Gig Reviews
Ben Mills & Richard Rozze In The Music Room At Pizza Express, Maidstone
Friday 14th May 2010
Three years ago, almost to the day, I sat at a table in the Music Room at Pizza Express at my very first Ben Mills gig. The excitement as I waited for him to set foot on the stage was almost too much to bear and I can still feel the tingles and the butterflies as I listened to him perform live for the first time.
With memories of that evening as vivid as if it had happened just yesterday, I was back in the Music Room for another of Ben's gigs, but he's not the same guy anymore. As incredible as Ben was three years ago, today, having cut ties with his record label and finding himself free to write and perform the songs he wants, the way he wants, he's grown so much. He appears to have found the confidence to believe in himself and to be the musician he wants to be, and it's made me realise that what I saw back then was just a glimpse of the performer he was destined to become. Of all the male vocalists out there, and I've been around long enough to have listened to quite a few (!), for me Ben is the one who "ticks all the boxes". When I talk of goosebumps and tingles down my spine when I hear him sing it's not just a figure of speech, it genuinely happens, and I would quite happily listen to him for hours on end knowing that I would be captivated, totally mesmerised, the entire time. So, as I find myself yet again sat at a table in what has become one of my favourite venues, I wait not so patiently for Ben to appear and the music to begin....
Initially the intention was for this gig to be a solo acoustic affair, as was planned for the one in January before the snow came and ruined everybody's plans. However, Ben has added a new guitarist to the fold and asked the wonderful Richard Rozze to accompany him. Quiet and unassuming, he allows his guitar playing to speak for itself, and boy did it!
As Ben and Richard took to the stage and the opening bars of Van Morrison's "Have I Told You Lately" filled the room, I was once again captured by Ben's voice. Sat with my eyes closed, I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as I surrendered to the music - for the next two hours, nothing else would matter.
The evening's set list consisted of a selection of covers intermingled with a few of Ben's own songs and the first half continued like this:
- Moondance (Van Morrison)
- Nothing But The Truth (Ben Mills)
- Hold On (Tom Waits)
- Bring It On Home To Me (Sam Cooke)
- Ain't No Sunshine (Bill Withers)
- Downtown Train (Tom Waits)
- I Don't Like Mondays (Boomtown Rats)
- The Strength To Love Me (Ben Mills)
It's no secret that Ben is a huge fan of Tom Waits but for some reason, other than "Downtown Train", his songs rarely feature on his set lists, so the main highlight for me here was hearing Ben sing "Hold On". It's the first time he's performed it publicly, though he told us he often sings it at home while sat in front of his piano at 2 o'clock in the morning! A gift Ben seems to share with Tom Waits is his amazing ability to convey such depth and emotion in his lyrics. For the most part, it's the lyrics which draw me into a song and "Hold On" is no exception, especially with the way Ben sings it.
Another song which I absolutely adore and was so pleased to see it featured is "The Strength To Love Me". It's the last track on "Freedom" and, without a doubt, one of my favourite songs from the album. It is such a beautiful song and I get quite emotional listening to it.
The final song of the first half was Aerosmith's "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing", played at the request of a lady sat at a table by the stage. One of the things I love about Ben is the way he interacts and connects with his audience. There's no script to follow, no pre-set format which can't be strayed from. Even a set list written out in front of him isn't set in stone where Ben's concerned, and is often changed to fit the mood. This also goes to show the skill of the musicians who play Ben's gigs with him, as they are all able to adapt so well to spur of the moment decisions.
After a short break the evening's entertainment continued with a personal favourite of mine, "Handbags & Gladrags", followed by a Rod Stewart classic which seems to have become Ben's signature tune as rarely a gig goes by without it - "Maggie May". It was the next song, however, which really got me buzzing as, after much deliberation and so many album plays I've lost count, this has to be my absolute out and out favourite album track. It was "Let It Rain". The lyrics, musical arrangement, the way Ben sings it. Everything about the song just grabs me. If you have the album, listen to this song through headphones and you'll see what I mean. The way it starts is just incredible.
Anyway, back to the gig where the rest of it consisted of the following:
- Rockin' Robin (Bobby Day)
- The Last To Fall (Ben Mills)
- People Get Ready (The Impressions)
- Here I Go Again (Whitesnake)
- Hallelujah I Love Her So (Ray Charles)
- Medley - Amazed (Lonestar), Love On The Rocks (Neil Diamond), Freedom (Ben Mills), Piano Man (Billy Joel)
- Like A Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan)
The medley near the end was especially wonderful as it was all done "off the cuff" after Ben asked for some suggestions of what to sing next. It really takes some skill to seemlessly merge one song into another when it's planned, so to do that live, as it were, is quite simply amazing and testament to Ben's musicianship.
As was inevitable, the announcement of the last song of the night, Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone", brought with it a sadness that the evening had come to a close. The last two hours on a Friday afternoon at work before you can down tools and go home seem to last forever. Unfortunately, two hours at a Ben Mills gig don't and as Ben and Richard left the stage I sighed and picked up my bag ready to head home. Our talented duo, however, were hovering by the door, seemingly plotting their next move. To my great delight, they both returned to the stage for a final encore - a medley of Ben's very popular, "Emily" and the Eagles' "Hotel California".
So that was it! I'd looked forward to this gig for so long and it all seemed to go by so quickly, but I was, just as I'd expected, held captive the entire time and loved every minute of it.
Report & Photography by Saara Ord - Webmaster / Administrator
(More photographs can be found in the Gallery)
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