Live music is thriving in the Berkshire town of Wokingham, thanks to the great work of the local music club, part of Wokingham Lions.
With its shows always popular, Wokingham Music Club is able to persuade some phenomenal artists to come and play at its eclectic venues in the town: Judie Tzuke (Stay With Me Till Dawn) will be playing at the Whitty Theatre in mid January (yes, it’s sold out although you can go on the waiting list).
Last Friday’s performance by Santana tribute band Oye Santana was also a sell out at All Saints Church, a rather magnificent venue in the heart of the town with spectacular lighting and high ceilings where community is embedded in its DNA.
Oye Santana lived up to its reputation as being one of the country’s best tribute bands as they played for more than two hours, ending with one of Santana’s biggest hits ‘She’s Not There’ (a song originally made by the Zombies) – and a big chunk of the audience out of their chairs dancing and temporarily revisiting their youth.
The band, seven-strong, has been around for sixteen years and is led with panache by guitarist Milan Webb who also occasionally sprinkles chords of Latin American magic from a standing Spanish guitar.
Webb was worth the entrance money alone and set the tone for the evening with a super version of the instrumental Luz, Amor y Vida. His interpretation of Santana’s 1969 breakout hit at Woodstock (New York) Evil Ways was also nothing short of extraordinary. Sublime throughout.
Yet Oye Santana is not a one person show with vocalists Hector Gomez (a bundle of nuclear energy behind sunglasses) and Auriol Langbridge delivering super interpretations of Game of Love and Smooth, Santana’s 1999 hit.
Boy did they enjoy themselves on stage, bringing an energy probably not seen at All Saints for many a year. They also flitted between Spanish and English lyrics with ease while playing the maracas with a passionate gusto)
Paul Murphy’s percussion on Soul Sacrifice (another song from Woodstock 1969) was nothing short of brilliant, prompting the bandana adorned Gomez to swagger off stage and dance amongst the audience (and get a drink from the bar).
Martin Lawrie’s keyboards shone through the thumping beat of Oye Como Va and were key in the delicious delivery of George Harrison’s While My Guitar Gently Weeps – with great vocals from Langbridge and the masterful playing (again) of the Spanish guitar by Webb. Lawrie was nursing a sore back, but it didn’t seem to hinder him from where I was dancing.
As Webb said in introducing the song, While My Guitar Gently Weeps is the one Santana hit that they play at all gigs (they rotate from a list of 50). It’s a winner every time – and understandably so.
With the drums of Pete Lockwood and the bass of Jon Quirk (excellent on Nobody To Depend On) completing the Oye Santana sound, it wasn’t difficult to close your eyes and imagine you were back in your youth with the legendary Carlos Santana on stage in front of you.
Milan Webb has made Oye Santana a superb tribute band. Catch them if you can – and get your hips and feet moving.
Wokingham Music Club (Wokinghamlions.org.uk)
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