The Cinellis had only just flown back from their triumphant participation in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, when they turned up on the shores of south Devon. They kicked off with an upbeat number ‘Save Me’ which got the crowd going and much of the music tonight was from their wonderful album, ‘No Country for Bluesmen’. The second number, the outstanding ‘No Place for Me’, really showed off their harmony skills. Soon Stephen Etienne was bouncing around on stage, Marco was charming everyone and Tom Julian Jones was joking with the audience. The Pavilions did them proud with the professional lighting and the sound was spot-on (they bring their own sound engineer, cousin Paolo).
Obviously the music gave them the energy they needed after a long journey and the punters were right behind them. There were only two covers in the first half – ‘Call Me The Breeze’ and a Paul Butterfield number ‘Love Disease’ – an indication of their influences and knowledge of the music of yesteryear. The first half finished with their popular, self-penned ‘Married Woman’. The second half kicked off with ‘She’s Tough’. Stephen was given the limelight on lead with a lengthy version of ‘A Million Miles Away’ and the fun started with Marco getting everybody on their feet to boogie away to ‘Choo Ma Gum’ and ‘Mama Don’t Like You’, both Cinelli numbers. The atmosphere was one of sheer delight as the audience demanded an encore which consisted of two further songs, ending with a final rousing version of AC/DC’s ‘The Rocker’.
What a show! Big smiles all round!
