A few words and pics from Alan Dearling
“We Rock!” – that is what ‘Wally’ Richard Woodcock told me before the band, The 844s, took to the stage at the 3 Wise Monkeys in Water Street, Todmorden. The 844s are a rhythm & blues band who mostly perform their own original material. The four-piece are fronted by Dave Rigg, vocalist/harmonica virtuoso, Wally is the guitarist/second vocalist, Jerome Dineen provides the bass riffs and Jim Duffy hits the skins.
A few monochrome images… You can find their music on Bandcamp. Their album is ‘On the Top Floor’ and Wally told me that they have just released a new EP entitled ‘Meanwhile’, which is also available on Bandcamp. It kicks off with the gritty ‘A Minor’.
They were formed back in 2011. On their original album the guitarist was Martin McGroarty, who left the 844s about four years ago, which was when Wally joined them. Their track on the album, ‘Bring me to heel’ is a bit reminiscent of Dr Feelgood.
“I don’t need your loving’:
I felt the pain through every vein
I need you less now than a bullet through my brain
You know your cheating heart – it tore me apart
I don’t think that I ever want to see your face again
I don’t need your loving
I don’t need your love,
I don’t need your loving any more”
But on this night their material ranged from blues laments such as ‘Losing You’, and mournful country and western with a twangy tinge, including a little of the ‘Rawhide’ and ‘Ghost Riders’ vibe, through to faster numbers like ‘Tourist’. Throughout there was plenty of fine blues-harp from Dave, and I was impressed with ‘Passion Burning’, which gave them a chance for a bit of freak-out, with oodles of wah-wah guitar effects underpinned by a driving bass and drum sound.
I asked Wally where their band name, ‘844s’ had derived from. I thought they might have been borrowed it from a famed farm tractor. But no – apparently 844 was the original local STD phone code for the local area of Calderdale!
The overall sound was perhaps akin to late Doors on ‘LA Woman’, which is no bad thing. All in all, an old school R&B night and a crowd-pleaser.
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