The sounds of two guitars interweave in the River Room of Riverside Studios, from where the Hammersmith Bridge is visible. Runners flash past the window, overtaking weekend strollers, but inside an introductory jam is taking place before the digital fire of a TV screen. Olivier Sublet, the host and organiser of Sweet Sounds of the South, warmly greets the last stragglers as they enter and take their seats in the chairs arranged around the stage. As he plays his old resonator guitar, accompanied by Jan Urbanski on electric guitar, Sublet introduces the 8th edition of the monthly event. This particular night is dedicated to two figures described as “the godfathers of americana”, namely, Bob Dylan and Robert Johnson.
Sublet, a Swiss-born, London-based actor, seems overtaken by a Southeastern US persona, and he acts as master of ceremony. His penchant for the dramatic is clear as he entertains the audience with jokes and anecdotes that drive the night on. There’s even time for some brief forays into Shakespearean territory, with the declamation of classic excerpts that are surprisingly well linked thematically to the night’s selection of songs. One of the stories told, following renditions of It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) and Hellhound on My Trail, in which some thespian extravagance seeps into the music, is the myth of how Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil at a Mississippi crossroads, in exchange for his prodigious musical ability.
After his opening set, Sublet steps aside to introduce this edition’s lineup: Will Forrest, Tootawl and Cora. For the event, each guest artist plays a brief set consisting of either original material or covers, with at least one connection to the night’s patrons, Dylan and Johnson, however tenuous this might be.
Forrest begins with a solo set in which he offers renditions of traditional British folk songs, accompanying his measured voice with impressive, handpicked guitar arrangements. In his case, the connection is to Bob Dylan, via Richard Thompson’s 1952 Vincent Black Lightning. The link? In 2013, in a concert in Clarkson, Michigan, Dylan played a rare, one-off cover of Richard’s song, eventually inspiring Forrest’s own rendition. In such mysterious ways, talent finds circular movement around the world.
Up next, Tootawl quickly proves the appropriateness of his stage name, having to crank the mic stand right up to his towering standing height. He plays guitar and harmonica as he dives into some songs taken from his album Roger Fenton’s Wagon, inspired by the works of the pioneering British war photographer best known for his images of the Crimean War. To end his set, Tootawl covers Dylan’s Oh, Sister, which, as he explains, he recently saw featured on Martin Scorsese’s documentary Rolling Thunder Revue.
After this, it’s time for Cora from Derry, who brings some pop sensibility with performances of original songs embellished with some tasteful slide guitar arrangements played by Arthur Samett (and the unexpected addition of a Tibetan singing bowl). Among these compositions are her first single No Easy Road, and the Grease-inspired Sandy, with its commentary on acceptance. Cora jokes about how, for her cover, she has chosen a song she originally believed to be by Adele but is in fact Dylan’s Make You Feel My Love, of which she offers a worthy rendition.
The last to take the stage is Tom Scamell, well-known on social media platforms such as TikTok for his varied guitar/vocal covers. A regular presence at Sweet Sounds of the South, on this occasion, he’s joined on guitar by an even younger talent, Jack-Austin Despy, who adds an extra layer to his blues-driven electro-acoustic set. Live, Scamell is characterised by his smoky voice and confident yet affable stage presence. As he progresses through his set, to much enjoyment from the audience, it becomes clear he possesses a self-assurance a cut above the previous performers, a trade off, perhaps, for some of the raw authenticity shown by his less recognised peers.
One of the main purposes of Sweet Sounds of the South, as Sublet describes after the event, is the mixing of talents of the London underground scene, creating an opportunity for upcoming musicians to play alongside more experienced artists. The result is an enriching experience, as much for the markedly eclectic audience as for those involved. Here you are introduced to a talented batch of musicians who you might otherwise miss in the mare magnum of musical networks thriving under the radar. It’s a meeting point for both seasoned performers and original talent, with a variety of skills and genres on display, which only adds to the excitement of discovering each edition’s guest performers.
