BACK ON THE PERCH

Belatedly, here is an account of our first full gig in almost five months-a rousing Tuesday night session at The Merchants Inn, Rugby. Most Parrot Bloggers will be aware of exactly why tragic circumstances had sidelined us since November, but if any reading this are not-just scroll down. It’s all here.

What a fine pub this is! That was my opinion before we played it-and it remains my opinion afterwards. Being part of their Annual Beer Festival, we were looking forward to sampling some of the wares on sale, but alas, as it turned out, three of us were driving. Ah well: another time. It’s a pub we know well!

The place seemed as busy as ever. We set up in the fag machine corner and caused a spot of consternation by shutting the external doors there and playing in the area normally reserved for those who wish to nip outside for a quick drag. We had taken the precaution this time of having someone other than us drive our P.A.-and this helped the sound levels enormously.

The crowd were noisy, enthusiastic and erm, predominantly “relaxed.” Not unlike The Tuns gig we played in Coventry last year-except there were a lot more punters here. The Merchants was also a very mixed age group whereas the Tuns crowd were predominantly youngsters. This might have intimidated some Senior Folkies, but not us. We’ve played The Cross The Dive Bar, and various University Bars. We can deal with good natured raucousness. In fact, we can give it back. Our first half set was as follows:

1. BEING NOT WELL
2. SALT OF THE EARTH
3. REQUIEM
4. BEDDUTH BANK
5. BLACK JACK DAVID
6. WAG of SHOP 14
7. HOOLIGAN’S HORNPIPE
8. BONNY BLACK HARE
9. DIRTY GERTIE
10. BLACK VELVET BAND
11. THE WHISTLER

“Salt” was a particularly good version, well received and with good chorus singing from the audience. With The Strawbs having reformed, our riposte to “Part of The Union” continues to raise wry grins, and helps redress the balance a little. After all, crushing the Unions and selling off The Family Silver didn’t really get any of us very far did it?
If the crowd did not know what they were in for, they did by “The Wag,” which we managed to do in full theatrical mode. That is, with the Ryton Spanner Dance performed out on the floor, in a sort of mosh pit between us and the Real Ale casks, and with me sitting on a chair reading the Daily Mirror whilst the boys bashed out some jigs n’ reels. “It’s like the Edinburgh Festival,” one luvvie twittered enthusiastically, afterwards. ( I wish-but very flattering!).
Spurred on by the dozens of real ales available, Black Velvet Band seemed to get the whole pub singing, and the crowd whistling in The Whistler to finish the first half wasn’t bad either. Julian from The Crown in Nuneaton had turned up to run the rule over us, and he seemed well impressed by the first half. (He’s offered us a gig there, anyway).

The second half was:

REAL ALE
MAGGIES FARM
WARWICKSHIRE LULLABY
RAILWAY MAGAZINE
AT THE SEPTIC MONKEY
THE ODEON
THE BOLD PIRATE
MANURE
ALBERT BALLS
I’M ONLY A POOR LITTLE RHINO
MIDNIGHT HOUR BLUES
COCKNEY POWER
D.I.Y.

(ENCORE)- VACUUM CLEANER

Maggie’s Farm was the first public performance featuring all four of the band and was well received. As was the rest of the material. More enthusiastic vein-busting singing for “Railway Magazine” , and “ Cockney Power “ which made a lot of people chuckle.

We did not have to play for an encore-we had earned one. By this time the audience had really latched on to the full mixture of irreverent, slightly naughty punk Folk that is vintage parrot, and they had no qualms about holding their mobiles aloft and howling along with the chorus John Peel liked so much:

“ I am a Vacuum Cleaner with the Brain of a Bird/
I’ve heard of reincarnation but this is absurd. “

(What will they think when they play that back next morning?)

Many thanks to Scott and all at The Merchants for inviting us, to Lee for his help in Sound mixing, and to the Real Ale drinkers of Rugby for giving us such support. Hope to be back soon?

Jeff Powles R.I.P.

More sad news. Jeff Powles, our second drummer,died last week. He was only 56.

After we parted company,quite early on in the Electric Parrot days, Jeff went on to become a music agent. I didn't see him for years, but then I bumped into him, in about 2005, at a Doors Tribute night at the (alas!) now defunct Nags Head in Nuneaton.

Jeff was a really nice bloke. I think he struggled at times to get his head round some of the crazier stuff we did, but some of my fondest memories of those years include him bashing away at the Kit at some classic Rock Gigs. He had quite a temper, and could fly into a rage over something quickly. At such times his mane of hair would fly around as he flounced off-hence we nicknamed him "Queenie." In fairness though, he also came out of those rages very quickly. He also had a much nicer Galunian name-Jallin N'gara-which he seemed much fonder of.

The only photo I can find featuring Jeff shows us rehearsing at The Woodlands School, round about 1976, when we all had hair-some of us lots of it! L. to R. it's Barry Ousby on base, Jeff Powles on drums, Arnold on guitar, other Geoff singing (with a fag on?) and Mick Harris on the electric piano. Classic stuff. happy days. Rock on JGP.