It
was just one of those occasions when you had to be there. But I'll
try to do it justice, for those who missed it and had wanted to be there.
I'm sorry for you if you did miss it, for it was memorable event. One
massive collaboration, to pay homage to a great singer, writer
guitarist and performer. Mr. Rod Felton. What a tribute, that so many
turned out, proving that acoustic ethnic music, whether traditional,
self-penned, blues or contemporary, can still fill a big room,
midweek, in these cynical times.
I've
never seen the music room at The Humber Hotel full to overflowing.
Not a chair free, not a space left in the Car Park nor in the streets
outside. An audience which spilled out into the garden and into other
rooms. Like his funeral and the Wake at The Whitefriar, people came
from far and wide to share the slowly easing grief of losing him, and
to celebrate his life.
So
many people to thank before we even get on to the performers. Karen,
Rob Armstrong and Sheila, for seeing the concept through to reality.
Volunteers like Sue Phipps, working tirelessly to lay out and clear
away the catering. Chris Tobin for masterminding the sound
throughout, and thereby sacrificing the opportunity to play himself.
The bar staff, soldiering on gamely, as a big crowd, clearly in the
mood to enjoy themselves, damn near drank the place dry. And I'll
say it (as no-one else will) , the whole show was inimitably and
seamlessly compered by Folk's Ant and Dec, Geoff Veasey and John
McKintosh.
And
then, let us salute the performers. Many with a tale to tell. All
bar one (the Mighty Aral-of which more later) with a song or two to
sing. Keith Donnelly,Carol Gillespie, Stephen and Sara Bennett, Dan
Gascoigne, Kathleen Fear and Sally Ann Veasey, Dennis Clarke, Julie
Neale, Thruppn'y Bits, Terry and Jan Wisdom, Sean Cannon, Pete
Willow,Joe Beale, Rik Middleton, Black Parrot Seaside, Terry St
Clair, and to close the show, Rob Armstrong,Sheila Rigg and Nick
Wroughton.
Dennis, Rik, Pete and ourselves were
amongst those to bravely tackle a Roddy song. For let me tell you, so
complex are they, in notation and vocal phrasing, that they take some
copying. And those who knew his performances well will tell you that
he often changed words around and rarely let anyone see his guitar
tunings.
Aral
(or Arul) is a stalwart of The Tump, and has turned up at Parrot gigs
way back into the Rock area. ( That giant SkyRocket, going rogue and
creating havoc in the Police Tent during one of our sets at an early
Godiva Festival? Did he have a hand in that? He just grins whenever I
remind him of it!). He did a comedy routine involving imaginary
chewing gum and Keat's poem “The Wreck of The Hesperus”,
which combined mime, Chaplinesque comedy and circus clowning.
Brilliant.
Katherine Fear and Sally Anne Veasey
were good together. I'd not seen that combination before. It works.
They should resurrect it. Jan and Terry (or is it Terry and Jan?) got
our feet tapping, Julie Neale tugged heartstrings with “ Tears
In Heaven” and the Thruppn'ys made us smile with two of their
more vulgar routines. The young Bennetts and Dan Gascoigne brought
youth and guitar wizardry into the equation and Sean Cannon was,
well, as always... Sean Cannon.
As
for us-The Bold Parrots-newly cemented as a permanent foursome (we've
made David Parr sign up on contract), we were a little anxious
beforehand about doing “Curly.” It's probably Rod's
greatest song, and I knew it had personal sentiment for some people
in the room. But we were well pleased with our rendition (after only
one rehearsal) of it. We wrapped up our spot with two BPS originals
“The Odeon” (which Rod told me, first time he heard it,”
that's a keeper, mate!”) and “ Albert Balls”
another one which always used to make him laugh.
Before the Show, as is my custom when
appearing at The Tump, I'd got the bus into Cov. and spent some time
lost in reminiscence and nostalgia. I had an early pint in The
Whitefriar-one of Rod's favourite haunts. Then I walked past my old
school, my old house, where I used to play on bomb sites and in
factory yards, and across where the old railway line used to be. Deep
in memories. Up Northfield Road, where I used to live. All student
bedsit land now. And into The Humber Hotel.
Admission was free last night, but by
donations and via the raffle, £516 was raised for The Felton
family's nominated charity, the Tibetan Education and Relief
Association. Was I conscious of Rod's spirit anywhere? In The
Alehouse and in the streets of Stoke, no, not in truth. But in that
room last night? Oh yes. He was there. As so many people said, “He'd
have loved it.”
One
final thought. We have generated together so much love and goodwill,
first at Rod's funeral, then at the Wake, then last night. We have
filled rooms, chapels, pubs and concert venues. With song, laughter,
networking and fund-raising. Need it all end here? Need that momentum
now be forgotten and then lost? Couldn't we make RODFEST an annual
event? What better way to make our tribute permanent?
