Pembrokes Western Telegraph

Pembrokes Western Telegraph

Pembrokes Western Telegraph --Mojo Morgan's Hoochie Coochie Band -- Fishguard Arms, Haverfordwest. It is often overlooked that pubs as music venues are the live blood and thriving bedrock of the local music community.On arriving at Fishgurd Arms to sample some Cleddau Delta blues, The Hoochie Coochie Band,in unplugged mode,struk up with Dog On Heat,the first of many self-penned numbers by charismatic frontman Mojo Morgan. The band's first set was mellow with reflective blues,sometimes tentative,sometimes strident,as the songs took off on their own journeys-but one of them was called Train Girl after all.Even the front man was different in this unplugged setting-he was seated,playing guitar,his signature shades were nowhere to be seen and his trademark ponytail had been replaced by a cropped more sprightly looking coiffure.But normal Hoochie Coochie service was soon resumed as lead guitarist Vince informed us,in his introduction to the song they are named after,that there is a long lineage of hoochie coochie men from Muddy Waters and Howlin'Wolf to Pembrokeshire's Mojo Morgan. With guitar and stool put aside and shades finally donned,the magnetic persona was firmly in place for there second set,which saw the band on firmer and more familiar territory,with a carbon copy of The Hoochie Coochie's main set,but played acoustically. Mojo's voice hits the spot when he howls and growls tantalisingly as on his timeless rendition of Help Me,as well as other steaming classics such as Parchment Farm,St James Infirmary and Stormy Monday. And all the while aided and abetted by the rest of the Hoochie Coochie's.