A “Fly on the Wall” Review w/ Patsy Solanki
It was Saturday night at the stunning (and very much packed!) Henry Ward Hall in Hastings. The air buzzing with anticipation. Some local and some had travelled a fair distance to see Benoit Viellefon and his sensational Hot Club Orchestra. I spotted co-respondent shoes and seamed stockings—clear signs of devotion to both the era and the music. By the end of the first number—a swinging Benny Goodman classic—the room was whistling and whooping. This is what they came for.
The Hot Club sells out everywhere: from Ronnie Scott’s to festivals across Europe. Each musician a powerhouse in their own right, but under Benoit’s witty, magnetic leadership, something special happens. They play in the deepest sense of the word—musically, joyfully, soulfully.
That night, they took us on a journey: from smoky Parisian cafés and bordellos in Pigalle to juke joints in Brazil, the Cotton Club in Harlem, and elegant ballrooms in Pennsylvania. I had to remind myself this was Hastings, 2025. The 1920s to 1950s came alive with remarkable precision and infectious joy.
Soon, Lindy-hoppers were jiving in the aisles, led by the irresistible pulse of Jack Garside on upright bass. Benoit joked Jack doesn’t talk much because he’s in love—and it’s clear he is in love…with his instrument! He walked that bass like it was alive, and the room stomped along in appreciation.
As a Django Reinhardt fan, I was thrilled by Benoit and Jerrod Elk on guitar. Django was with us. Their duets shifted from train-like rhythms to playful string bends and light, breezy swing—guitar work that made my heart race. Then came Body and Soul, the 1939 Coleman Hawkins classic. Bjorn Dahlberg on clarinet and saxophone and ‘Magic’ Mike Henry on trumpet traded solos with grace and fire – each phrase soaring higher into the vaulted ceiling.
The set list drew from Waller, Ellington, Trenet, Calloway, Nat King Cole, Bowlly, and more. The music crossed borders and decades—and landed right in our hearts.
The crowd was a mix of jazz aficionados and newcomers, many unsure of what to expect. But by the end, everyone was grinning. A few first-timers told me they’d never seen anything like it—and couldn’t wait to come again.
As we spilled out onto the pavement at the end of the night, people were glowing. Some sighed about heading back to London. Others just stood in the warm night air – buzzing.
Benoit Viellefon and the Hot Club are set to return to Henry Ward Hall on November 22, 2025 for a special live recording and concert. Tickets available HERE.
**Patsy Solanki is a tastemaker and one of the main faces at “Our Town Has Plenty” a local weekly podcast that highlights exciting things happening across Hastings.
Follow her here : https://www.youtube.com/@ourtownhasplenty
**Photo Credit to Jasper James