Enfield Gazette, Thursday August 31 2000

Club captures
the innocence
of the '50s

VICKY ALHADEFF

Boogie kids: Rosina and Aaron Blyth at the rock'n'roll club

Jonathan Lovett reviews the Tennessee Rock 'n' Roll Club

no connoisseur of rock'n'roll music I could not help but be impressed by the professionalism of the bands and the dedication of their fans.

There are usually a number of groups on the bill and the Infernos, The Blue Star Boys and Ray Campi dished out some delicious takes on Rockabilly tunes that raised the rafters while still retaining a tight rein and never letting the music spiral out of control.

The compere for the evening was Kav Kavanagh, dressed in classic black leather jacket and white T-shirt, finished off with gallons of gel for his hair.

One of his many claims to fame is that he is the European Jive Champion and watching him and the other whirling dervishes in action reaffirmed my belief in the suppleness of the human body.

Couples twisted and twirled each other around the floor at blistering speeds while the bands cranked up the volume a notch and dared the dancers to go one step quicker.

For anyone fancying something a little different once a month, on a Friday night, the club offers an energetic alternative to Friends and a bottle of wine and we should think ourselves fortunate there is such a place right on our doorsteps. I'll see you there.

One word kept tapping away at the back of my mind on my first visit to the Tennessee Rock'n'Roll Club: style.

From the gelled quiffs and tailor-made suits to the slash of lipstick and knee-length skirts the club gave a masterclass in everything that was stylish about the '50s.

Teddy boys clicked fingers and looked smart and mean, while the girls chewed gum and nodded appreciatively to the sound of the bass slapping, foot stomping performances of the rockin' bands to which vast quantities of Budweiser and burgers were consumed.

To many the idea of visiting a Rock'n'Roll Club at the Trent Park Golf Club in Oakwood might seem rather strange, a 50-year throwback to a world where Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley reigned supreme.

But the best hand played by the Tennessee Club is that it makes everything seem fresh, vital and fiendly as if the genre had just been invented and the hippies were still in their cots

On more than four hours the ener-gy never flagged, and though I am