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I always enjoy visiting Hickory Lake CMC in Feering. The club was opened by the late Vic Woodhouse on 2nd September 2012 and is now in the capable hands of Dave and Wendy Haylock who do everything to provide a great Country night out for all who attend. The club was already pretty full 30 minutes before Martin Jaye took to the stage on 19th October. I would describe Hickory Lake as a Country & Western club but line dancers are also very welcome and there were plenty in tonight.
Although Martin Jaye describes himself as a line dance artist, his roots are firmly set in traditional Country and there were plenty of songs tonight from some of the greats of Country music including Hank Williams, probably his greatest influence plus George Strait, Alan Jackson and Merle Haggard.
He kicked the evening off with Tracy Byrd’s Heaven In My Woman’s Eyes followed by George Strait’s I Just Want to Dance with You. Alan Jackson’s Good Time meant it was time for a barn dance early in the evening and it was good to see the floor full. Another barn dance song, Marty Stuart’s Tempted followed.
Martin has a rich voice which I thought really suited ballads like Josh Turner’s Your Man. Martin has a friendly personality and had no problem quickly creating a good rapport with the audience who were clearly enjoying everything he sung. The first set continued with John Prine’s Same Thing Happened to Me then a couple from Merle Haggard, Silver Wings and The Bottle Let Me Down. After Troy Cassar-Daley’s Things I Carry Around Martin closed the first set with Wade Bowen’s Day Of The Dead.
I knew it was going to be an evening of predominately classic Country and it was good to hear a few lesser known songs. Set 2 opened with Don Williams’ still very popular First Fool In Line which I think is one of the best songs he recorded in his career. Next came Chris Janson’s Hawaii On Me and Waylon Hanel’s My Kind Of Lonely
Martin has always been a prolific songwriter and before he launched his Country career in 2010 he worked as an acoustic singer on the folk circuit and sung many of his own songs and even released two original albums, one of which he has recently remastered and re- released on Spotify. Original songs are not always well received in Country clubs but Martin is very keen to continue writing and is currently working on a new album of his songs. I persuaded him to include one tonight and he sung This Highway which is featured on his most recent CD Troubador. I was pleased to see line dancers on the floor.
After Darius Rucker’s Wagon Wheel, Billy Ray Cyrus’ Trail Of Tears and Alan Jackson’s Mercury Blues he sung Steve Earle’s Hillbilly Highway, a song I haven’t heard in years.
Tonight it tended to be slower songs that filled the dance floor and it was now time for a few slow songs that are rarely heard. First we heard Waylon Jennings’ Luckenbach, Texas, followed by a couple from Hank Williams’ I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry and I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love with You).  He ended the second set with Bobby Bare’s Streets Of Baltimore
There was more Hank Williams with Lost Highway to open the third followed by Hal Ketchum’s Old Soldiers. Early on he asked for requests and during the breaks he went round the tables speaking to people and I think he got through all of them.
A few more songs from the third set included yet another Merle Haggard song, this time Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You which was followed by George Jones’ Billy B. Bad, Chris Norman’s Gypsy Queen and the BR549’s All Night Long (7 Nights To Rock). Randy Travis’ Where That Came From is still popular. Having used artificial intelligence to recreate his voice after a huge stroke stopped him from singing I wonder if we will hear any more from Randy Travis.
At Hickory Lake many people prefer traditional Country music and there were also a number of requests tonight for a bit of rock ‘n’ roll and Martin duly obliged by singing Elvis’ Don’t Be Cruel which has of course been recorded my many County artists including Marty Stuart. This was followed by Bill Haley’s Shake Rattle and Roll and then another Elvis song, Little Sister.
Martin finished a very enjoyable evening with The Three Amigos’ The Best Part Of The Day Is The Night. Rarely have I heard so much cheering and shouting for more. Martin was of course happy to oblige closing the evening with James House’s This Is Me Missing You. I have always felt Martin has the right attitude, some time ago he told me “you can’t beat a Country crowd to play to, they always appreciate the efforts you put in and know how to have a good time”. They certainly had a good time tonight.
It’s always good to see a club doing well at a time when many clubs are struggling to get bums on seats and feet on the dance floor. Martin did us proud tonight. Watch out for him in a show called Hayride Jamboree a new collaboration with Kelly Cobbett from Roots and Wings duo. It’s a show about some of artists who helped develop Country music in the southern United States from the 1920s onwards. Martin opens the show as Hank Williams and Kelly opens as Patsy Cline. They then sing a duet together before there’s a change of outfit and a change of artist. Through the show Martin performs as Jim Reeves, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings and Don Williams while Kelly performs as Tammy Wynette, Billie Jo Spears, Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle. It’s a great show for partner dancers, a great show for listeners and lovers of Country music. It sounds like a theatre show but Martin and Kelly are keen to bring it to clubs as well.
In January, Hickory Lake CMC will be changing from weekly to fortnightly. This is nothing to do will falling numbers as with many clubs; you couldn’t have got many more in tonight. Dave and Wendy feel that as they are getting older it is time to slow down. Running a club every week is very tiring especially preparing the room before a gig and clearing up at the end of the evening. Running the club fortnightly will relieve some of this pressure.
Click below to see my phone video of Martin Jaye at Hickory Lake on 19^th October.