Lil' Band Of Gold cover all the bases

After two heavy nights enjoying the Ponderosa Stomp you might think it was time for a rest. Not a chance. Not with Louisiana supergroup Lil' Band of Gold playing an after show gig at the dba club on Frenchmen St. These guys cover all bases, from blues to Cajun, swamp pop, rock and roll, even a bit of soul. And they are hot. Lead guitarist C  C Adcock from Lafayette, now sporting long plaits, shares the limelight with Cajun accordionist Steve Riley, but the rest of the band are just as good. Keyboard player David Egan is a noted songwriter and a good singer, sax men Dickie Landry and Pat Breaux are excellent, as are pedal steel guitar player Richard Comeaux and bass player Dave Ranson. Original drummer Warren Storm has left the band but 81 year old Cajun legend Jockey Etienne is a more than capable replacement.
Everything the band did during their near four hour set was good, with the highlight being a wonderful extended version of Slim Harpo's Shake Your Hips, along with Jockey's Congo Mambo. But adding enormously to the evening was guest singer Tommy McLain, looking rather like Father Christmas, who sang, among others, my personal theme song Before I Grow Too Old, Juke Box Baby and Sweet Dreams. This was a great set and a fabulous finale to our New Orleans trip as we head off for Mississippi. Check out my photos of this and the Stomp on my Facebook page (Nick Cobban).