The Travelling Riverside Blues Band / The Travs
By Pete Clemons
With changing landscape it is a rare thing nowadays to see a band the calibre of this. One whose band members grew up to and inspired by the family group of John Mayall music and the British blues boom of the late 1960s.
The late British blues movement was driven by powerhouse bands and virtuoso guitarists who shifted traditional American blues into heavy, high-volume blues-rock and early psychedelic styles. Key purveyors included John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Cream, Fleetwood Mac, Savoy Brown, and Chicken Shack and, to an extent, Led Zeppelin.
The Travelling Riverside Blues Band (often called The Travs) has its roots tracing back to Coventry, Leicester and the Midlands live music scene in the early 1980s, with members active across regional venues in the UK for over four decades, including recent active performances.
The bands line-up has changed extensively through those decades but, in recent times – and for a good number of years, has settled with founding member Johnny (Slide) Alderson on guitar, Trev Mugleston on keyboards, vocals and harmonica, Steve Hawkins bass guitar and vocals, and Jeff Durow on drums.
The earliest formation of The Travelling Riverside Blues Band I remember was with Tony 'Mojo' Morgan (bass), George Stevens (drums) and Trevor Jones (vocals). The band has had various line-ups but 'Johnny Slide' (John Alderson's other persona) now being the only constant original member. The long gone and well remembered Sunday Sessions at the Whitley Abbey Pub on Abbey Road was an early venue the band played in.
On the evidence of what I saw recently at The Broomfield Tavern The Travs are smoothly elegant and still bring total conviction to the music. They continue to regularly tour and play regional Midlands pubs and clubs near Coventry and Leicester. Their set list, which has never remained stagnant, typically consists of classic rock, pop, and blues covers tailored to the live pub crowd. Some of the songs they cover were written decades earlier but spotlighted by the British blues boom era.
Man of the World
Need Your Love So Bad
I cant quit you babe
Copper head Road
Gimme Some Lovin
I'm a Man
I Feel Free
You Shook Me
Johnny 'Slide' has always been fondly remembered in these parts. After all he had been a member of Coventry favourites Wandering John who were active between 1969 and 1971. When I mentioned I had recently seen The Travs it prompted some amazing comments. They were too good not to be included in this article........
Wandering John bass player Ade Taylor remembers: 'He always has been a great guitarist, since the day I joined the band "Interior War", Johnny was playing number 2 guitar to Rod Grant. I replaced John Westacott on bass, and after 2 gigs, there was a revamping of the band, and Johnny and myself were sacked!. We then decided to put our own band together, and when John Gravenor and Al Walder joined, "Wandering John" emerged as a new band. This time, John Alderson was lead guitarist, and his reputation as a top guitarist grew and grew! I'm so proud of him and John Gravenor'.
John Gravenor, nicknamed Wandering John, and where the Coventry band got its name said:
'John Alderson one of the best guitarist Coventry ever produced so proud to be part of his career'
If the late 60s, early 70s British blues scene peaks your attention then don't pass up on the opportunity if The Travs pass by your way.
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