I first encountered Ten Bob Notes when they supported Dreadzone at Boardmasters Festival in Newquay earlier this year. They were great. It takes an outstanding talent to get me dancing, but they managed it. Founded in 2012, Ten Bob Notes are a nine piece, 2-tone outfit fronted on vocals by the lovely Jaimie O'Neill. The band tell me they are currently collaborating on a new track written by Ken Stewart from The Skatalites.
March of the Ten Bob Notes is an irrepressible, cheerful comment on the life of a likely lad. The title track, "March of the Ten Bob Notes" is an utter delight. It certainly “got me going” and charts the on/off psychological games suffered by a lover who hopes for marriage but ends up enduring a fling. It’s a jolly, upbeat, bittersweet foot tapper and an excellent start to the record. "Turn Around" has a much more relaxed vibe and invites the listener to draw up a chair and listen to a set of snappy tales of woe about the neighbors and their over borrowing, such sad stories to such a happy vibe. I couldn’t help but smile and do a jig to all that misery!
"Enjoy Yourself" is a naughty invitation from the band to enjoy another beer and not worry about tomorrow, who cares what the Boss thinks…..which leads nicely into "Trouble", the upbeat and wholly accurate cataloging of the paranoia of a likely lad who is enjoying an unexpected visit from an officer of the law. Finally comes the Hammond organ of "No Rest", more foot-tappingly delicious rhythms accompany the agonised litany of complaints from a girl who can’t deal with the high-jinks of her likely-lad but can’t help loving him all the same.
The Ten Bob Notes are also a proud part of the Specialized Project which brings together amateur and professional musicians with the shared goal of creating musical projects to raise funds for cancer research and support agencies, particularly The Teenage Cancer Trust and now The National Foundation for Youth Music. This has been achieved by the production of themed albums supported by live music events across the UK. To date they have released five compilation albums and string of singles.
The Ten Bob Notes are next playing live on Friday 6th October at Driftwood Spars, St Agnes and then on Saturday 25th November at the St Austell Brewery Festival. You should go along, have a dance and enjoy their tunes, their sound and act will make you smile....Lots!
Review by Pete Yeomans