25/3/2008 Darrel Bath @ Tommy Flynn's

Subject	Darrel Bath @ Tommy Flynn’s
PostedDate	3/25/2008
	There’s quite a relaxed vibe in this fairly intimate Camden pub on this damp Tuesday night. I think they were three bands on, including China Dogs who I missed but was told were rather good. I’m only here to see Darrel Bath - a real ’musician’s musician’ and somewhat of an underground legend. To say this man has ’been around’ is somewhat of an understatement - a couple bands he played in earlier in his career were UK Subs and Dogs D’Amour. This guy is possibly the most natural guitarist I have ever seen - he makes it look so effortless, like he could do it in his sleep. Every guitarist should go and see this man play - they could learn a lot. There is nothing flashy about his playing - he manages to say everything without needing to resort to fancy techniques or showing off. Most guitarists in three piece bands just thrash away all though the songs - not Darrel. His playing is minimal - only playing what’s needed without cluttering up the song. He hardly seems to touch his guitar at times, it almost seems to play itself. There is a saying that a musician should be able to tell whennot to play, and that can sometimes be as important as what is actually played - this is one of the few men who really seems to understand this. Something else other guitarists could really learn from Darrel Bath - his set-up is as minimal as his playing: The simplest of electric guitars - a battered old Les Paul Junior and a small Marshall combo. Interestingly, the amp is deliberately turned back to front to face the wall. Look at the floor - there are no effects pedals at all - not even a channel switch pedal or tuner. The single pickup guitar is plugged straight into the amp - just like in the 1950’s. Guess what? It sounds great! Darrel plays for about 50 minutes, with a couple of encore songs. He uses the same guitar thoughout, and doesn’t need to constantly retune between songs like many guitarists seem to need to. Like I said, other guitarists could learn a lot from watching this man perform. Effects pedals, fancy techiques, big flash setups with fancy guitars and amps? When your this good, none of that is needed - some people can just let the music do the talking.

PS: This pub venue later became 'The Wheelbarrow'.