Worcester Music Forum

Gotta say I didn't know what to expect from last Friday's show live at the Big Chill in Eastnor - hope you enjoyed it by the way. After Wyeside, Nozstock and the Jamstand in the last few weeks it came as a bit of a culture shock - 39,000 people over a massive site and it's apparently the fifth biggest festival in the UK - and bang in the center of our counties - yippee!

Just time for a quick wander round the site before the show kicked off and my first impressions were a real friendly atmosphere with plenty of impromptu performers, fancy dress, weird and wacky shops and stalls - all in a beautiful lakeside setting. Besides the Open Air Stage arena, other performances were in the massive marquees - the Club Tent could hold 5000 people, and seemed like everyone knew where and when they wanted to be to catch as many acts as possible - so I decided to join them!

After a bit of dodgy comedy in the Big Chill Nights tent I headed over to the Club Tent for Alabama 3 - but as C+W ain't exactly my bag I checked out the weird and wonderful circus act Noise Of Art In Deep Space at the Media Mix tent - featuring a guy (girl?) in the biggest and sparkliest skirt I've ever seen - maybe there was a message here - if there was it was 'very strange'. Some more comedy - I think mostly about ginger beards before the main attraction for me that was fabled Clash producer Don Letts mixing his reggae dubs on the Open Air stage - magic stuff!

Great to see Siani of The Donns before I headed over to the packed Club Tent for Roots Manuva - Craig and Tibbers' verdict 'not loud enough mate' - well maybe I managed to catch a snippet of Russell Howard before it was time to leave to the sounds of Roisin Murphy on the main stage. Yes it's a big big festival with the likes of Sigur Ros, Martha Wainwright, The Mighty Boosh, Bill Bailey, Orchestra Baobab, Buzz****s and Leonard Cohen on the weekend's bill - but it's got a great vibe and a friendly feel - and this old cynic is now a Big Chill convert!

As my not-so-secret aim is to visit every single music venue in Hereford and Worcester - it was time to pay a long-overdue call into The Lamb Inn in West Malvern. Now this little gem of a venue has been under threat recently from the usual opponents of live music - but thanks to a 500+ petition gathered by owner and ex-36-Stoner Colin 'Mad Pierre' Robinson and some tactful compromising hopefully its future seems safe - well for the moment at least

First up were the Berts and Darren Brothers spin-off that are Skewwhiff

- who made the most of The Lamb's wonderfully clean and finely honed sound system for their Radio Birdman-like blend of original straight rocking numbers - particularly liked the cover of Talking Heads 'Heaven' though

Good to bump into the legendary Toad of Sons Of Spock - now of Slack Granny of course - also Andrew Judd of the Lamb & Flag pub cricket team who famously played Bangladesh in a World Cup warm-up game!

I saw Trevino Slaxx a couple of weeks ago and they've already expanded up to a five-piece outfit. I'm still in two minds about this newish lot as they're definitely a very capable grungy stoner band with a touch of aplomb about them. I get the feeling that they're trying to build up a unique sound and hopefully that extra missing spark comes soon - still not too sure that the name helps though!