49 f
The Cajun Roosters
nfortunately, this state of affairs has stuck. The scene is dominated by fixed couples dancing specific steps, rather than the free expression of the early years (bad news for those of us whose dance moves are more about enthusi- asm than technique!). Not that Chris is knocking this clued-up crowd, he just misses the energy of the old days.
U
Chris’s main current band are Cajun Roosters, whose perfor- mance at last year’s Musicport Festival was the initial inspiration for this feature. They started out as an all-German band before inviting Chris into their fold a decade ago when they lost their original accordeon player. Initially drafted in to cover six gigs, he was subse- quently appointed Musical Director. Since then they’ve gone through a fair few personnel changes and now have a United Nations of Europe line-up, guaranteed to bring the Brexit brigade out in a rash of hives.
Original German bass player Michael Bentele is still on board.
Scotland’s Hazel Scott lends her guitar playing and sweet pure voice (the Roosters’ vocals are one of their major strengths). Fiddler David Buyle hails from Belgium, and 20-something Parisian drummer Antoine Fève rounds off the line-up. Having honed their set by per- forming in Germany, away from the strict dance tempos required in the more insular UK Cajun scene, The Roosters have got the rich vocal harmonies and variety of material needed to cross over to more mainstream audiences. Their 2013 album Hell Yeah! (Whoopee Records) has become a firm personal favourite.
As a full-time working musician, Chris remains a player for hire. Over the years he’s featured on sessions for Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, Seth Lakeman and Bill Wyman. Right now, he’s also providing squeezebox for fRoots’ favourite and self-styled ‘King Of Caledonian Swing’ Champion Doug Veitch, with whom he first worked back in Veitch’s original early 1980s heyday.
“I’d not really heard from him for a few years,” Chris tells me. “Then what happened was that someone suggested to Martin Bell the fiddle player (who with me and Doug are the original remaining members from the first incarnation), that we get the Champion Doug Veitch thing back together. He asked Doug, and I guess it was just the right time. Doug had been through a lot of traumas in his life and maybe contacting him ten years earlier wouldn’t have amounted to anything.” Last year saw a very well received gig at London’s 100 Club (as well as a very well received track on a fRoots download compilation) and they’re now back as a living, breathing, performing, recording concern with an eleven-piece line-up (includ- ing a full brass section and Horace from The Specials on bass) and an album on the way.
But Chris’s main gig is with Cajun Roosters, alongside some trio and duo Cajun gigs he does in local Derby pubs. With any luck, that should keep him going for a long time to come. “I’m optimistic. I mean, yes, the scene’s certainly shrunk since its 1980s heyday. When I started going over and doing gigs in Germany, there wasn’t really that much going on in this country. But I’m finding now that things are kind of coming back. Theatres are getting interested and festi- vals are getting interested again too.”
www.swampmusic.co.uk F
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