Fortnightly Music Reviews from the streets of Teesside and beyond
Stanley Brinks and Freschard, The Waiting Room Eaglescliffe
8 June 2025
This edition of Off The Beat features a double header from one of our favourite venues over the years, namely the backroom of Eaglescliffe's Waiting Room restaurant. You don't have to buy a meal to enjoy the entertainment although it is very hard to resist the exquisite aromas wafting from the delicious vegetarian cuisine. The big news from the Waiting Room's main man Luke Harding is that the regular Sunday night gig staple is being restored to the initiate setting. Two great front men have already named for future Sunday night appearances, Chris Helme playing on October 12th and before that Tom Hingley on July 13th
Am starting these gig reviews in reverse order because I am still basking in the after taste of the return of Sunday night Waiting Room favourites Freschard and Stanley Brinks. In seemingly constant tour around Europe (or indeed the world) from their Berlin base, Stanley and Freschard are perennial visitors to Eaglescliffe. This time they are journeying by train and travelling light so they must borrow guitars and equipment at venues.
The duo play an easy going calypso type sound. Freschard charms us with her French accented cheeky, observational lyrics. Setting sail with, “The Sun is shining and the moon is bright... open a bottle of wine.” The die is cast with lyrics sprinkled with drinking and smoking and quietly, gently making merry.
“Bananas, you're driving me bananas,” sings
Freschard, a beaming smile lighting up her face. Potatoes under the ground. Then we are back onto the liquid stuff again. Give me time to think... time for a drink.
We then switch back as Stanley Brinks takes us on lead guitar breaks which borrow from eastern and African as well as r'n'b and calypso. Stanley aka Andre formerly of the great John Peel session band, Herman Dune is an understated maestro on the guitar whether it is his own or kindly loaned to him.
Stanley has songs of his own with Freschard regaling us with backing vocals sometimes from deep within the audience. In a charming duet Stanley tells us he has a Lionheart, that is the reason we cannot get him to stop his imbibing. Talking about audience participation we are asked to join in choruses by Freschard and how can we resist chiming Bobby, Bobby, Bob, Bob.
This is a gig of two halves or sets and for the closing song in part one, they take requests, Grapes. Grapes are round just like the planet. It is a request from the parent of a six your old child, not present and presumably it is bed time well before the final line lists the alcoholic beverages from grapes.
A lovely evening in the company of two exquisite performers. I would have been content to watch and listen all night long. For the mood music was quite infectious and in the words of Stanley and Freschard. “I'm just chilling until I want to go.”
Words: Robert Nichols
Pictures: Tracy Hyman
Shotgun Jimmie, Cybill Ends, The Waiting Room Eaglescliffe, 8 June 2025
OK this is a slighting confusing gig because both acts appeared to enter the arena with one name and then leave with another. Shotgun Jimmie won many friends with an appearance at the last Eaglefest. The husband and wife duo were talking about still riding high after touring Europe with fellow Canadian co-conspirators Ariel and Mathias of The Burning Hell yet by the middle of the set we were introduced to a new moniker, Jimmie Kilpatrick or maybe just Jimmie, the title of the first release. Jimmie told us it had confused the record company. Not the only ones then but whatever the name this was a performance and a half.
But hang fire, even before Jimmie rode shotgun another guitarist and vocalist from slightly closer to home, Rick Dobbin was embarking on a fresh start. Rick had recently dropped the final curtain on the wonderful Dressed Like Wolves at Stockton Calling. A great way to bow out but here he was re-emerging with a new format and name, Cybill Ends.
Rick is still an enchanting performer, always skating just on the endearing side of shambling. With a new set of songs to bed in on acoustic guitar and broken keyboard, it was a bargain buy? The guitars songs were whispered, the keyboards deployed a Cher style vocal auto tuning. He was distorting away from the
norm. Not only distorting, Rick was also fuming. Fuming when no one had heard of his video game song reference for Tekken. A rare fun song in a repertoire that dips deep into the emotional.
(Shotgun) Jimmie began with a duet between his squeaky swivel chair and Leanne's cello. There would be humour as well as strong rhythmic, melodic guitar, use of a suitcase for a kick drum and a voice that is at times reminiscent of the great Stephen Malkmus from Pavement. Great fun and great songs. Everything Everything to Garbage Gloves, the latter drawn from the new LP. And you really must listen to that Jimmie long player.
Jimmie cited Garbage Gloves as the best song in the set.. until the next one. Jimmie then had to break off to make a call and received a backing track of guitar and drums through his mobile. In Too Many Flowers he reached out and touched the moon or the ceiling mirror ball, to be precise. Maybe it is because after all Life is Impossible but its also a Popsicle. Or an ice lolly this side of the North Atlantic drift.
Shotgun Jimmie or is that Jimmie Kilpatrick or just Jimmie? What's in a name? Another cracking night at The Waiting Room.
Words: Robert Nichols Pictures: Tracy Hyman
The Voss, Corduroy Boy, Sky Parker
Mississippi MacDonald & Band
Mura Masa, Boo, Alousea, Rees, Cousin Dan
The Haunted Generation: Bob Fischer
Paul Smith, Melanie Baker
NE Thing Goes: The Arcadias, Bruiser, Lilac Lane
Hark! The Sound of Stories: Sam Slatcher, Lizzie Lovejoy, Carmen Marcus, Phil Cox
Dogsflesh, Subvision, No Agenda
Ska vs Punk Alldayer: Kid Klumsy, Deat Wet Things, Flatcap Carnival, Dead Objectives, Fidget and the Twitchers, In Evil Hour, Faintest Idea
The Regency, Cause of Concern, Detonator
Listings subject to change, please
before booking.
Darlington
Industrial Coast: Pale World, Jack Donnison (Public Bodies – The Lasting Allure of Ruins exhibition aftershow)
23 June £6
£3 cost of living
6pm Café Etch, Middlesbrough
The Listening Post Charity Gig: No Ripcord, Angel Archives 25 June £7 +bf £9 OTD 7.30pm The Forum, Darlington
NE Thing Goes: The Voss, Sam Mitchell, Charlea B, Bazza 26 June £7 + bf 6pm NE Volume Music Bar, Stockton-on-Tees
Live and Local: Moss, Chumpwrecker, The Last of The Fallen Angels 26 June £4 6.30pm The Forum, Darlington
Rob Wheeler & The Hushtones, Hughzy 26 June £14 + bf 7pm The Link, Stockton-on-Tees
Sonic Arts Week: Sound Shower 27 June FREE FREE Hillstreet Shopping Centre, Middlesbrough
Cardiac, Last Request, SHDE 27 June £7 + bf 6pm NE Volume Music Bar, Stockton-on-Tees
Industrial Coast X Sonic Arts Week: Cut Hands 27 June £15
£7.50 cost of living £0.50 7pm Auxiliary Project Space, Middlesbrough
Festival
July 2025
Festival 25 28 July 2025
Folk Festival 3-5 October 2025
Listings subject to change, please check with the venue’s website for full information before booking.