pyrotechnics, sending huge plumes of flame wafting into the air to dramatic effect.
Chris is a commanding presence at the front of the band; his powerful, euphonious voice easily filling the vast room. His captivating performance and constant engagement made for a truly spellbinding set. Tracks like Breakfast; Pow Pow Pow Pow and Scream, alongside a cheeky reworked cover of Avicii’s Wake Me Up gave the crowd everything they could want — and more.
Closing with the single “Talk Is Cheap”, fans were invited out of their seats to dance and over three quarters happily obliged. With a performance this assured on such a large stage, it’s hard not to feel that Chris Payn & The Parade should be playing venues of this size more often.
Next up are The Outlaw Orchestra, a band from Southampton who when they’re not gigging, I’m convinced spend their time watching spaghetti westerns and classic rock ’n’ roll documentaries. Their set is packed with knowing quotes and nods throughout, adding to the band’s unmistakable character.
The trio features the larger-than-life Dave Roux on vocals and guitar, Pete Briley who seemingly plays any instrument with strings and the powerful rhythm maker and beat keeper Ryan Smith on drums. Not only do they deliver some cracking original tunes with a genuinely unique sound, they also bring a huge sense of fun to the occasion. Dave’s between-song banter and tongue-in-cheek storytelling alone are worth the price of admission.
Their foot-stomping, melodic sound is seriously infectious. It’s hard not to get swept up by songs like opener “Rotten Apples” and a nifty reworking of The Beatles’ “Come Together.” The band clearly relish being on stage together and their chemistry is obvious throughout the set.
We’re treated to a mash-up of older favourites “Georgia” and “Blame The Horse,” while Pete shows off some impressive fretwork on both banjo and lap steel. Ryan delivers punchy, powerful stick work, perfectly complementing Dave’s six-string electric guitar tones. The tracks are interwoven with yet more sonic pyrotechnics and those in the front three rows even get a welcome blast of warmth. As the band bring their set to a close, the crowd show their appreciation in full voice, before The Outlaw Orchestra head to the venue foyer to offer up some cut-price discounted merch.
Tonight’s headliner is the musical equivalent of royalty. His CV is the envy of anyone who’s ever stepped on a stage: he has played with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Sir Elton John, Jools Holland, Cher, Jeff Beck — the list goes on and on. He’s probably one of the most famous people in Dorset that you haven’t heard of… yet.
Ben Waters, with his larger-than-life personality brings a commanding presence to the stage, matched only by his huge smile. The Dorset-bred singer sits down at his piano and together with his band, proceeds to deliver a masterclass in live performance. There are plenty of humorous stories and anecdotes along the way, but the music always remains the main focus.
Ben has surrounded himself with a top-class group of players: Clive Asher on saxophone, Micky Biggs on guitar, Anth Caplen on bass and Robin Tothill on drums. The band don’t work from a pre-arranged setlist. Instead, Ben acts as the guide, leading them wherever his mood takes him — and that’s exactly what makes the show so unpredictable and exciting. We’re treated to a unique balalaika-style version of Chuck Berry’s Johnny B. Goode, a great instrumental called Something on Your Mind and a lively Amos Milburn number, Don’t Do It.
With every song it’s utterly beguiling to watch Ben’s fingers hammer the piano keys, delivering his unmistakable style, complemented by Clive’s idiosyncratic and expressive saxophone work. The band also serve up a crowd-pleasing version of Proud Mary, which gets everyone singing and clapping along.
Just when you think it’s all over, Matt Black arrives on stage to present Ben in person, with his recently earned ‘Original Music Award’. Ben then invites Matt and his son Chris Payn to join him for a number, treating us to their own distinctive take on the theme from Deliverance — with not a banjo in sight.
Ben and the rest of the band return for a stunning encore of Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll”, with Chris taking the lead and delivering his best Robert Plant impression – and what a vocal performance it is.
Have we just seen the best Live & Unheard ever?
We just might have.
Set-lists
The Outlaw Orchestrar
Rotten Apples
Come Together (The Beatles)
Willie Nelson
Haybelly
Georgia/Blame The Horse
Bag of Bones
Chris Payn & The Parade
World is Still Mine
Bond
Choose
Breakfast
Clowns
Pow Pow Pow Pow
Arrows
Wake Me Up (Avicii)
Scream
Talk Is Cheap
Videos
More Videos from this evening can be found on our YOUTUBE Channel here.
Links
https://www.benwaters.com
https://www.theoutlaworchestra.com
https://www.chrispayn.com
Nexts Month Live & Unheard at the Lighthouse in Poole on Saturday 21st March featuring Green Issac, Kolumbia & Karl Thomson. Tickets can be purchased in advance here.
Article & Media By David Chinery
Photography By Lynn Burt
