Dom Martin- Temperance Cafe Leamington Spa

Great to be back in Royal Leamington Spa again for a gig. All the previous visits have been to 'The Assembly' which is a smashing venue. Tonight promises to be a bit different in many ways. We manage to get parked up equidistant between the venue and the local Wetherspoons. A beautiful walk over the river, through parks and gardens takes us to the aforementioned watering hole. A fine pint of 'Ruddles Best' was enjoyed for an unbelievable rice of just £1.71. A strange price but hey I'm not one to complain!    

We kind of stumbled upon the venue in Bath Street. 'Temperance' from the outside is essentially a Cafe/Coffee Shop. However that doesn't do it justice at all. It is also a music and art venue. Tonight Dom Martin is in town as part of his Spring Solo Tour.

What a cracking venue it is though. Down a small flight of stairs and you are into a cellar bar with a theatrical theme. 'Intimate' is probably a word that has been overused to describe the setting. I can't think of anything more fitting, so lets go with that. It also feels an extremely relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

I have to nip out quickly... Dom is sitting upstairs and I tell him how much I've been looking forward to this. (The gig, not the visit to the toilet). 'Well don't get your hope hopes up to high' he quips. He kindly agrees to my request for a 'selfie'. Now I'm not the best when it comes to this sort of thing. It gets even worse when my ageing phone decides to freeze. Thankfully he sees the funny side of things as I threaten a phone reboot....  We get there in the end though.

Safely back in my seat and without any further embarrassment  we look about ready to go. A hush descends upon the gathered audience as Dom makes a low key entrance.  

We start with a Rory Gallagher classic 'I Could've had Religion' which is followed by 'Railway and Gun' from the Taste years. He tells us about the repair jobs he used to have to do, patching up old Rory Gallagher tapes.Worn out through countless playing. It is not the sort of audience that needs any explanation of what and audio cassette/ tape was!    
The multi award winning singer/songwriter looks totally at ease in a setting he clearly loves. He is very much a natural 'Storyteller' too, inviting us to take what we will from his recollections. What a life it has been as well, living close the edge doesn't come close to the struggles he has endured. 

Clearly a man who has done things the hard way, battling dependencies, sleeping rough and even being kidnapped. What we see though is someone who is humble, full of gratitude and self reflection. It would be totally wrong to think this is a Rory Gallagher tribute show. The influences are obvious but this is so much more. 

It is totally captivating, the audience is hushed, under a hypnotic spell perhaps? Many will have seen Dom play here before and are relishing their second visit. Many of the songs are preceded by an a short explanation. None more so than his take on the  'Deer Hunter' classic 'Cavatina'. School was just a place to turn up for a free dinner. An incentive was devised by the Teachers, 'Music lessons'. It was during this first lesson that he educated the Music Teacher on how to play 'Cavatina' his way. Combining with 'Out on the Western Plain' tonight.  Some really interesting thoughts too on engaging children by giving them an instrument to learn through school. Now that makes a lot of sense to me. 

There is a short interlude or comfort break as they say in polite circles. It has been a great mixture of covers and some of his own songs. The sound is superb, I do have a slight chuckle as occasionally you hear the floorboards creak, as someone walks overhead.

 The songs and the tales continue after the break.  Far too many to document them all. The one about hiding in a friends attic for a few months while homeless does stand out though. As you might expect with Dom though, it all turned out alright in the end. He talks sentimentally about his Dad, and what a fine guitar player he was too. The apple certainly hasn't fallen far from the tree. As well as the 'Lead Belly' tribute earlier there is also an homage to ' John Martyn' and references to Nick Drake.  Not to mention a cover of the Ralph Mctell song 'Last Train and Ride' earlier. 

An encore was a must of course!

It has been a fantastic night of Blues without doubt, everyone leaves with a contented smile on their face. Great credit not only to Dom but to to 'Adrian' at Temperance for putting on such events. Venues of this quality are thin on the ground and should be cherished. Dom is destined for much bigger things without doubt, but he strikes me as the type of person who will stay close to his roots.  

I really look forward to seeing him with his full band later in the year. Maybe blasting out the likes of 'Bad Penny' and Bullfrog Blues'. By then I might even have a new phone, who knows?