On Monday last I dropped into The Fox at Attleborough, a pleasant suburb of Nuneaton, to sample the musical talent on show there, and jam a few blues. I had plucked up courage to give my C harp a blow during a Bo Carter Blues. Until John Neal produced a table top full of them and proceeded to work his way expertly through the lot. ( What is the collective name for a plethora of Blues harmonicas? A moan? A howl? -Discuss).
The assembled company ran expertly through the usual eclectic mix (there's that word again) of covers and originals, with extraordinary dexterity and a broad range of instruments. We had Blues, Country, Traditional Folk and contemporary. We had Ralph McTell and Simon and Garfunkel, Elvis, Bobby Womack and Dylan. And, besides that row of harmonicas, we had acoustic and electric bass guitars, mandolin, banjo, an autoharp, percussion and a plethora of finely decorated, beautifully played acoustic guitars. Sometimes individually picked and strummed. Sometimes played in tandem, sometimes even the whole mini-orchestra joining in. There wasn't an audience as such-this session goes on with vibrant pub life unfolding all around it-but we did have periodic applause, and some people leaving thanked us as they left, for the entertainment.
I opened my account with another Bo Carter Blues-"All Round Man," which the six piece Rock Parrot used to do, when times were a little less politically correct. Still have a scratchy recording of it somewhere. I cleaned it up a little and left some of the dirtier verses out, or bowdlerised them. The "band " played merrily away behind me (actually-in front of me) and it sounded timelessly good. Later I did "Need Your Love So Bad," "Sorry Feeling Blues " (One of Bo Carters rare clean ones--without the Harp-) and " All Over Now."
Thursday night I went into Coventry, to The Humber Hotel, where a good crowd of musicians had gathered for a jolly good singaround. Again, many genres of unplugged music were represented. We had the instrumental "Ashokan Farewell" and "Need Your Love So Bad " from Cheryl. Nigel Ward fiddled away and gave us " The Derby Ram " and an arrangement of Cold Haily Windy Night, with a whole lot of other tunes chucked in. Whispering Campbell McKee was in typically plaintive mood, with some very sad songs. Cousin Simon and his mate sounded good together and did a mix of self-penned and covered songs about Good Old Boys, Bad Old Boys and Crystal Meths Distilleries from Kentucky. or Tennessee. Or was it both? Or Selly Oak?
On which subject, fellow Sagittarian Rob Oakey ( he looked worried when I said that) continued an argument we'd had about him saying he did no Blues by playing a couple. He also did "Kathy's Song,"-with that glorious verse which haunts all songwriters about wasting time straining to make words rhyme. It seemed a night for apposite subject matter. Mick Smith did a few instrumentals including a very interesting arrangement of "Anji". And a song about being rude in Hawai. But "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out " is a song I've played and listened to a lot lately and is close to my heart at the moment. Mick accompanied his two lady friends on " Room Up in The Sky" " Summertime" and some other 20th Century classics.
A lady I know only as Christine sang a few songs including "Last Thing On My Mind"-another classic. I did one of mine-"Down Our Street" (which everyone now knows as
" The Di Di Song," Billy Bragg's " Between The Wars", "Black Velvet Band" and "Vigilante Man" Trying to cover as wide a range as possible, reflecting the eclectic nature of the evening.
Friday night ,I spent at Bedworth Folk Festival. I confess, I found it emotionally very hard. because I have always loved my time at BFF and was so looking forward to doing two sets there over this weekend. One in the Rugby Club and one in The Civic Hall. Up to a fortnight ago, the set list was written and rehearsals had gone really well. Things then imploded, and the rest is now history. We had to cancel. I am so grateful to Malc Gurnham though, for giving me back at least some dignity by encouraging me to do a little spot between Daisybell and The Old Un's on Friday. " Bring It On Home," "Need Your Love So Bad ," and "All Over Now." With a scratch band comprised of good friends, playing behind me. Thanks guys. That meant a lot to me.
Thereafter, though I tried to hang on to the party spirit, my ailing Mojo was well and truly shot, I enjoyed both halves of The Old Uns' thoughtfully rehearsed set, though felt for them, as, struck down by The Lurgy, they were deprived of one and a half vocalists. ( You only had to ask...) I did something I rarely do-I went home early then and did not stay for the remainder of the evening. Oh well. I'm sure with Bill and Keith in charge, it was brilliant.
" The Di Di Song," Billy Bragg's " Between The Wars", "Black Velvet Band" and "Vigilante Man" Trying to cover as wide a range as possible, reflecting the eclectic nature of the evening.
Friday night ,I spent at Bedworth Folk Festival. I confess, I found it emotionally very hard. because I have always loved my time at BFF and was so looking forward to doing two sets there over this weekend. One in the Rugby Club and one in The Civic Hall. Up to a fortnight ago, the set list was written and rehearsals had gone really well. Things then imploded, and the rest is now history. We had to cancel. I am so grateful to Malc Gurnham though, for giving me back at least some dignity by encouraging me to do a little spot between Daisybell and The Old Un's on Friday. " Bring It On Home," "Need Your Love So Bad ," and "All Over Now." With a scratch band comprised of good friends, playing behind me. Thanks guys. That meant a lot to me.
Thereafter, though I tried to hang on to the party spirit, my ailing Mojo was well and truly shot, I enjoyed both halves of The Old Uns' thoughtfully rehearsed set, though felt for them, as, struck down by The Lurgy, they were deprived of one and a half vocalists. ( You only had to ask...) I did something I rarely do-I went home early then and did not stay for the remainder of the evening. Oh well. I'm sure with Bill and Keith in charge, it was brilliant.
