Malbun

GINA COLES set off for the Rock Around Malbun Festival, Liechtenstein for the MUNGO JERRY gig held in the open-air on the 9th of July, 2011. Gina has put together this great review and sent in a great set of photographs, some of which were taken by promoter MARKUS MIERRE.

The first time I went to a RAY DORSET gig I was blown away with his charisma, talent and sex appeal and I can assure you that almost 49 years on he has lost none of those – in fact, he is probably better now than he has ever been.
It is impossible to imagine more contrast in venues – from the dark and stuffy back hall of the White Hart in Southall to an outdoor stage in a tiny village high up in the mountains in Liechtenstein with the tops of the mountains surrounding the area, providing a natural open air amphitheatre. Being in Liechtenstein was the stuff of dreams. I was there after an impulse buy of plane tickets when I saw the gig listed on the MUNGOMANIA website. I had always wanted to go there – it seemed such a magical place when I was young. I had wondered whether I ought to go to another MUNGO JERRY gig. Over the years I have been to many – the last was six years ago - and have never been disappointed. It may have been wise to remember them with fondness, after all, as we all know, Ray is 65 now and it’s rare to find a rock star who can maintain the high level of performance that we all associate with MUNGO JERRY. But, oh boy, I cannot tell you how happy I am that I decided to go to one last one. .

Of course, although the name is the same, the band has evolved enormously over the years and when we say MUNGO JERRY now we really mean RAY DORSET. The difference between the original line-up and the present ones is like trying to compare chalk and cheese. But he has managed to evolve and stay on trend, mixing old favourites with new tracks, which works very well. I did wonder what the promoter MARCUS MEIER was expecting when I saw that the show was billed as ‘The Ultimate Oldies Party’ but he assured me that he meant oldies as in 45's and not the age of the band!

From the first minute of the set it was obvious that Ray still has that amazing stage presence that has his audience spellbound from the word go. But, on top of that, he is obviously a man that has the confidence of knowing that he doesn’t have to prove himself anymore and that really comes through. He is fond of saying that he is not the best musician in the band – which may well be true, but he is still an excellent one. And, while he may not be ERIC CLAPTON, I am willing to bet that Eric would kill to have Ray’s ability to provide the groove and vibe as he does. It’s fascinating to watch as he makes friends with the crowd and welcomes them into his world. It is this magic ingredient that makes MUNGO JERRY one of the most exciting bands you will ever see. .

Although Ray is the ultimate front man, MUNGO JERRY wouldn’t be the band that it is without the excellent musicians that back him. Ray basically has two bands depending on where he plays and I was lucky enough to see what has to be the best line-up.

This was the first time I had seen the band with HEINI ALTBART on the drums but I can see why Ray decided to team up with him. Blimey – what a drummer! I have often heard the phrase ‘Shit Hot’ used to describe people who excel but I have never actually wanted to use it myself, until now. Heini manages to drive the band with authority while somehow staying in the background. He knows exactly when to simply provide rhythm and timing and when to go for a tour of the drums to fill and thrill. I was very soon a fan but then, about an hour into the set, he started a solo that superseded any that I have ever witnessed and totally blew my mind. He tickled, he teased and he beat his drums and held us all enthralled with his throbbing, heart-beating showmanship. It was easily the longest drum solo I have ever heard – even the band seemed amazed when he kept on going - but Heini isn’t a typical up-his-own-backside drummer who makes the most of his short time in the limelight. Usually after about five minutes the audience has had enough of the drums and gets restless but the drummer carries on determined to get his bit in. Heini didn’t bore us – he made us laugh and he amazed us and we all wanted more, and more and more! Ray said he is the best drummer in the world and I am not going to argue with that.

Of course, every great drummer needs a great bass player to work with and JON PLAYLE is that man. He is so cool, so laid back and he makes extraordinary bass playing look effortless. He also helps to add to the party atmosphere on stage and enjoys himself so much that it is impossible not to have fun yourself. A lot of bass players abide by the BILL WYMAN school of playing and stand quietly by the drums trying to hide but Jon is up-front, with his sexy green lights shining from his guitar, providing backing vocals at times along with Heini, and generally adding hugely to the MUNGO JERRY experience.

Completing this fabulous line-up was keyboard maestro HELMUT POSCH. Ray has always had the ability to choose fantastic musicians to back him and Helmut comes within that category with ease. He’s not showy or flash but he does his job exceptionally well and the band is better for it. He does show a bit of his fun side when he dons sunglasses for 'IN THE SUMMERTIME' but other than that he stays in the background, which is cool because you can’t have everyone on stage dancing around!

The set started with 'LET'S ROLL' and moved swiftly through new songs such as the title track from the new 'KICKING BACK' CD, which would make a cool single and 'LA LA LA LA LA', which has a fantastic bluesy vibe, to old favourites such as 'LADY ROSE', and 'BABY JUMP'.

The songs kept coming, the crowd kept dancing and singing along and before we knew it Ray was announcing the last song. Luckily, they came back on stage to give us an amazing encore that included 'LADY ROSE', again, and then a truly rocking 'JOHNNY B.GOODE' followed by 'I REALLY HAD A GOOD TIME'. Joining the band on stage were so many of the crowd that I was worried that the stage could cope with their jumping up and down. And then that was it. All over. More than two hours of solid entertainment that was enjoyed by what is probably the biggest crowd ever seen in the tiny village of Malbun. They won’t forget that evening and I certainly won’t either. I think that, apart from being totally confident in the musical ability of each other, the fact that these are four of the nicest guys you could ever wish to meet also helps the band’s completeness. There is no jealousy, no back-biting, no hidden agendas. They really are the greatest of friends off-stage. It’s nice to think that Ray now has the band he deserves and not the back-stabbers such as Paul King and the Earl brothers. .

It’s very difficult to be subjective when reviewing a man that I have been a fan and friend of for so many years – it’s far too easy to go way over the top. In my defence, in case anyone reading this thinks I am just a MUNGO JERRY groupie, during my years as a journalist I have been to hundreds of gigs and reviewed many of the top names in the business, so I do have a lot to compare Ray with. And I can honestly say that I am finding it difficult to find big enough words to say how good this night was – but don’t just take my word for it. There was a massive, smiling, dancing, clapping crowd there, probably a significant proportion of the total population of the area, who were all enjoying it as much as me. Standing there with them I realised that I was part of an incredible event. The village, the sun setting over the mountains, the crowd and MUNGO JERRY - it can’t ever get better than that!