And so, finally, the whirlwind Warwickshire September 2013 Tour draws towards its breathless close. Only Monks Kirby to go this Sunday, with The Sly Old Dogs and Friends. It has taken a heavy toll on our metabolism and memories, as anyone who has caught us at Warwick, Atherstone, Bedworth or The Tump in Coventry can testify. Last night it was the turn of Tumpists to suffer. Just to keep our audiences on our toes, it was the three-piece format there last night, and also at last we got to try out a few new songs we've been working on. So a different line-up to the night before.
I have been doing "Peggy Gordon," for a while solo now, but we have also been rehearsing up a band version. This has not been as easy as we thought-but last night it got a first public airing, which went o.k. A debut too, for "Houses In Between," a Gus Elen song made most famous by Cosmotheka, whom we were privileged to support a couple of times in the distant past. There was a little bit of accordion-squeak to begin with, but it got well into a jolly pace with more good chorus singing.
The evening was in a sing-around configuration, with artistes performing by turns. Being the only band there, we were experiencing a little difficulty in hearing each other until we swapped chairs and music stands around. We followed up with "Its All Over Now" a Rolling Stones cover which had a first public outing at Warwick Folk Club eleven days ago. I won a bottle of wine at the raffle that night, and Arnold took a bottle of red away from the Tump raffle last night. We hope to open an Off Licence soon.
With the new stuff duly exercised, (should that read exorcised?) we then performed "Albert Balls," with the choruses being returned really well. Nick Jones is on BBC 4 tonight, so to celebrate that, we added "Courting is a Pleasure," a "Penguin Eggs" track which we have been featuring even before Our Hero made his welcome comeback.
Finally, we declined a request from Club host Karen Orgill to do "Vacuum Cleaner," and opted instead for a reprise of "Bedduth Bank," as she had also requested "something rude," from us as a finale. (Coming from someone who had been putting two fingers up to us all night, that was ironic). The BPS Big Band were out of action, so Arnold very gallantly offered to co-opt Karen in by inviting her to play the shaker.
Sounds rude also, but this is really a pepper mill which Arnold flutters effetely around in a revised intro to "Dirty Gertie." (Another song awaiting a re-exposure to the general public). I'm not sure that this can count as Karen's induction to The Collective, as rather than shake it, she stood it on the table most of the time and seemed to be expecting the sand in it to drain from the top to the bottom. I've had two requests now to write additional verses for Beduff Bank. Coleshill and Corley Moor. We shall see. I've got to fit the Leamington one in somewhere, too.
And what of the rest of the Company? Well, "Sty Folk Impressario " Rob Oakey, (his description not mine) literally wet himself with excitement when we arrived. More the result of an over-filled glass of coke than being starstruck, sadly. I felt so sorry for him that I had an involuntary spasm myself and shed several ice cubes over the floor and my trousers. Rob claimed his accident was due to being quite cross with us. He added that he was not talking to us, as we'd been unable to attend a recent invitation to a concert at The Sty. Typically of Rob, we couldn't stop him talking to us, thereafter. Even whilst each of us were playing. He played a mix of finger-picking tunes, and a nice version of "City of New Orleans."
Des Patalong, shorn of his Bits, Un-razored, and solo, warbled some strident Shanties and also sang a truly lovely song I'd not heard before, about the Slave Trade. Christina read some poems including Flanders and Swann's "The Gasman." Ah! The memories! Aussie/Pom Ian Bland had already been excused, but turned up late. Having climbed out of the bedroom window and down a drainpipe, he did a couple of songs, one a very thought-provoking one about folk being down on their luck. Atherstone Folk Club host Phil Benson came expecting to do one number and ended up singing three,most competently. Concealed lights behind bushels. Karen can be very firm, at times.
And finally, Arol, a Tump regular whom we have known from the first Parrot flutterings in the 1970's, was invited by Karen to address The Company. If you didn't know that Arol once ate fire for a living, and is no stranger to the unicycle, it might have been a slightly disturbing moment. He regaled us with a mysterious and erudite anecdote about pole climbing. It put all kinds of images into one's head. Not all of which were savoury. I enjoyed it immensely.
