Well well my friends where do I start with this review of The Faces at Cornbury?
Let me begin by trying to explain just how cool this place is. In the middle of the Cotswold Hills you come across some really friendly people who just love this unique rock festival meets English village garden fete event. Make no mistake there are no maypoles or Morris dancers but I did spot a couple of guys on stilts and some crazy dudes in morph suits which must have been a bit warm during a hot sunny day.
The carnival atmosphere and good natured crowd made for a really good feel factor and I was not the only one to comment “You know what …This place has that Ronnie Lane feel to it” and boy was I proved right at the end of this gig.
Meeting up with the usual suspects at one of the many bars throughout the site (offering a good value bill of fare) we began to speculate on how this gig would go. I had already warmed up nicely after watching Vintage Trouble on the main stage and the excellent Saint Jude on the Songbird stage (Janis Joplin reborn in this band!) and knew we were in a special place.
After a few slurps Charlie suggested we catch Ray Davies (an old school mate of Rod) and his set was blinding and fresh. The sound was the best I have ever heard at a festival gig and with a bloody good band Ray went down very well with the appreciative Oxfordshire patrons.
Surprisingly Ray never did Waterloo sunset, but as the sun started to set over the Corn bury fields you could physically feel the buzz that befits a Faces concert. We were all nicely fed and watered and took up our customary front barrier positions just left of the stage ( to be in front of Woody) and there was plenty of debate among the crowd with helicopters and hot air balloons flying about whether Rod would turn up. The anticipation was there but I guess it may have been too much for us if he had and as it turned out it did not matter.
Someone said to me it is 9.30 should they not have started by now? I politely pointed out to this well to do lady with the gold VIP wristband that the Faces had never started a gig on time ever but they would be out in a minute. Right on que Mac was the first to emerge followed closely by Glen Matlock, Woody, Kenney Jones and the new singer, vocalist Mick Hucknall.
From the familiar opening chords of Woody’s fender we were straight into Miss Judy’s Farm which was loud, rocky and note perfect with Mick right in there hitting the high C note from the off. The Faces were playing and the audience were blown away there and then.
Had me a real good time quickly followed and never has a song title been so apt at a concert than this one. A young kid of about 10 was stretching his neck to catch a glimpse of Ron Wood’s crimson red jacket and fancy trainers and was rockin away like the rest of us. That lad bless him will be able to say he saw the Faces.
The set gathered pace with Mac on top form playing the keys and that famous pedal Hammond powered organ and it was a no brainer to see the lads were up for it. Mick then led us into Bad n ruin , Too Bad and a superb rendition of Flying, which Woody made his own.
Glen Matlock on the bass was so good it was almost as if Plonk himself had come down from Heaven to stand beside him and share in this wonderful experience and that bass cut through superbly on the next number Silicone Clown from the ooh la la album. Neal and I remarked” it’s a long long time since we have heard that number live.”
By now the faces were warmed up and the rehearsals had paid off big time with Mick giving his all on vocals. Ok he is not Rod and does not pretend to be, but let me tell you categorically he hit every note for fun and I mean every note, with his version of Maybe I’m amazed putting McCartney’s effort to shame.
Woody stepped in on vocals for Ooh la la and I swear I could see Plonk hovering around ( or maybe it was the reasonably priced Grolsh lager to blame for that!) . This was a crowd pleaser alright and fitted right in with the spirit of Cornbury now in its 8th Year.
The guy next to Colin in the tango shirt who was seeing the faces for the first time kept saying these guys are brilliant even better than the Stones . (Tell us something we don’t know mate I thought) and to hammer home this new fan’s belief Kenny Jones led us into a rousing and gutsy version of the Temptations classic Losing you complete with customary drum solo and familiar faces guitar riffs.
Time to slow things down a bit , Mick paid further tribute to RL with a touching version of Debris and I must hand it to Mick he was in the groove from the off. He is no longer just a faces fan anymore he is a member of the faces and a fully paid up one as well!
Mick’s version of I would Rather Go Blind simply blew me away and won over any lingering doubts I may have had before this gig. His voice is so good and fits the Faces sound like a velvet glove, Superb number this one guys.
Continuing with the spirit of Ronnie Lane we were then treated to a couple of Small Faces numbers with Tin Soldier and All or Nothing, where Glen M got the crowd going big style. That was a nice touch by Mick and Glen showing their utmost respect for the 3 music legends they were sharing this great stage with.
We were on the home run by now with Pool Hall Richard being the next number. Wow I cannot remember the last time I heard this excellent track sung live. The crowd were going crazy and begging for more as they left the stage after 75 mins.
By this time we were all on cloud 10 and went up to 11 when the boys came back out for the legendary Stay with me, delivered in a way that only the real Faces can.
Steamy and I just looked at each other and thought YES that was the faces – a rock n roll show with no equal it has to be said. In a strange kind of way it did not matter that Rod was not there as it would have been unfair to have upstaged the likeable and very talented Mick Hucknall, who gave his all for our pleasure.
It was a privileged to share this gig with good people and friends I have known for many years now and I did not just drive home I floated home on Plonk’s cloud! Long Live the Faces
Dom Murphy
Set List
Miss Judy’s Farm,
Had Me a Real Good Time
Bad n Ruin
Flying
Too Bad,
Silcone Grown
Maybe im amazed ( and I almost certainly was)
Ooh la la
Losing you
Jealous Guy
Debris
Cindy Incidentally
Tin Soldier
All or Nothing
Pool Hall Rrichard
Stay with me
Photographs by Yve Paige
